1955 Hood release handle repair

[edpow55]

1955 hoid release handle came off in my hand.
I used vise grip on the bar under the dash to open the hood.
Solufions? I oiled all the parts under the hood …
How do I lubricate the metal wire that goes through to the unlatch bar?
Best to drill through the handle and the bar and put in a self threading metal screw? Thabks Ed

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[Birdman of coatesvile]

Casco makes a emergency tool I bought it just in case

 

[Jim5]

1955 hoid release handle came off in my hand.
I used vise grip on the bar under the dash to open the hood.
Solufions? I oiled all the parts under the hood …
How do I lubricate the metal wire that goes through to the unlatch bar?
Best to drill through the handle and the bar and put in a self threading metal screw? Thabks Ed

My handle just came off, too! I put back with JBWeld. Used a fat tooth pick to get it inside the handle, and small brush onto shaft. Tap handle on using wood or plastic hammer. Let rest 48h to be extra sure. Clean up latches in engine compartment. They get a lot of road dirt sticking to the grease. I relubed with purple chain oil along sides of latches but any licht lube will do, but not grease. Put rags under the latches for the 48 hrs to catch drips. Before closing hood, pull the latch a few times to spread & lube up the latches. Mine is good as new.
ALSO, get emergency handle which hides underneath dashboard made by Ross Woodman in the Sacramento Tbird club at rosslw@********

 

[edpow55]

Thank you Ed

 

[edpow55]

My fix should the handle come off again

 

[doug7740]

That seems excessive. Doesn't the chain hit the exhaust manifold when the car is in motion?

I took a length of mechanic's wire and wrapped it around the hood latch where the factory cable attaches. I ran the mechanic's wire alongside the factory cable inside the car under the dash. I attached a ring pull to the mechanic's wire under the dash.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Tom Alpers]

That seems excessive. Doesn't the chain hit the exhaust manifold when the car is in motion?

I took a length of mechanic's wire and wrapped it around the hood latch where the factory cable attaches. I ran the mechanic's wire alongside the factory cable inside the car under the dash. I attached a ring pull to the mechanic's wire under the dash.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

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I did the same as doug but ended in with a wooden handle* similar to the factory handle so I'd have a better handle to get a grip on. *a piece of 1/2" or so wood dowel about 2 inches long that I drilled a hold thru and then ran the heavy wire thru the hole and twisted it so it can't pull thru.

 

[grubin]

Hills has an emergency tool to open the hood for future reference. I always have mine in the trunk. They just got a new batch in