dstad

91 D250, Hood has been a to open since day 1 and now the cable broke, need to get hood open, how do i do it?

maybe368

I don't know how to open it, but, when you get it check the sticky. There is one (a Jim Lane I think) about how to install an emergency cable to open it when this happens. Here it is. I had a Porsche 912 that would do the same thing, but those German engineers designed it so that if the cable broke, the hood or deck lid would release. I guess that you hope that the safety latch is working. On your problem, try removing the grill and search for the cable. you might be able to grab it with pliers and open it, good luck...Mark

Onemoparnut

How far from the handle is it broken? Maybe you can cut the outer sheath off and expose the cable if it is broken under the dash.

thrashingcows

Is this an IC or Non-IC 91 truck? This could make a big difference in being able to get into the truck.

schamran

Shouldn't matter. All 91s have the IC grill. Gotta get that hood open to remove said grill.

gyman98

Try reaching up over the inner fender. It should run near the fusible links. Could try and take out the drivers side headlight and see if you can hook it abovr or drill a hole in the top of the bucket. If its broke near the latch... Good luck

JimmieD

On my 1990 W350 gasser the hood release mechanism is about dead center on top of radiator support. If you look at Jim Lane's emergency hood release thread there's pics of what the release latch looks like.

Mine has pull cable coming out driver's side of latch, that is coming out on right side if you're facing the grill from in front of truck. It goes across top center of raddy support right about to the headlight, then turns to run along top of fender, a little below the various wires there. It's a smooth plastic sheath on the pull cable. It enters firewall fairly low, equal to height of pull cable handle inside cab.

I was just out there eyeballing mine puzzling over an emergency latch before reading your thread. From what I saw I think a guy could remove grill and get a piece of bailing wire and form about a 2" loop on one end, with wire wrapped at least 6 tight turns to hold loop. Then bend wire end with loop at right angle, about 4" - 6" behind loop, and with about 12" beyond that gently curved on a 36" or longer wire.

With grill removed you should be able to feed this loop up behind radiator support and over that L shaped part that captures end of factory cable in a slot, and give a tug to release latch. The L shaped part sticks up about 1" or so, on the right hand side of latch and pulls to the right to release. Might take a few tries but I'm sure it will work. The L shaped latch part is the last piece to farthest right of latch mechanism on top of radiator support.

You might be able to reach in to lower inner fender and pull any remaining cable on your old part? Should be clearly visible after removing driver side wheel.

Another possibility if the others fail, is to remove wheels to get access to remove hood hinge bolts, lift rear of hood enough to reach in and pop mechanism. Hood's pretty heavy and a great opportunity to screw your paint real good and hurt yourself too.

If no bailing wire available you might fab a metal strap piece with an L-shaped bend at one end, about 4"-6" long, with a slot in end that could reach up and trip release lever.

Sorry for rambling....

maybe368

When I was firefighter, we had to open the hoods of burning cars to put the engine out. It was pretty easy because we just smashed the grill with a sledge hammer and grabbed the cable with pliers. I guess that is probably not an option for you. Try to find the cable, as stated above, and pull on it. Mark

gyman98

How do you guys propose removing the grille?

gyman98

Lol we have a grizzly bar for that purpose if the sledge hammer fails.

maybe368

I proposed a sledge hammer ...Mark

JimmieD

Yep, just looked and grill is screwed on at top of radiator support, can't remove with hood closed.

But some good news, at least on my '90. Just to right of center about 5" in the plastic grill there's a cutaway, and right above in in radiator support there's a hole about 2" wide x 3" front to rear. Looks like Ma Mopar planned a mechanical release lever right there where it belongs and changed their mind for production!

I was mistaken, the part of latch that ya gotta catch with wire is in center rear of latch, and the anchor point for release cable is part that's farthest to right.

So if the '91 is the same as a '90 just stick a wire loop up in there that's been measured to reach dead center, via that access hole, and it should be fairly easy to pull latch to right to release. Hope your '91 has that hole...?

JimmieD

Apologies for being a little [or a lot] lamebrained! That handy dandy access through plastic grill and through hole in radiator support is probably the safety latch access, didn't put 2 and 2 together when I was looking at it all. Regardless, a guy might be able to fish a wire up beside safety latch, through that hole in radiator support and catch hold of the release lever, dead center rear of latch.

If I get a chance I'll play around with mine tomorrow and if anything good comes up I'll report back. Sorry about prior blunders and flubs...

NJTman

Cut a hole in the silver grille shell right in front of the latch.

Pull the cable, or push the lever with a screw driver.


Order and replace the cable and installing the backup cable found in the sticky.

Order a new grille shell from RockAuto. It will cost you $60 plus shipping.


I need a new grille shell anyway...so get me one too...

Thanks !

dstad

Thanks for all the imput. Ill try and get to it this weeekend, worst part is i just put monster turbo on it and the thing is impossible to cleanly drive on street as is. So its parked and im drivin my 2nd gen. Only reason to open hood was to change turbo lol ill definitely take a look at the sticky for the emergency release. Definitely cant drill grille becacuse its an orginal 91 non i/c with i/c grille and its perfect!