Farmerdoug Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 I have a 1952 Buick Super sedan. The car is not my style at all. I like more of the hot rod and street rod style. However, there is something about this car that I just love. It is totally stock with dynoflow transmission and the original straight eight engine. It starts great, runs great and rides like a dream. My problem is the hood latches. It has the side opening hood. Either side can be opened with the latch depending which side of the engine you need to work on. I am having problems keeping the latches locked while driving the car. I have the latches clean and lubricated very well. I always line up the pins with the latches and seat the hood down as firmly as possible and it appears that it is latched completely. But if I meet a truck or any other large vehicle on the road, it tries to pull the hood off the car. I have had to stop many times and put the hood back in place. Don't want to loose the hood or break the windshield. Anyone have any experience with this problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted March 26 Share Posted March 26 Packard used a similar system and the levers under the dash pulled the hood closed tight. Are you missing the pads in the lip of the fender? Buick person will correct me if the systems differ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerdoug Posted March 26 Author Share Posted March 26 On the Buick you have just a pull cable to release the latches on the fender. There is a cable on the drivers side and also a cable on the passenger side. Two latches on each side. I don't have any levers to pull hood down tight. I guess when you push the hood down or slam it on each side, it is supposed to latch and stay. It certainly has the appearance that it is latched but does not stay after some driving. Thanks for answering my post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Century Eight Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 (edited) I would suggest you get a shop manual for that car. I have had a’50 Super since ‘75 with the same mechanism and never experienced this issue. When I lower my hood, I hear a couple noises instead of just one that tells me it is latched. It’s like you have to push it down, and then it pushes back a little, makes another noise, and then lets you know it is firmly latched. Not easy to explain the idiosyncrasy, I would hunt down another buick owner at a show and ask him for a demo. Yours must slightly out adjustment. Does it happen usually on either side, or mostly just one side? I feel you pain because four years ago my conventional Chevelle hood smacked me in the windshield at thirty-five mph due to a bad latch. At least with the Buick, only one side is going to come up and then come back down, because of no wind. Keep us posted. Yours may need lubing, but to much lube in the wrong place can make it slip back down between the time you pull the cable and then get out to raise the hood. Then it helps to have long arms. Edited March 27 by Century Eight (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Century Eight Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 8 minutes ago, Century Eight said: I would suggest you get a shop manual for that car. I have had a’50 Super since ‘75 with the same mechanism and never experienced this issue. When I lower my hood, I hear a couple noises instead of just one that tells me it is latched. It’s like you have to push it down, and then it pushes back a little, makes another noise, and then lets you know it is firmly latched. Not easy to explain the idiosyncrasy, I would hunt down another buick owner at a show and ask him for a demo. Yours must slightly out adjustment. Does it happen usually on either side, or mostly just one side? I feel you pain because four years ago my conventional Chevelle hood smacked me in the windshield at thirty-five mph due to a bad latch. At least with the Buick, only one side is going to come up and then come back down, because of no wind. Keep us posted. Yours may need lubing, but to much lube in the wrong place can make it slip back down between the time you pull the cable and then get out to raise the hood. Then it helps to have long arms. I just re-read your original post. It is possible you have the latches over-lubed. Wish I could demo you mine. If you are near Cleveland, the Buick National will be held there in July. You’d enjoy it and be able to check out those hinges. (And join the BCA if you haven’t already!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldtech Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 Are the cables possibly adjusted too tight and pulling a little on the release? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete O Posted March 27 Share Posted March 27 There slides and pins in the hood latches that wear and get sloppy and don't click smartly into place when the wear happens. I had to build up with weld and dremel it smooth one of the slides (or channels or notches or whatever they're called that the pin rides in.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerdoug Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 22 hours ago, Century Eight said: I just re-read your original post. It is possible you have the latches over-lubed. Wish I could demo you mine. If you are near Cleveland, the Buick National will be held there in July. You’d enjoy it and be able to check out those hinges. (And join the BCA if you haven’t already!) I agree that maybe I have lubed the latches too much. However, I am starting to think that maybe my latches are worn more than I realize. With the hood off and out of the way, I have found that I can trip the latches down by hand and they are not locking or latching. The latch mechanism can be pulled right back to the release position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmerdoug Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 10 hours ago, Pete O said: There slides and pins in the hood latches that wear and get sloppy and don't click smartly into place when the wear happens. I had to build up with weld and dremel it smooth one of the slides (or channels or notches or whatever they're called that the pin rides in.) Ok, yes I think maybe my latches might be getting worn and not clicking into place or a lock position. I can take the hood off and out of the way and noticed I can trip the latch down by hand and pull it right back up by hand without getting in the car and pulling the cable release. Will see what I can find out. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
68LTD Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 an obvious thought here, maybe put in a totally separate latch, with its own cable or rod. Hood opening on the road is never a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis Hagen Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 I have a 51 and 52. I didn’t like the side opening setup. I have heard of a hood coming off on the highway, my experience was hood coming loose when one side was open and being heavy hard to handle and usually end up with scratched up fenders. I did something radical and made a front opening hood using 53 hinges and latch assembly on my 51 while keeping the 51 hood. On the 52 I am using 4 linear actuators that raise the hood straight up 2 feet, using 4 switches so the hood can be nested down in each corner for a good fit. After new paint last thing I wanted was a lose hood to scratch up the fenders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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