1949 Pontiac Chieftain 2 door deluxe coupe

[Roger E]

My hood will not stay up---creeps down or or just shuts. How do I repair?

 

 

[TAKerry]

maybe new hood springs?

[Pfeil]

Hood springs for sure. In the mean time a hood stay.

[John348]

I am pretty sure that they would be the same springs used by Chevrolet. The FIlling Station sells them and also has a tool you can either rent or purchase to do the job.

[Rusty_OToole]

Some cars have different spots to hook the springs in, for adjustment. If your car does not have them you may have to buy new springs or make a prop.

[padgett]

Anyone notice the return spring ?

[John348]

6 minutes ago, padgett said:

Anyone notice the return spring ?

 

You can't see them from that angle, they are along side the cowl behind the fender. The springs on the Chevy's are real "wimpy" and are known to get weak, I am 99.9% sure that they are the same

Edited January 14, 2021 by John348 (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, John348 said:

I am pretty sure that they would be the same springs used by Chevrolet. The FIlling Station sells them and also has a tool you can either rent or purchase to do the job.

John, I'm not so sure. Though both "A" bodies are the same body length from the cowl back, but Chevrolet has 115" wheelbase and Pontiac is 120". It's all in the front end for the straight eight. Hood and front fenders are longer. Longer means weight and leveraged weight multiplies. If fact Oldsmobile "A" body wheelbase is 1/2" shorter than Pontiac as well. 

[Harold]

IIRC, there were instructions for making a hood-spring stretcher in the '49-'54 Pontiac shop manual.  Makes it easier and safer to remove and install the springs.

[bob staehle]

I think Padgett was referring to the throttle linkage return spring

[PhilAndrews]

The springs on my Pontiac have seen better days- the hood stays up by itself but not particularly far- leaning over the fender to check the engine oil is about the limit of it for access.

 

I've found people will lift the hood waaaaay up if they want to take a look, to the point the hood has taken the paint off the fenders where it's touched.

 

If you like to park it up with the hood open, would recommend a prop, I modified a bolt and replaced one of the radiator shroud bolts with it. Nice and reversible, too. That way the prop can't go anywhere and I didn't have to drill a hole.

 

 

Made a prop from a length of aluminum tube I bought from the hardware store, and that sits up in the notch in the strengthening brace.

 

 

Polished up nice and was... easier than replacing the springs.

 

Phil

Edited January 14, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

Have you tried CPR?, they have lots of parts for early Pontiac's.

 

 

 

CPR Parts – Give your car CPR

www.pontiacparts.net

 

1.  

California Pontiac Restoration Parts. We offer quality, Pontiac Parts, from 1926 and up. We specialize in NOS & Reproduction Parts for Vintage, Classic .

[GARY F]

19 hours ago, padgett said:

Anyone notice the return spring ?

Yes I saw that .

[PhilAndrews]

I added a torsional twist (rather than pull or oush linear) spring to my carb to take up the slack in the rods- which ended up not needed once I actually pulled my finger out and adjusted the linkage correctly.

It's just not totally easy to get right with the Hydramatic and high mileage, worn out links.

[PONTIAC1953]

On 1/13/2021 at 4:11 PM, John348 said:

I am pretty sure that they would be the same springs used by Chevrolet. The FIlling Station sells them and also has a tool you can either rent or purchase to do the job.

well the hood hinge springs used by pontiac from 1949 to 1954 models was not the same as the chevy hood hinge springs, or any other divisions of GM.

[John348]

Just now, pontiac1953 said:

well the hood hinge springs used by pontiac from 1949 to 1954 models was not the same as the chevy hood hinge springs, or any other divisions of GM.

 

That is amazing! You think that there are so many other hardware (window regulators, vent window assemblies, glass, and such) that they would be the same hood springs

[PONTIAC1953]

On 1/13/2021 at 7:17 PM, padgett said:

Anyone notice the return spring ?

that sure is shade tree mechanics going on there, there's supposed to be two throttle return springs located on the driver's side of the pontiac straight eight, one can be seen above the starter going from the linkage to the bell housing, the other spring is below the starter going from the lower linkage to the lower cover for the fluid coupling.

[PhilAndrews]

 

As we're on the subject of springs:

Top spring (by gas pedal linkage). Hooks to a groove on the lever arm, the other end to an anchor in the flywheel plate.

 

Bottom spring- through a small hole in the lever arm, to a hole in the torus/flywheel lower cover.

 

I found with the pins through the alignment setting holes the wear on the lower linkage would cause the lever to go over-center and make the pedal difficult to press down initially. Adjustment to keep the correct positioning of the TV arm in relation to the throttle position is still possible though. 

The lever arm should move quite far in the initial stages of gas pedal movement.

 

That big top spring from the carburetor to the engine is not required if you adjust the linkage correctly.

 

Phil

Edited January 15, 2021 by PhilAndrews (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

3 hours ago, pontiac1953 said:

well the hood hinge springs used by pontiac from 1949 to 1954 models was not the same as the chevy hood hinge springs, or any other divisions of GM.

Like I said above Charles;

Though both "A" bodies are the same body length from the cowl back, but Chevrolet has 115" wheelbase and Pontiac is 120". It's all in the front end for the straight eight. Hood and front fenders are longer. Longer means weight and leveraged weight multiplies. If fact Oldsmobile "A" body wheelbase is 1/2" shorter than Pontiac as well.