1929 Series 65 Hood locks mounting

[Narve N]

The hood lock mounts on a 1929 Chrysler has an angled base allowing more travel in one in/out direction than the other direction. When replacing screws on my blue Series 65 with nails I decided that they logically should be mounted so they will not fall onto the fender when released, then I discovered that they were the other way around on my orange car and also on a scrap pair of frame covers I found. Locking the hood works anyhow, but I still believe my initial thought to be right in order to not scrub the fenders. Any thoughts?

[richasco]

The latches on my '29 DeSoto lay toward the fenders, but not as low as yours. If the latches were reversed I think they would get caught under the hood.

[keiser31]

The top photo shows the correct position of the hood latch base. The latch should rest on the fender when unlatched from the hood.

[The Caponemobile]

I have a related problem.  Two of the four hood latches on my '30 Model 77 Chrysler have excessively strong springs; one on each side.  All of the latches are apparently riveted to the "catwalk."  I assume that to remove any of them I would need get out and under and cut the rivets.  (I am disabled, and depend on friends to look at things like this,  so there may an easy answer, but I haven't asked anyone to get down and look.)  I unscrewed one of the hooks before someone pulled too hard and stripped the fine thread that holds the hook and lifting hole to the body of the latch.  I did that because the match of brass threads seems to be rather loose and sloppy.

 

My simple question is, how do I remove the body of the latch from the clamp on the catwalk?  Do I hold the link to the catwalk retainer with "padded" pliers, then try to unscrew the body of the clamp from the retainer?  My object,of course, is to replace the present springs with weaker ones.  I just don't see how to go about it.  I have a machine shop, and can fabricate what is needed when I know what that is.  

 

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.   

 

Thanks for any help,  John Losch

[Narve N]

John,

you will likely have to cut the old pins to remove the latch body from the clamp that is riveted to the catwalk/frame cover. Enclosed picture shows the replacements made by my machine shop capable friend to the lower right, knobs are welded nuts turned down. With threads instead of everything riveted together you can also readjust the pretension.

 

And otherwise I have followed the two to nil score on my poll and turned the latch bases around on my blue car too.

[The Caponemobile]

Many thanks for your reply, and the nicely detailed photos. I am left with this question.  Your photos seem to suggest new pins, the long threaded rods in the lower right photo, have threaded heads so that the "pins" can be inserted into the retainers riveted to the catwalk by threading them into the retainers.  That leaves two questions.  can the original "pins" be removed without cutting the retainer rivets?  If so, how.  My second question, how do you hold the threaded heads to tighten them in place?  I guess my real question is, "What am I missing?"  I am obliged for any help you can provide.

[Narve N]

On 6/8/2018 at 1:28 AM, The Caponemobile said:

Can the original "pins" be removed without cutting the retainer rivets?  If so, how.  My second question, how do you hold the threaded heads to tighten them in place?  I guess my real question is, "What am I missing?"  I am obliged for any help you can provide.

 

1. Rivets are the first thing needing to be cut, the bolts also need to go if you want to rechrome etc.

2. Strong fingers are helpful. The nut can be accessed on the cylinder top. When in place hopefully there will be another 90 years before the latches require to be taken apart again.

Edited July 12, 2018 by Narve N
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