Bodywork, Paint, Interior, Trim, & Wiring

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Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 14, 2015 03:43PM

I wanted a forward tilting hood but I couldn't use a simple hinge because the front of the hood has a curve to it. The hinge point would have had to be forward of the furthest forward part of the hood to work, if not the front edge of the hood would just push down on the top of the grille and not open.

Some Saab's and BMW's have hoods that move the whole hood forward and up to get it in front of the grille and then you lift the hood to the vertical position. I have also seen similar hinges used on custom pickups that have been converted to forward tilting hoods. So here is the hinge mechanism.

DSCF1401.JPG

The tube is a 1" thin wall steel with bronze bushings pressed into each end. It pivots on pins supported by brackets screwed to the car. There are machined aluminum arms that clamp onto the tube that have heim joints that attach to brackets on the hood. Attached to the arms are bent pieces of 1/4" aluminum that act as stops to keep the hood from rotating too far forward. The passenger side arm also has a gas spring that pushes the hood forward when the latch is released.

DSCF1402.JPG

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This is what the hood looks like when the gas spring has pushed it forward and the hood has rotated up and forward on the pivot arms.

DSCF1408.JPG


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 14, 2015 03:53PM

At the rear of the hood are two rollers (from a BMW) that engage fabricated brackets attached to the foot boxes. These guide the rear of the hood down and back and lock it in place when it has fully seated to the rear.

DSCF1418.JPG

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You can see the wheel of the BMW roller starting to engage the bracket

DSCF1410.JPG

Here is the hood raised to the vertical position. You can see the brackets on the hood frame that attach to the heim joints on the pivot arms.

DSCF1406.JPG


NCtim
Tim Shumbera
Western North Carolina
(239 posts)

Registered:
01/19/2012 04:35PM

Main British Car:


Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: NCtim
Date: July 14, 2015 05:04PM

That's quite a bit of engineering there.


Moderator
Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Moderator
Date: July 14, 2015 05:12PM

Excellent!


Preform Resources
Dave Craddock
Redford,Michigan
(359 posts)

Registered:
12/20/2008 05:46PM

Main British Car:
72 MGB V6 3.4

Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Preform Resources
Date: July 14, 2015 05:58PM

Great work Jim !! as per usual,,,,, but still Great work !!
Dave


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: July 15, 2015 12:50AM

Looks good, what are you using for a latch?

Other than differences in the layout that is very much like my hood mechanism. I found the cross rod to be a necessary element.

Jim


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 15, 2015 02:02AM

The latch is from a BMW also. It is quite small and has a horseshoe shaped piece that attaches to the hood that engages the latch. It doesn't have to be very big since there is not much pressure trying to open it. All it does is keep the hood from moving forward. I'm going to put it on tomorrow and I'll take a picture.



DiDueColpi
Fred Key
West coast - Canada
(1365 posts)

Registered:
05/14/2010 03:06AM

Main British Car:
I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now!

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: DiDueColpi
Date: July 15, 2015 01:47PM

Just like everything else on this car.
Very nicely crafted Jim!


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 15, 2015 06:49PM

Here is the latch from a BMW, not sure which model but it had a forward tilting hood. All the ones with the forward tilting hood use the same one. It is a nice compact unit and I picked up the cable release also

DSCF1424.JPG

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DSCF1421.JPG


WernerVC
Werner Van Clapdurp
Lynchburg, Va
(108 posts)

Registered:
09/06/2009 12:56PM

Main British Car:
MGB 1977 Rover 3.5

Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: WernerVC
Date: July 17, 2015 11:17PM

The hood mechanism is from a 1987 to 1993 BMW 320i.
I used to have the 1993 version. It had the first edition fuel injection from Bosch.
Werner


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 18, 2015 02:40AM

I think it must come on other models as well. The car it came from was bigger than a 320i


mstemp
Mike Stemp
Calgary, Canada
(222 posts)

Registered:
11/25/2009 07:18AM

Main British Car:
1980 MGB Rover 4.6L

Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: mstemp
Date: July 18, 2015 03:28AM

My 76 BMW 530i had the same setup. Think all 3, 5, 6 and 7 series cars had similar till mid 90s.


Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 22, 2015 07:26PM

I took a picture of the horse shoe shaped piece that engages the latch. It is quite small but if it holds a BMW hood closed it will certainly hold mine.

DSCF1426.JPG


BlownMGB-V8
Jim Blackwood
9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042
(6468 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 12:59PM

Main British Car:
1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: BlownMGB-V8
Date: July 23, 2015 10:32AM

Should do fine.
I'm not even putting a latch on mine, but trusting in the hydraulics to hold it shut. I've had a gage on the pump for 2 weeks now and it still has a couple hundred pounds of pressure on the close line so I think it'll be OK. Based on experience with Dan B's TR4, if the latch isn't there the hood will just rise a couple inches in the rear to equalize pressure, and it uses a simple hinge. Where the front of the hood has to lift first it might not even rise at all.

Jim


MGBV8
Carl Floyd
Kingsport, TN
(4511 posts)

Registered:
10/23/2007 11:32PM

Main British Car:
1979 MGB Buick 215

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: MGBV8
Date: July 23, 2015 12:21PM

That is just too cool!

Ted Lathrop's TR6 doesn't have a latch, either. He says it lifts a bit around 135. :)



Jim Stabe
Jim Stabe
San Diego, Ca
(829 posts)

Registered:
02/28/2009 10:01AM

Main British Car:
1966 MGB Roadster 350 LT1 Chevy

authors avatar
Re: Heres how the hood mechanism works
Posted by: Jim Stabe
Date: July 23, 2015 12:37PM

I'm anxious to drive the car with the hood on and take some differential pressure measurements above and below the hood to see how much lift it is creating.


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