SigEpCutlass Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 I'm not too happy about breaking the hood release. After looking at how the mechanism is constructed, I'm not sure how to go about fixing it. I guess the tension on the cable got too loose, and then I pulled up on it yesterday and I broke the plastic handle. It was really annoying having to open the hood with a pair of needle nose pliers pulling on the cable. How can I fix this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 check gmpp.com for a new cable? i heard it was $10? I've taken a stretched cable and crimped a piece of metal on the end to shorten it. crimped between the orignal end and the latch.... meanwhile... get a another latch end. If you need slack in the cable you can force the plastic end piece of the cable sleeve out of the bracket that holds it by the hood latch. just return it when done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 The cable seems to be fine, but I definately broke the plastic handle where the cable secures to. After looking at the release, it looks like I need the entire new plastic piece that mounts to the floor with the handle linked in to it. Am I right on that? Could I pull one maybe from the J/Y and then put my existing cable into it? EDIT: I just looked at what I wrote and I was kinda vague. I forgot my damn camera, otherwise I would walk to the parking lot and take a pic of it. To be more specific, the plastic handle you pull up on is completely broken off from the rest of the mechanism. The cable has a wide piece of plastic or something on the end to keep it from going through a hole in the handle that I mentioned is totally broken off. But, it appears that I guess I pulled up with enough force to get the cable to go through that hole (even with the thing on it to prevent it) and then that's how the handle broke off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 you'll have to try it. You should be able to get a j/y part and attempt to replace it. just don't do what a friend of mine did. "Why would i buy that? It's in a junkyard, it's junk." He bought a dealer rearview mirror for $90 for a skylark!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 you'll have to try it. You should be able to get a j/y part and attempt to replace it. just don't do what a friend of mine did. "Why would i buy that? It's in a junkyard, it's junk." He bought a dealer rearview mirror for $90 for a skylark!!!!!!!!! I don't even want to know what ungodly amount a dealer would charge me for a backordered and discontinued part like that. Luckily I have a pretty nice yard near me. The owner refers to it as: "For dying motor vehicles, Harry's U-Pull-It is a state-of-the-art rest home." I'll be at Harry's U Pull it in Pennsburg, PA on either Saturday or Sunday morning to get a "new" one. I'm open to any other suggestions people have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbird232 Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Buy a new one from the dealer for $25. I have a write up on here from last summer on how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 Buy a new one from the dealer for $25. I have a write up on here from last summer on how to do it. I find it very hard to believe that I could get one for $25. Link to said writeup? I don't see it in FAQ's or from a search. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted August 19, 2006 Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 replace it before you break the nub off of the cable and will have to replace the whole cable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lothos Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 I broke mine too, was using a plier for a while. Sounds like the exact thing that happened to you. I got the part from the junk yard and fixed it. Really easy, only took me like ten minutes. And I just did my first brake job this week, so if I can do it, I know you can! The part was only a couple bucks from the yard. This was a couple years ago, but if I remember right, I had to unbolt the whole thing from the floor and connect the cable, and re-bolt it to the floor of the car. Real simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 Yea the part was easy to install and it took like 10 minutes. I got worried that I had to go to the last W-body in the GM section of my yard to find one that wasn't broken. Unfortunately, today I went to use it and instead of opening the hood, the FUCKING CABLE SNAPPED! WTF! I guess it's from all the stress I put on it from using pliers?!? So yea, now I have to order or pull a "new" cable. I am so fucking pissed!!! I wish I would have just pulled a cable while I was at the yard on Saturday. Installing that cable isn't going to be fun because of all the things I'm gonna have to remove under the hood just to replace it!!! :cussing: I will write a FAQ for this. Unfortunately, it's going to probably have to wait 2 weeks as I am driving Eileen and her Mazda6 back to Chicago for med school next weekend. Thanks for the advice guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 That sucks man. BTW, your driving her back to Chicago? I'm assuming your taking I-80 the whole way? If so, i'm 10 minutes off of I-80, stop in Toledo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 That sucks man. BTW, your driving her back to Chicago? I'm assuming your taking I-80 the whole way? If so, i'm 10 minutes off of I-80, stop in Toledo! Yes Chris, I will be. Eileen doesn't like driving long trips really. I drove her home from Chicago in May too. I've driven the entire way down to Tampa from Philly before, and that was almost 20hrs. The trip to Chicago is nothing at about 12hrs. I'll see what I can do about stopping by. Eileen wanted to stop at a hotel somewhere along the way, so maybe we can stop in Toledo. ~EDIT~ : Toledo is about 10hrs drive from her house in NJ, so stopping there might well be possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted August 20, 2006 Report Share Posted August 20, 2006 That sucks man. BTW, your driving her back to Chicago? I'm assuming your taking I-80 the whole way? If so, i'm 10 minutes off of I-80, stop in Toledo! Yes Chris, I will be. Eileen doesn't like driving long trips really. I drove her home from Chicago in May too. I've driven the entire way down to Tampa from Philly before, and that was almost 20hrs. The trip to Chicago is nothing at about 12hrs. I'll see what I can do about stopping by. Eileen wanted to stop at a hotel somewhere along the way, so maybe we can stop in Toledo. ~EDIT~ : Toledo is about 10hrs drive from her house in NJ, so stopping there might well be possible. Cool, let me know what you plan on doing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 it won't be all that hard. Fasten the new cable to the old and just pull the old one out, which will at the same time feed the new one in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbird232 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Buy a new one from the dealer for $25. I have a write up on here from last summer on how to do it. I find it very hard to believe that I could get one for $25. Link to said writeup? I don't see it in FAQ's or from a search. Can't find it. I put some detail into it, too, it's too bad it's gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 it won't be all that hard. Fasten the new cable to the old and just pull the old one out, which will at the same time feed the new one in. Ok how is that possible? Looking at the rubber/plastic housing around the cable, I'm not sure I can attach one to the other. If I could do that...OMFG that would save a HUGE amount of time from having to remove just about everything on the left side of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 You have to replace the rubber housing as well. I think I just tied mine together and used a zip tie to keep it tied. The only trouble spot is when you go through the firewall. I pulled the old one out the front, thus feeding the new from the rear of the car towards the front. Go kinda slow cause it will get caught up but no major deal, just see where its caught and proceed. Should probably take 1 hour max from start to finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted August 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 You have to replace the rubber housing as well. I think I just tied mine together and used a zip tie to keep it tied. The only trouble spot is when you go through the firewall. I pulled the old one out the front, thus feeding the new from the rear of the car towards the front. Go kinda slow cause it will get caught up but no major deal, just see where its caught and proceed. Should probably take 1 hour max from start to finish. That's what I thought. However, how did you deal with the areas where the hood release cable is clipped down? It runs over the radiator, down under the battery tray, under the window washer etc, and then through the firewall and under the carpet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joey b Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 I don't think I fastened it down and wasn't worried about that being an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbird232 Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 I just ran it underneath various hoses and cables to keep it tied down. Doesn't really matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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