Hood Latch Restoration
- Thread starter Tony G
- Start date
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
When you remove the rivit that holds the barrel to the bracket the shank of the hook can slide down more and a pin taken out ---then it comes apart --I have brazed up the holes and re-drilled them -,used pieces of nails for pins --drilled the hole to make them into hollow rivits ---formed the head on a beltsander---probably now they can be bought
mrtexas
Well-known member
You can buy a kit. It has a new spring, hollow rivet and tension pin, all stainless steel. Or you can buy just the special hollow rivet, buy the tension pin at the hardware store and re-use your spring. I just completed an AR set myself and have another one to go. If the AR set wasn't special I'd just buy a new set as they are cheap.
Kevin in NJ
Well-known member
You can do it yourself.
Once you get them apart make a copper form that has the inside diameter and weld up the outside. Do not worry about the split line, just reform it with a dremel tool and a cut off wheel. Keep in mind you only need to make a line, not cut it apart.
Put a copper rod up inside and weld up the top. Drill out a hole that is bigger than the rod of the hook so it can pass through. Then use a counter sink drill to make it tapered. The originals were rolled sheet metal with flat edges that were rounded at the top. This would cause the edges to be about a 45* angle. The counter sink will make it look right. Making the hole smaller is functional as a larger hole does not allow the latches to work properly.
What I describe may not be show points quality, but they will function well and look decent.
Once you get them apart make a copper form that has the inside diameter and weld up the outside. Do not worry about the split line, just reform it with a dremel tool and a cut off wheel. Keep in mind you only need to make a line, not cut it apart.
Put a copper rod up inside and weld up the top. Drill out a hole that is bigger than the rod of the hook so it can pass through. Then use a counter sink drill to make it tapered. The originals were rolled sheet metal with flat edges that were rounded at the top. This would cause the edges to be about a 45* angle. The counter sink will make it look right. Making the hole smaller is functional as a larger hole does not allow the latches to work properly.
What I describe may not be show points quality, but they will function well and look decent.
There is an excellent article that goes through the restoration steps to disassemble, restore and reassemble hood latches. The article is in the Nov/Dec 2006 Model A News. The article even has a list of part numbers for the pins and springs. I restored some latches using this article and they came out great.
Rusty Nelson
Rusty Nelson