Prior to removing the hood (bonnet) for a project it worked great. I am a pretty decent amateur mechanic and very methodical. But gosh darn it I just can't get the latching mechanism to work right. Either pops open while driving or won't release at all and have to use the screwdriver under the fender. I have read and tried everything available on the web. Removed, cleaned and oiled and adjusted, straightened the pins, etc etc. Everything. A hundred times.

So here is my current theory. The two springs on the latch pins that make it pop open a couple inches when you pull the lever are extremely strong. I removed one and measured it as 20 pounds per inch. So both of them are pushing the hood up with 40 pounds of force so if the latch is not quite right it pops open on one side or the other. That seems like way overkill. Grainger has spings the same size with half (10#) the force. Any thoughts on that?

I have literallly been trying to get it to work right for a whole year. A really simple thing for a whole year! I have held off asking for help for so long because I am so embarrassed. Anyone have a magic suggestion? I am recovering from hip replacement and might not be able to get to it for a couple weeks but looking for ideas. Thanks

 

since purchasing my XJ I have never ever had any problem with the hood mechanism.

In your case, I would guess the cable adjustment has something to do with the situation.

I would have someone pulling the handle as you observe the movement of the locking tab. Who knows if you find the answer there.

 

Hi Yellow,

Unless they were fabricated by the individual, I'm pretty sure that one or two others have fitted longer locking pins which obviously reach further into the latching mechanism.



I've not tried this, but said locking pin seems to have a thread, so you may be able to loosen a nut or two and wind out the existing pin?

Cheers,

Nigel

 

Photo's not provided in last post




I was trying to make them bigger so you could see them without glasses.
I think I won that one...

 

I know my post won't due much good as I can't remember where I got them, but... there is a manufactuor (sp?) of oversized hood pins that I bought two from a while back. I was having a heck of a time with my right side popping open while driving - driving me crazy. Tried all kinds of things. The oversized pins did the trick. I will research my archives and my poor memory and see if I can find the source.

 

Same thing happened to me after putting my hood back on. Everything looked straight, but it would pop up and even get stuck, unable to open. I just used some multipurpose grease and lubed up the pin and receptacle. This seems to have fixed it for me.

 

Re the popping, try less tension (unwinding the pins). People think that tightening it up will make it more secure.

 

Thanks, everyone for your suggestions. No matter how long or short my pins are it still pops open when I go over bumps. That is why I am thinking weaker pin springs will decrease its urge to pop open. I think I am going to order them from Grainger and see if that fixes it. Thanks for all the suggestions, I have tried all the suggestions multiple times with no success. I'll keep you posted on how the new springs work. I have to buy a bag of 10 so if they work I'll have 8 left over and will be glad to share with you.
Jeff

 

Jeff, it can't be the springs if it was working fine before, right?

you should try adjusting the cable so it locks better. Otherwise I think the hood is misaligned somewhere, perhaps at the front hinges and it is being "torqued" when closed.

weaker springs might not be strong enough to pop the hood up when you pull the handle.

 

Thanks everyone for your comments. I'll try (or retry them all). If anyone knows where to get the oversized pins, I would be interested in seeing them. Jose, yes, I think you are absolutely right, it worked perfectly then I removed the hood and then it didn't so definitely I did something to screw it up. The hood closes smoothly with no binding, etc and the gaps all around are even so I don't know what else to do regarding alignment. I'll keep working on it and see if I can get it fixed. It is just so darn frustrating. Word to the wise, don't remove your hood unless you absolutely have to. I was replacing my radiator and thought it would make the job easier. I understand now you car replace the radiator without removing the hood. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

questions:

did you remove the hood just to remove the radiator?

by any chance did you remove the torque bars or replaced the 3 bolts or added washers to the bolts?

the reason I ask is because it sounds to me as if the hood is not fully "seating" as it did, therefore it is being "pushed" upwards, whether by the radiator support or anything else.

One time I added washers to the 3 torque bars' bolts because it looked like the bolt's head was "eating" into the torque bar "ears". Well guess what? The result was that the hood was opening by itself. I could not believe that a 1/16 thick washer could cause such a response, but they did raise the head of the bolt sufficiently to prevent the hood from sitting properly. Eliminated the washers and the problem dissapeared.

Retrace the steps to see if you find any difference from before.

 

Thanks for the comments. Yes, I stupidly removed to hood just to replace the radiator, hoses, belts, etc. Made it real easy to lift the radiator straight up and out. Lots of room to work and not scrape my knuckles. I now understand that I could have left the hood on.

By torque bar do you mean the two bars that run from the center of the cowl to the fenders? No I didn't touch that. I just removed the bolts on the hood hinge and my helpers lifted the hood off. Used the original bolts putting the hood back on. With the latch pins completely removed the hood sits nice and straight and is even with the top of the cowl and fenders. Just like before.

