VW hood latch help

[edward ericson]

So I realize that most kits omit the hood latch than came with the VW, but I know some of you have a lot of Bug smarts and I need a little help.

Bridget’s hood opens by way of a modified VW bug hood latch, with a lever actuator that’s bolted in under the dash on the driver’s side. The cable runs along the dash and curves on the passenger side, where it is held in place by a home-made steel bracket that’s bolted to the scuttle where it meets the tub. The cable continues a lazy curve, exits through the firewall, and meets the spring latch mechanism about halfway along the hood on the passenger side.

Works fine. Or, it did work fine before I had to disconnect it from the bracket to get room for my new glove compartment.

I figured I’d just reattach it after the glove box is installed or, failing that, screw a little hold down piece to the bottom of the glove box, which I helpfully fashioned from 3/4-inch maple.

But as I look at the thing today, I’m getting nervous.

First off, the old bracket won’t work, and the glove box is in the way of that nice smooth curve the cable has known for the last 30 years. So I’m having some difficulty imagining/fabricating an as-straight path for the cable.

While pondering this complication, a worry arose: If (or when) this cable breaks, there will be no way for anyone to open the hood–and thus fuel the car–without cutting a hole somewhere in the side of the bonnet so as to reach in. Can’t get in from underneath and it’s way too far–and blocked by the gas tank–from the passenger compartment.

I’ve heard tell of a fix where by, on Bugs and Speedsters, an “emergency” cable is attached to the mechanism and left hanging down, accessible through a hole under the car.

But looking at the mechanism, I don’t see how it might be done. Can anyone school me?

And while we’re at it, yeah: I bought a new cable already years back. Been meaning to install. BUT: I got just the wire part. My existing sheath has been for years busted in a couple of places. Today’s attempted repair with my trusty alumitape failed immediately. So my second question: How important is the sheath to replace?

And my third: where do I find this part?

[KentT]

Ed, the sleeve controls the “length” of the cable housing, just like the Bowden tube used for the clutch, so that all movement of the lever translates into the same distance of travel at the other end – it can’t compress or move.

 

The “emergency pull” cable was usually a flexible, braided cable attached to the lever arm underneath the latch mechanism as I recall (it has been years…).  I’d suggest you might want to route it into the back of the glovebox. As far as that goes, why not just move the primary lever to the glovebox also — that’s where VW mounted theirs on some models.  That would give a much straighter pull on the cable also.

 

An inexpensive cable that might work for your replacement purposes would be a universal throttle control cable for a lawnmower.  You just cut them to length.  Some are vinyl covered. while others were not. 

 

Just some quick thoughts…

Early FF TDr on 69 VW pan
Slowly coming back from the ashes...

[Royal]

Ed, I will thank you for being smart enough to think of this.  I’m thanking you for some eventual owner of Bridget.  I once bought a TR6 not knowing of their well documented problem exactly as you describe.  I can not help you except to say that if you look at all the possibilities forgetting about the original opening mechanism, you may find a better way of opening the hood.  You might google TR6 emergency hood (bonnet) release and get an idea or two there.  I eventually did get it open and fabricated a release which was totally separate from the original factory one.  This is worth a bit of head scratching to get it right.  

[edward ericson]

Thanks, both of you. Definitely considering the glovebox mount. Will look into the lawnmower and the TR6.

[newkitman]

Ed. My Karmann Ghia had the hood release lever in the glovebox along the left hand side. I had heard of folks trying to wiggle and reach up through the horn hole in the front. For an emergency release cable one guy used a cable that was wrapped around the release mechanism on the hood latch and he ran that straight across through the right front wheel well and had a T-handle connected to it. I just used a washer large enough to fit my finger through. I adjusted the length of the emergency release cable so the washer was straight out against the inner side of the wheel well. To use the emergency release, I turned the wheel to the left, put my finger through the washer and gave a tug. Never had to use it fortunately but the test worked just fine.

Allen Caron
VW based 53MGTD - "MoneyPenny"
"If one thing matters, everything matters" - from the book The Shack

[edward ericson]

OK, fore sure going to get a new sheath and shorten the wire and mount the handle next to or under the glove box. That’ll improve it much, assuming I don’t screw it up.

But my main confusion is with the latch mechanism itself–where to attach
the emergency wire on it? The original is through a barrel connector
and the hole through that is exactly one wire wide. I’m trying to figure
out where the second wire goes.

Doesn’t help that, the
way the car is arranged, I can only look at it upside-down from the top.
It’s riveted in and looks pretty delicately adjusted so I don’t want to
pull it.

 

[Royal]

Pull it!  And then weld another ear on to the mechanism for you to attach another wire or rod which you can use as an emergency pull.  It’s not an adjustment so delicate that you can’t handle it.   

[edward ericson]

Gotta be an easier way…

[billnparts]

I have the tool for making the pigtail curls on cable ends if that is the style you’re referring to. Kept it from my GM days. We made them all the time.

Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"

[edward ericson]

Got it done.
edsnova2013-03-03 19:33:57

[Author]

Posts