Submitted to Chevytrucks.org by Mac Kinghorn - kinghorn@granite.mb.ca
The following procedure may be used to correct improperly fitted hoods. Use all or any part of this procedure as necessary to obtain proper appearance and operation.
1. Loosen fender and skirt attaching bolts to body. Loosen radiator support bolts. Push fenders down to provide clearance for hood adjustment.
2. Check and adjust fender skirt to dash brace rods. Measurements should be taken from center of bolt head to edge or brackets: Lefts side 27 1/4", Right side 27"
3. Loosen outer hood-hinge bolts completely, both sides.
4. Disconnect hood supports from hood and swing hood supports down out of the way. Loosen the bolts attaching the hood supports to body, both sides. This will permit vertical adjustment of hood supports after hood alignment is completed.
5. Loosen two inner-hood hinge bolts, both sides. Leave these bolts just snug so that the hinge can just be moved by jarring or exerting pressure on the hood.
6. Remove the hood lock-plate.
7. Adjust hood fore and aft to obtained 1/8" to 1/4" gap between rear edge of hood and cowl ledge.
NOTE: IF THE GAP IS NOT EVEN, TIGHT AT SIDES AND OPEN AT TOP CENTER OR VICE VERSA, ADD OR REMOVE SHIMS BETWEEN THE RADIATOR SUPPORT AND FRAME CROSS MEMBER, AS NECESSARY TO OBTAIN EVEN HOOD GAP AT HOOD LEDGE, BOTH AT CENTER AND SIDES, AND TIGHTEN RADIATOR SUPPORT BOLTS TO 5 FT. LBS.
8. Lift front of hood and place 4" block under hood nose to hold it up.
9. Force rear end of hood down tightly on hood anti-squeak. Hood should be down very tight against the cowl-to-hood-anti-squeak to compensate for upward push of hood supports after they are connected. Supports will push the hood up as far as the play in the hinge rivets will allow. Center hood as necessary, without disturbing fore and aft position, and tighten two inner hood hinge bolts on each side while hood is held own.
NOTE: IF THE HOOD HINGES BOTTOM ON UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE STEP AT COWL SIDES, BEFORE HOOD IS DOWN TO POSITION DESCRIBED ABOVE, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO REMOVE HINGES AND SMOOTH OR HAMMER THE STEP TO REMOVE BUMPS TO PERMIT LOWERING OF THE HINGES. IF THE HOOD IS STILL NOT DOWN FAR ENOUGH, IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO ENLARGE AND ELONGATE THE HOLES IN THE COWL WITH A RAT TAIL FILE. THIS WILL PERMIT THE HINGE ATTACHING-BOLTS TO ROTATE IN THE SLOTTED HOLES IN THE COWL WHEN THE HOOD IS PUSHED DOWN; AND, DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE HINGE ARMS ON THE HINGES, THIS MAY ALLOW ADDITIONAL DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF THE HOOD.
10. Remove the 4" block that is under the hood nose. Lower hood and check hood the fit at the cowl. The H ood should be very tight against the anti-squeak across top of cowl. If the hood touches the anti-squeak tightly at the sides but bows up in the center, adjust as follows:
A) Remove two outer screws on each side holding center bracket to hood reinforcement at rear of hood.
B) Loosen two inner screw in bracket.
C) Pry outer ends of bracket away from reinforcement and place flat washers as necessary between outer ends of bracket and reinforcement on both sides.
D) Reinstall outer screws through the flat washers and tighten all brackets to reinforcement attaching screws securely.
This will bring center of hood down and reduce the possibility of flutter at the center of hood. If hood still does not touch anti-squeak tightly after the above operations, it will be necessary to shim under anti-squeak to prevent hood flutter, as it is not possible to lower hood further.
11. Tighten outer hood hinge bolts, both sides.
12. Reassemble hood supports to hood, both sides. With hood in raised position and resting on hood supports, tighten bolts attaching hood supports to dash, both sides. These were originally loosened at the dash to permit vertical adjustment of the hood support after the hood had been adjusted to its new position. This re-adjustment is necessary to prevent the possibility of one hood support being fully locked in the open position and the other being partially open.
13. Replace hood lock plate, tightening plate attaching screws just snug, and push hood lock plate to the rear as far as the clearance in the screw holes will allow. Drop hood to closed position and lock, this will center hood lock plate. Then raise hood, move lock plate forward 1/32" and tighten lock plate screws.
14. Adjust lock stud to proper length as necessary to hold the hood closed. The lock stud may appear to be too short to get proper adjustment. This will usually be due to bent hood lock plate or bent upper catch plate, these plates being bent by slamming the hood shut while improperly adjusted. It will be necessary to straighten the bent plates if this condition exists, to bring the lock stud to proper position to hold hood closed.
15. Lower the hood to locked position and raise rear end of fenders to fit lower edge of hood and tighten fender and skirt to body attaching parts.
http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/AD_hood_alignment.htm
Tim's Trucks homepage | 1954 Documents