47-55.1 Hood spring removal

[8man]

Ok, I'm search function challenged, maybe I just don't know how to ask the question correctly, and I'll bet it's out there, but I haven't found it.

Are there any helpful hints to removing the spring from the supports? I know they are removed to paint. I removed one to see if I could, but I know the way I'm doing it will chip paint when reassembled.

I know I'm a long way from paint, but I started working on the hood and am making some progress and my ADD kicked in and so I'm wondering about the "how to".

Thanks.

[MARTINSR]

Are you talking about removing the spring from the bracket or removing the bracket assembly off the truck? The assy, simply unbolt the shouldered bolt at the top into the hood with someone holding the hood up, then remove the bracket off the firewall.

To remove the spring of the bracket, don't know, I would have to go look, but I have never done that. I just painted it as an assembly and it lasted decades.


Brian

[8man]

Thanks Brian. I was asking about taking the spring off of the bracket. I took the hood off again today to work on it and I was holding one of the brackets looking at the spring thinking about it.

If they can be painted assembled, then maybe I should go back to fixing the stripped hinge nut in the hood and stop playing around.

[MARTINSR]

Yep, if you dusted it down a bit with a sand blaster, then no problem at all. I didn't even do that 40 years ago and they still look like the day I painted them!

Brian

[dsraven]

if you wanna remove the spring from the hinge you could try using a short length of chain attached to the hook on one end of the spring. the hinge needs to be bolted up though. the fun starts when it's assembly time trying to do that without scratching stuff. better to do like Brian says, degrease it all, scuff it up with a blaster or a scotchbrite pad and paint like normal. some elastomer or flex agent in the paint would help with the flex later so the paint stays on better but realyl, guys paint those all the time without even thinking about it.
now get that nut fixed, lol.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by dsraven

if you wanna remove the spring from the hinge you could try using a short length of chain attached to the hook on one end of the spring. the hinge needs to be bolted up though. the fun starts when it's assembly time trying to do that without scratching stuff. better to do like Brian says, degrease it all, scuff it up with a blaster or a scotchbrite pad and paint like normal. some elastomer or flex agent in the paint would help with the flex later so the paint stays on better but realyl, guys paint those all the time without even thinking about it.
now get that nut fixed, lol.

It's not a regular spring on these hoods.

Brian

[dsraven]

Yeah, for some reason I had it in my head that you were working on a 55.2 to 59. Sorry man.
Clean it. Blast it. Spray it.