Right now I am running with no latch pin at all on the right side and on the driver's side just the pin with no latch spring. Hood sits flat and even. To open I gently use a soft wood shim to lift the hood a little while pulling the hood release handle. When I can get my fingers under the hood, lift it up and release the safety catch. That works but the hood rattles and shakes when I drive.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

did you scribe around the hinges before loosening the hinge bolts?

or, are the hinges in the same exact place they were before hood removal? There should be a "shadow" marking where they were if they have been moved.

if the hinge position is not exactly where it was, then the Safety Catch-to-pin position has been altered, it is not catching the pin where it used to. So it requires a new adjustment of the Safety Catch which is done via the cables.

since you are satisfied with the clearances between the hood and wings, concentrate on adjusting the catches, the problem cannot be anywhere else but at the pin and catch. The springs have little to do with it other than forcing the hood out when you pull the hood handle.

 

Over the years, 2001-2018, of jaguar stewardship, I've learned much. Some from others and some self taught.

1. The two bars that emanate at the cow and terminate on the wing walls must be securely fastened The one at the cowl is tricky and I use my 1/2" drive socket to get the torque needed. The nut under is a Nylok and needs the best of my box wrenches. Easier on the smaller bolts at the wing walls. But, lots of torque needed.

2. Examine the pins carefully, Note the shoulder under the pointed end. It must be at a 90 to the shaft and clean of wear. That is where it seats in the latch. A clean seat needed. And eased in seating by grease. Mere oil seems inadequate.

3.The pins can be bent at the bonnet seat just a tad. Just enough, so as to not strike the latch squarely, and thus "seat" slightly "cocked" and pop open at an chassis twist. Use a wide strip of masking tape across wing to wing at the latch points. Put a glob of grease on the latch pin. Lower the bonnet til the pins just touch the tape.
Raise the bonnet, Examine the relation of the goop on the tape as to the latch opening. Should be square on. If not percussion adjustment to the latch pin with a rubber mallet.

4. Just for the h... of it, I removed the "monkey motion" devixe that secures the bonnet in the open position and gained access to the bay.

On another forum, a lister decried that one can not claim to be a Jaguar mechanic, til he/she has mastered bonnett alignment. I don't qualify!!!!

Although at one time, the bonnet popping open was frequent, that seems rare nowadays... Must have stumbled in to it!!!

Carl

 

Thanks for your help. Yes, the hinge is in exactly the spot it was previously. The car is a V8 and I know that a previous owner had the fenders off at some point so that could be a contributing factor. Carl, I used painters tape over the latches and then lowered the hood down slowly until the conical point of the pins just barely punctured the tape to make sure they were aimed right. BTW, when taping the pins to adjust alignment they move a surprisingly lot with a mild tap with the rubber mallet. Took my time and used just the slightest taps to get them centered.

One of your comments, Carl, struck me. I had removed and thoroughly cleaned the latches and then oiled them. Not grease. Someone up above mentioned grease as well. Could it be that grease and not oil is the thing I have been doing wrong?

Back to the latch pin spring idea. Does it seem to you folks that 40 pounds of spring pressure to lift the hood 2 inches is excessive? I took one of the springs and built a jig in my vise and carefully added weights while measuring the spring pressure required for 1" of travel and it was 20 pounds per spring (x2 = 40 pounds). Without the springs in place I can lift the hood those 2" with my fingers. And I do not have particularly well developed fingers

Also, when I was finishing up the radiator I had the monkey movement thing that holds the hood open removed and used a piece of plastic pipe to prop open the hood. It gives you an amazing amount of additional headroom compared to the factory setup. When I finally hooked up the factory system I said the heck with this, I'm going back to the plastic pipe prop to get that headroom back! After the hood popping open problem is fixed I'm going to work on installing a gas strut to hold the hood open at the maximum position. If successful I'll do a little write-up and post. Thanks again to all for your help.

Jeff

 

me I don't try to outsmart or outguess Jaguar engineers in things like hood springs. Surely they did their homework.

as to the Hood Stay, I removed mine and the hood stays where I set it as long as the floor surface is level. If you can do machine work I have a diagram from the 1990s that shows how to extend it to maximum and still lock in place. It requires a new bar stock and 2 large flat rivets which I can only describe as "industrial quality".

 

Jose, I would love to see the plans you mentioned for a longer hood stay mechanism. I have a fried who has a lathe that can make the rivets. Man, that would be fantastic to have a stock looking mechanism with more reach. Yes, mine stays open on level ground but the problem is the wind. Got bonked good 3 times due to wind. Thus now always use the prop.

 

I recently replaced the engine in my series 2. That entailed removing the bonnet/hood. I marked the original position. I also removed the two stay bars. When I came to re-assembly, it was easy to put the hood back to its original position, I refitted the stay bars. First, one fouled the carb top giving me a terrible knock whilst driving. I turned them over to give more clearance - and then the hood would pop open on one side. The hood was being held up by the head of the bolt securing the stay bar! I suggest you remove any thick washers under these bolt heads and ensure they are fully tightened.

 

Jeff here you go.

these two pictures are all I have, been dragging them around last 25 years. Never could figure it out.

But if you can figure out the diagram, make one for me too!

 

Wow! I definitely dig it. The spring pulls up to keep it in the engaged position; to close the hood you just push down on the support and it foods up. And there is no pressure or stress on the support - the design calls for 2cm wide which is just over 3/4" The support can be made out of aluminum or soft alloy since there is little or no pressure. I'll make up a masonite prototype to test and let you know how it works. Still recovering from hip surgery so it will be a month or two. Thanks Jose!