Hood rattles when I hit a bump

G

Gold Digger

Well-known member
Just wondering what others have done about a hood that rattles when I hit a bump in the road. I guess I could take the hood off and run without it but I don't like the looks that way. I've checked everything on the front of the car and the only thing that sounds like the rattle I don't like is the sides of the hood. I've replaced the cloth moldings on the radiator side and the cowl side but didn't help. I also took the rock guard off thinking that might be case but wasn't. The hook latches are all real strong. Just wondering what others have done.
 
Gold Digger said:
Just wondering what others have done about a hood that rattles when I hit a bump in the road. I guess I could take the hood off and run without it but I don't like the looks that way. I've checked everything on the front of the car and the only thing that sounds like the rattle I don't like is the sides of the hood. I've replaced the cloth moldings on the radiator side and the cowl side but didn't help. I also took the rock guard off thinking that might be case but wasn't. The hook latches are all real strong. Just wondering what others have done.
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Digger - There was a spot on my right hood panel that contacted a metal portion of the cowl. I found it by looking at the inside of my hood panel and noticing where the paint had worn. I glued a piece of 1/8" rubber to the hood panel and the rattle stopped. You can't see the rubber unless you're looking for it.

You might also check your engine pans (the ones between the engine and the frame, within the engine compartment) to see if the mounting tabs have broken off. Most often that is on the two tabs where the engine pans attach to the engine using the pan bolts. You can't easily see this from above, you need to go underneath the car and look upwards. If so that may cause a rattle against the engine. Cure is larger washers on the pan mounting bolts where the engine pans attached. I've had this issue on all three Model As I've owned recently. Float-A-Motor rear mounts seem to allow more flex and make this more likely to happen.
 
Check the nuts on the two radiator stay rods that run from the top radiator tank to the firewall. If they are loose, the rods will rattle like you describe and sound like the hood is falling apart. It's usually the two nuts at the firewall that are the culprits - Wrong nuts, loose nuts, no washers, broken lock washers. Even the most experienced Model A people have been confounded by this elusive noise maker.
Marshall
 
Marshall V. Daut said:
Check the nuts on the two radiator stay rods that run from the top radiator tank to the firewall. If they are loose, the rods will rattle like you describe and sound like the hood is falling apart. It's usually the two nuts at the firewall that are the culprits - Wrong nuts, loose nuts, no washers, broken lock washers. Even the most experienced Model A people have been confounded by this elusive noise maker.
Marshall
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I forgot about that one. I once had a set of hood rods that the square portion (where it fits into the firewall bracket to prevent the rod from turning) was too long and extended in front of the firewall bracket. It prevented the nut from tightening down so that it contacted the firewall bracket, and was perpetually loose. I solved that by installing a flat washer that was large enough to go over the extended square portion. This washer is larger than you would normally install (diameter of the threaded portion, which is smaller than the cross dimension of the square part). So the nut was tight, but the rod was still loose.
 
Thanks Guys for the information. I'll check and see if the hood panel is touching anything and check my hood rods and see if they are loose. I don't have side pans so that eliminates that problem.
 
a rubber hammer and pound on the upper edge on the front bumper. You may need a helper under the car. A loose part will sing for you.

I had a noise and the best I could figure a baffold in the gas tank was loose.
 
My solution for all things that rattle is to turn off my hearing aids.

For those of you who still have working ears and want to find that rattle, there is a device called pneumatic ********. It has a ball in it that rotates to cause a vibration. The speed of rotation is determined by the amount of air pressure applied. These can be bolted to the frame or another convenient place and used to find rattles. It eliminates the need to pound on the car with a rubber hammer. See https://www.amazon.com/Pneumatic-**...ubrication/dp/B0CF4BJY63?tag=atomicindus08-20
 
I removed the rock guard off the front of the radiator and still have rattle. I almost certain its the side curtains on the hood. Could it be the hinges causing the rattle? I've got strong springs in the latches.
 
I bought new ones and replaced the old ones that were still good. Made sure they were making good contact with the hood side panels. I guess I'll just have to live with it.
 
Check that the rear hood center rod retainer is bolted tightly to the gas tank on the cowl. It's easy to forget to tighten those two slot-head bolts because the retainer fits snugly in the recess. Those bolts can vibrate loose or perhaps they were forgotten? I've seen that, too.
Marshall
 
Take the hood off just for a short time and drive it to make certain that it actually is the hood causing the rattle.
Easy to get fixated on something that may not be the problem.
Been there and done that.
 
Plus, does it have the little leather corners that are riveted at the bottom of the hood? I think originally there were just two but my car has them on all four corners.
 
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