1912 Overland Hood Alignment Help

Hello all- I was putting a different carb on the Overland and noticed the rod that connects the top of the radiator to the firewall was completely screwed out of the firewall fitting. This explains the poor fit and alignment of the hood since I got the car. But now the question-

At each end is a casting with a standard right hand threaded hole and both ends of the rod are threaded accordingly. So as I screw it into the firewall fitting it is unscrewing at an equal pace from the radiator. Therefore I am not adjusting the gap (pulling in the radiator top) at all. How do I adjust the gap? The hood hinge runs right above this rod and goes in separate upper holes in the same castings. Right now the distance from firewall fitting to radiator fitting for the hood hinge pin is 25 1/16", the sheet metal on the hood is 24 3/4" and the hood hinge pin is 25 1/8". That leaves almost no engagement of the hood hinge and a little over 1/8" hood gap at each end. The hood basically rests there on the hood lacing and the side latches hold it on.

I think I need a longer hinge pin but I still want to know anyone's thoughts on how to adjust the firewall/radiator distance with both ends of the main rod threaded the same way. As always I bet someone here is smarter than me!

Thanks,

Presumably the fitting on the radiator is soldered in place and that on the firewall is attached with screws? If so, remove the fitting from the firewall, adjust the fitting and rod until its the right length and reattach it to the firewall. If there are enough threads, put a nut on the rod ahead of the fitting and, when properly fitted, tighten the nut against the fitting. This will lock everything up nicely. You can always run a die over the rod to lengthen the threads a little.

JV- you put me on the right track but the car has been changed a lot so what you said could not be done. The center piece at the firewall is attached with screws thru the wood, however it is also riveted to the cowling piece on both sides that makes up the ledge with the lacing that the hood rests on. This side cowling piece goes all the way to the top of the frame rails and are screwed in every two inches or so. To take it off I would either have to remove the rivets or unscrew both sides all the way down and screw this huge "U" shape onto the rod. See the pics to help understand what I am trying to explain. Pictures 1 and 2 show the nutted center cast piece the rod screws into. They also show how there is a screw at every tab on the sheet metal side pieces that would have to be removed. Then the whole assembly would have to be screwed onto the rod. 3 and 4 show how the center piece is riveted where it should not be.

So I left it all together and screwed the rod in until it was attached at both this end and the radiator, tightened the jam nuts and things felt a lot firmer than before. I then repositioned the hinge pin in the hood to get about 1/4" insertion in the rear piece. With the hood touching the cowl at the rear you can see where I have about 3/8" pin engagement to the cowl stirrup and about 3/16" gap to the hood. I think this will ride OK and the side latches hold it down more firmly too.

Now, what do you think the two holes in front of the rod insertion hole are for? I am thinking some small sheet metal anti rattle tension-er that comes up under the rod. Any ideas?

To summarize- JV was right about how it should have been done or was done originally. The rivets threw me off into thinking it was all one piece but I knew someone here was smarter than me! It is just that the car wouldn't play along in its older years!!

Thanks for the help,

Saw the rod in two and put in one of these right and left hand threaded nuts:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#left-hand-threaded-coupling-nuts/=tdtien