'41 Buick porthole/hood latch removal

[Curt Six]

Hey guys. I'm trying to remove the porthole/hood latch assembly on my '41 Buick. I've already disconnected the actual latch inside the engine bay, and I can see five screws holding the mechanism in place from under the hood. However it appears there are two more fasteners between the fender and the cowl back by the door. Is there any way to get to these fasteners and remove the mechanism without taking the fenders off? 

 

I could not find info in my shop manual or Fisher body manual.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Curt

[neil morse]

I was able to reach into that area with a small wrench and get those two fasteners off.  It was a squeeze, but it was doable.

[Curt Six]

Thank you Neil. I’ll give it another go!

[neil morse]

Curt, I went back through my "Me and My Buick" thread to see if I had posted any information about getting those fasteners out.  However, I didn't mention anything about it.  My memory is that there are studs on the "porthole" molding, and nuts and lock washers that need to come off.  You don't mention why you are trying to take it off, but here's my post about replacing the hood release lever on my car in case this might be helpful to you.  (Click on arrow in upper right hand corner to get the post.)

 

 

[neil morse]

Curt, I was bothered because I wasn't sure I was remembering this correctly, so I went down to my garage and took a look at my Super to refresh my memory.  I think I may have given you a bum steer.  It looks like there is one stud that is accessible in the area between the firewall and the fender.  This is what I was thinking of when I said you could reach it with a small wrench.  You can see it here:

 

 

Then, farther aft near the door there are two additional studs that you can just barely see looking down the narrow opening between the body and the fender.  It's very hard to get a photo of these, but you can make them out toward the bottom of this pic:

 

 

On my car, someone had previously removed the "porthole" grill and put it back without putting nuts on these studs.  The rest of the fasteners are sufficient to hold it in place, so I didn't attempt to get nuts on these studs when I put it back together.  Assuming these nuts are in place on your car, it looks like you might possibly be able to get at them with a very slim wrench, but it will be a real challenge.

 

So I hope that helps.  Maybe some other 41ers can chime in here.

 

 

 

 

[Curt Six]

Hi Neil. I have removed three screws (front half of porthole/latch mechanism), one 7/16” nut (middle of the mechanism), and one of two 3/8” nuts (back of the mechanism nearest the door/cowl—green arrow in my photo). The second 3/8” nut (lower one—yellow arrow in my photo) is giving me hell. It is rusted and deteriorated to the point that the slim wrench will reach it but won’t engage because it’s no longer a true hex shape. Incredibly frustrating. 
 

I have tried needle nose pliers, needle nose channel locks, and multiple wrenches to no avail. I thought about drilling a small access hole in the side of the cowl from the inside out to try to get a ratchet on there, but there’s a structural steel support right at that spot. I’m really stumped on this one. 
 

 

[neil morse]

Yes, those are the two that I was talking about.  I'm sorry (but not surprised) to hear that you are having such a hard time removing that nut.  Have you tried needle nose vise grips?  Is it possible to get a hacksaw blade in there and just saw off the stud?  Remember, you do not need these two attachment points to put the assembly back on once you get it off, so you don't need to worry about destroying the stud.  As I said, the three screws and the other stud are perfectly adequate to hold the assembly on.

 

Good luck and keep on trying.  I'm sure you will get it in the end.

[DonMicheletti]

If Neil has found that you can get away without nuts on the studs, then you probably dont need the studs either.

I would consider reaching in with a hacksaw blade and just cut the stud off entirely. That is providing the stud does not provide some sort of alignment.

 

When we worked on Neils latch handle, I did not see the car - only the part.

[neil morse]

I don't think alignment is an issue, and you have one intact stud anyway, so anything you can do to just cut that rusted nut off would work.  But obviously access is the problem.

[Curt Six]

It looks like the make carbide Dremel bits with an extra long 1/8” shank. I’m going to order one up and see how that works. I do have enough clearance to get one in there, just don’t have the reach with a standard bit. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks for the input guys!

[neil morse]

Great idea!  I was thinking Dremel, but I couldn't figure out how you would reach it.  I predict total success!

[EmTee]

Hopefully you'll be able to grind the nut off and leave the stud.

[DonMicheletti]

Obviously, saving the stud is best, even if you do not replace the nut