[TR65]

I needed to take my hood hinges off for cleaning and painting. There are a number of interesting methods on the board about how to do it. Here is what I came up with.

I took a piece of 1-1/2" X 3/16" angle 9" long and welded two 1/8" thick clips on the ends. The ends of the angle are cut at 5 degree angles parallel each end so the clips will slip into the spring coils when the spring is extended.

I clamped a bar to the flange where the hood attaches so I could operate the hinge. Expand the spring by "closing" the hood, slip the angle into the spring. Then when you release the spring by "opening" the hood the spring doesn't compress and you can take it loose. Reverse the procedure to install the spring.

I used my enging hoist to extend the spring and remove the tool and to extend the spring to put the tool back in.

TR