Keep your hood hinges lubed!

[Guest Richard D]

I was checking my fluids today and when I lifted up on the hood the drivers side felt very tight. I then used all my lifting force (slowly) on the drivers side and when I got it about half way up I saw the hinge (the end facing the front of car) was bent up. I got my can of white spray lithium grease and sprayed all the hinge points on the hood and the doors. Much better now, I was able to almost flatten the hinge all the way without removing it, I am by myself. I now also need to replace the support struts, the pass. side is strong but drivers side has no push at all. I figure replacing both at the same time is best.

Just in case, does any other car use the same hood hinge?

Thank's to All

Richard

[padgett]

Have done struts a few times, just have to be careful to orient the end so the body lies in the channel - if backwards it won't close. Just note the orientation as the come off. I found the struts at Pep Boyz.

Hinge is just a bolt on item, I'd replace both if one has stressed.

[Ronnie]

Instructions for replacing the hood lift struts can be found here:

Hood Strut Replacement Instructions - Reatta Owners Journal

Thanks to Padgett for the instructions.

The struts can be purchased here at a great price:

Buy the ACDelco 510-313 Hood Lift Strut for the Reatta at The Reatta Store

[Guest Richard D]

Thank You both, anybody think the Riv, eldo or Olds Trofeo use the same hinge?

[ghostymosty]

Checked my Mitchell crash book and the left is the same on Reatta, 86-91 Eldorado, 90-92 Toronado, and 86-91 Seville. On the right the Reatta shows a different part number but the other three share a hood hinge number. Checked the Car-part.com website and they are showing the right and left side interchanging between these models, the site uses an interchange book so maybe my crash book has a misprint.

Crash book shows part # 20685170 for the right side of the Reatta and # 1639670 for the left side of the Reatta. The other three models show # 1639671 for the right side and # 1639670 for the left side.

[dship]

Looked up the parts in the 88-93 Riveria/Reatta Parts & Illustration Catalog:

88 thru 93 Riviera LH hinge part #1639670 and RH hinge part #1639671

88 thru 91 Reatta LH hinge part #20685171 and RH hinge part #20685170

I have access to part #'s for the 92 thru 02 Eldorado via "crash sheets":

92 thru 96 Eldorado LH hinge part #25650356 and RH hinge part #25650355

97 thru 02 Eldorado LH hinge part #25663307 and RH hinge part #25663306

I have no reference material for Trofeo's. Hope this helps...

[dship]

I also just checked my 1994 60th edition of the Hollander Interchange - ID & Body manual:

Hinges from 86-93 Riviera, 86-91 Eldorado, 86-91 Seville, and 86-92 Toronado are interchangeable LH only and RH only.

Hinges from 92-94 Eldorado and 92-94 Seville are interchangeable LH only and RH only.

REATTA stands by itself....no interchange with any other GM.