Crazy Hood Latch Ideas (or not so crazy) 1998 v70

[Sveedy]

Ok let me try this again;
I do not pull on any cable or wire to trip the latch. I just push that tab that you are pointing at with the green arrow. I think your cable hooks into that notch on that very tab, though I do not see the cable in your pic. I wrapped that tab w/ tape so it was easier to push with my thumb. I will go and look at my set up in a bit and will post another pic if needed. But just try playing with the mechanism a little, and you should see how it works.

[MrAl]

Ok let me try this again;
I do not pull on any cable or wire to trip the latch. I just push that tab that you are pointing at with the green arrow. I think your cable hooks into that notch on that very tab, though I do not see the cable in your pic. I wrapped that tab w/ tape so it was easier to push with my thumb. I will go and look at my set up in a bit and will post another pic if needed. But just try playing with the mechanism a little, and you should see how it works.

Ok thanks. Yes i did not put any wire on anything yet i just got those pics from my car repair archive i took those pics a long time ago. I modified them a little with the clearer green arrow so i could ask exactly if that was the right place to connect the wire or not.
I'll try playing with it, but if you could lastly tell me if you push that tab to the right, left, up, or down to open the latch.


Since this is still the crazy hood latch ideas thread, i had another idea which led me to realize what kind of problem a hood latch can present to a mechanical engineer.

The thought was to use electric mechanisms replacing the latches entirely. The mechanisms would work like the door lock mechaisms on some cars where when you energize it with 12v of one polarity the shaft moves outward and when you reverse polarity the shaft moves back in. This looks like the little door lock things that stick up from the top of the door where the botttom of the window meets the door and you normally push it down to lock the door and pull it up to unlock, but with the electric mechanism it goes up and down with either the door key or the inside door lock/unlock switch.
So the ideal case would be where the shafts stick through the little hood loops under the front part of hte hood and when you energize them the shafts pull in and so the shafts move out from inside the loops and the hood becomes unlatched. Then you go to the front of the car and unlatch the center manual latch as usual.
But one of the problems already is that you would have to hold the hood closed in order to energize the mechanisms so they push the shaft through the loops again holding the hood closed, and that's not possible without another mechanism or a second person to hold it down, so there would have to be a little more too it so that you can just close the hood.
Also, catching those little loops is a little like trying to catch a rubber band with a pair of pliers when someone throws one to you at the office. That's because the hood is a little flexible and so can move a little in various directions, but you still have to capture those two loops effectively.
I was thinking of this because a re-engineering of these latches would be really nice. I could also see using metal shafts instead of cables. The metal shafts could be 1/8 to 1/4 inch diameter, and one would run from the inside of the car to one latch, and then from that latch to the other latch, just like the cables, except they would never break or stretch. It would of course depend on the clearances available under there so it is possible that it would not be possible to do this way, but if so that would make one heck of a hood release mechanism. So the latches would remain, just the connectivity would be different replacing the cables with steel rods. Of course there may be a few minor problems to work out such as getting the direction to change from a pull inside the car which goes front to back into a pull on the latches fhat goes right to left or something like that.
Although i've done mostly electrical/elctronic engineering i have done some mechanical stuff too so i might be able ot pull it off. In fact, when you get down to it there is certainly another way to do it, just depends how much time and effort you are willing to put into it.
Of course for now i'll try to do it with the two wires that's the simpleist i think. That sounds like it should always work as long as the latches themselves are still working normally,. If not, i was also thinking of just grinding out the two loops from the top of the hood and just repairing that later (ha ha). That would work in ANY case, but of course make for some body work and maybe installing those racing hood pins as i was talking about in another thread. I'd actually love to do that though. The pins would never fail unless they rested or something but then just cut them off.

So to be clear, i am looking for a compete fail free solution but for now i think the wires will give me some piece of mind, and second to that is the side light entry ideas.

But i have another question about the 'cardboard trick'. When i look at the hood from the front i dont see anywhere where you could stick the cardboard into. So where do you stick the cardboard into? This will help with winter coming because that is when it is hardest to open.

Thanks again to all members that have replied, greatly appreciated.

[erikv11]

Yes those are the holes/eyelets I was referring to. The existing hood release cable does not hook into that circle/notch/eyelet. Nothing hooks into it, as clearly shown in your pictures. The eyelet is free and unused and can easily accept a cable.

The tab needs to move toward the center of the car. You can use Sveedy's method and reach up and push it toward the center. Or you can route a longer cable and pull it from down below. I have my 98 V70 set up this way and it works really well.

The cardboard piece goes between the upper edge of the headlight and the hood. Pull the cable lever in the cabin to release one side of the hood, wedge the cardboard in between the upper edge of the headlight and the hood on the stuck side, pull the lever again, the stuck side pops free.

[abscate]

You can order the cardboard from Amazon. It comes with free shipping

[MrAl]

You can order the cardboard from Amazon. It comes with free shipping

Ha ha, good one

I have too much already from them (ha ha). That cardboard really adds up too.

The only thing is, i dont have Amazon Prime i only have Amazon USDA Choice

[MrAl]

Yes those are the holes/eyelets I was referring to. The existing hood release cable does not hook into that circle/notch/eyelet. Nothing hooks into it, as clearly shown in your pictures. The eyelet is free and unused and can easily accept a cable.

The tab needs to move toward the center of the car. You can use Sveedy's method and reach up and push it toward the center. Or you can route a longer cable and pull it from down below. I have my 98 V70 set up this way and it works really well.

The cardboard piece goes between the upper edge of the headlight and the hood. Pull the cable lever in the cabin to release one side of the hood, wedge the cardboard in between the upper edge of the headlight and the hood on the stuck side, pull the lever again, the stuck side pops free.

Hey thanks a lot really. Now i am pretty sure i know exactly what to do.
So both latches would pull in toward the center. That might make it even easier.

Almost cant wait to try this now, almost

Placed a small order of cardboard Glad it is not a plastic bag as those will be banned in New Jersey soon. Crazy.

[abscate]

Place a large Aluminum magnet on top of the hood, so that it attracts the cylinder head to the hood. The added mass will serve as a backup in case the current fails. Upgrade to the 300 amp alternator to power it up

Warning from the MVS servers. If this thread reaches 20 pages, it will explode

[Sveedy]

On my latch there is a cable in that notch. And you push the tab toward the outside of the car. if your standing in front of the car, the tab pushes toward your right ( drivers side wheel ). At least that's how mine works.

I think the cable that is hooked in that notch activates the passengers side latch.

[MrAl]

Place a large Aluminum magnet on top of the hood, so that it attracts the cylinder head to the hood. The added mass will serve as a backup in case the current fails. Upgrade to the 300 amp alternator to power it up

Warning from the MVS servers. If this thread reaches 20 pages, it will explode

Yeah sounds like a good idea
Aluminum magnet is funny too, but it is possible to make an aluminum magnet, or more exactly, an aluminum electo magnet which will attract ferros metal objects.
But do they really make a 300 amp alternator or was that just a joke too? Would be interesting if they did but i have a feeling the battery would not like that too much

Anyway, looks like this problem is getting solved. That's two or three problems solved in the last week now, thanks.

[abscate]

Aluminum magnet is funny too, but it is possible to make an aluminum magnet, or more exactly, an aluminum electo magnet which will attract ferros metal objects.

You take a normal ferrous magnet

You coat it with Mixed JB Weld

Presto - it will pick up Aluminum.

Alas, it will not work on Aluminium