Removal of Hood Hinge Springs

[Guest 70 Electra]

Any of you gearheads have a good (and safe) backyard method for removing/reinstalling the coil spring from a hood hinge? I'm looking to do so with a hinge assembly that is already OFF the car.

Of key importance is to prevent cosmetic damage to both hinge and spring (nicks, scratches, vise marks, etc).

Thanks,

[Guest imported_Matt M, PA]

I once read....that if you move the hinge so that the spring is extended...you can then place small wedges of wood, coins, etc....between the coils....then when the hinge is moved the opposite way...the spring remains extended and can be lifted out.

Hope that made sense.

[Guest imported_Matt M, PA]

I once read....that if you move the hinge so that the spring is extended...you can then place small wedges of wood, coins, etc....between the coils....then when the hinge is moved the opposite way...the spring remains extended and can be lifted out.

Hope that made sense.

[Guest Timothy D Bowers]

It's made more difficult if I understand you to say that the hood is off the car, and the hinges are off the hood.

We built a copy of a tool from the '53 Oldsmobile manual that should work in just about any application, but as Matt suggests, you'll need to extend the spring.

Basically, take a piece of steel tubing of a diameter that is slightly larger than the size of your spring coil, and cut to length that is 80% of the length of your coil when it is relaxed. Your tubing wall thickness should be at least the thickness of exhaust tubing, if not slightly heavier.

You need to cut a relief in the length of the tubing so that it will slip over the outside of your spring coil.

Weld heavy washers to the ends of your tubing. Welds have to be good, becuase there will be considerable tension.

When you extend the spring, you slip your fancy new tool into the gaps created in the coils, and when you then relax the spring, it is held out to the longer length due to the tool, and easily slips off the hinge. When you're ready to reinstall, it easily goes back on, and then you extend the spring again, and the tool comes out.

This all sounds perfectly understandable to me, but I've got an image of the tool in my mind. If I've confused the heck out of you, I can try to take a picture of the ones I made (if I can find 'em!) or scan the catalog that the tool image was in.

[Guest Timothy D Bowers]

It's made more difficult if I understand you to say that the hood is off the car, and the hinges are off the hood.

We built a copy of a tool from the '53 Oldsmobile manual that should work in just about any application, but as Matt suggests, you'll need to extend the spring.

Basically, take a piece of steel tubing of a diameter that is slightly larger than the size of your spring coil, and cut to length that is 80% of the length of your coil when it is relaxed. Your tubing wall thickness should be at least the thickness of exhaust tubing, if not slightly heavier.

You need to cut a relief in the length of the tubing so that it will slip over the outside of your spring coil.

Weld heavy washers to the ends of your tubing. Welds have to be good, becuase there will be considerable tension.

When you extend the spring, you slip your fancy new tool into the gaps created in the coils, and when you then relax the spring, it is held out to the longer length due to the tool, and easily slips off the hinge. When you're ready to reinstall, it easily goes back on, and then you extend the spring again, and the tool comes out.

This all sounds perfectly understandable to me, but I've got an image of the tool in my mind. If I've confused the heck out of you, I can try to take a picture of the ones I made (if I can find 'em!) or scan the catalog that the tool image was in.

[Guest 70 Electra]

Thanks for the suggestions! Sounds like I need to focus on a really sturdy place to mount the hinge, so I can raise/lower it to stretch spring.

I was looking in some service manuals, and saw tools similar to the one you made, so I know what you are describing. Sounds like that works pretty well!

Thanks,

[Guest 70 Electra]

Thanks for the suggestions! Sounds like I need to focus on a really sturdy place to mount the hinge, so I can raise/lower it to stretch spring.

I was looking in some service manuals, and saw tools similar to the one you made, so I know what you are describing. Sounds like that works pretty well!

Thanks,