Just making sure I do this right. This is a picture of the hood mechanism on drivers side from within the fender. Am I to push towards the firewall from where the spring is attached between the forks?

That'd be towards the right on the picture. I'm coming in from the bottom left. I tried pushich up and towards the firewall but it didn't release. Maybe I went at it wrong so I'm checking.

Don't want to break anything more as its apparent to me the car needs no help in that department 😩 ... it's never nothing.

The slot where the spring attaches, is that a good point to put apply pressure to release the latch to open the hood?

The cable end jumped ship. A bump in the road did this.


Thanks

 

Here is what you are looking at from a different view.
Stretch the spring.
The part with the J stamped on it needs to go towards the rear of the car.

This is from one of my salvage cars on my property.

 

Bob, what's a good way to prevent this? Just crimp the cup that the ball sits in when its in working condition? Bit of solder to join it more firmly?

 

I used a very small zip tie to hold the cable in place to the bracket/lever so that the ball wouldn't pop out on my 2001 XJR

 

It opened easy enough with just a push towards the firewall right after i posted.

My picture of the ball that jumped shipped is upside down!! That being the case I was surprised not that it fell out but that it ever stayed in!!
I can see why the bump in the road moved it and why you don't want to ever slam your hood. All that's holding it in place is the stiffness of the cable.

Highly recommended you zip tie the cable to keep it in place! I zipped around the forks underneath the cable because it was easiest. The latch mechanism stays in place, nothing gets changed and no tools are needed.

DiY: A small zip tie made into a loop that fits around the tangs will keep the ball end in place. Slip it around the tangs, use a finger to keep it in place while pulling it tight. Once in place the cable can't fall out.

The idea is to block the exit and keep the cable where it belongs. Doesn't have to be a zip tie. A wad of something shoved in there could work too.

Caution, bending the tangs together could break one of them leaving you worse off.

Going up and over the cable could be better but not as easy. I couldn't get it in place.

As long as it's tightened around the opening thus blocking it, the cable can't fall out. Problem solved.

I wasn't able to do this on the passenger side or I would have. Its not as accessible because the of the fender.

Do this before you are forced to deal with it. It'll save you a lot of time and frustration.

 

Tiny zip tie will solve it. Don't make it any harder than it needs to be.