Anyone know where I can purchase hood hinges for my 54 Customline? I have checked all the Ford catalogs I have and they only sell the springs. Thanks in advance.
The top listing is the one you want http://www.1954ford.com/main/page_vendors.html the stock hinges have always been a weak spot in 1952-54 Fords and Mercs and used ones can be pricey and a real gamble.Rowlands hinges have been beefed up and will eliminate future problems,there are is another vendor on the East coast but a lot higher $$ and not worth it,Rowland will take the old hinges in on trade or rebuild yours.If you don't have one already I advise getting a 1952-54 Ford Shop Manual there is a section on adjusting the hood and it is VERY critical,the Manual is available in CD-Rom or book form from ebay vendors.If you reinstall the hood and don't have it adjusted properly it can fly up when you are going down the road.Found out the hard way back in the day,I was getting another hood and hinge at a wrecking yard and when I brought it up to pay the announcement about Kennedy being killed was on the radio.
Yeah there is a guy that rebuilds and modifies the weak areas on these hinges. I looked it up and its $300. But, I looked into his processes and it looks like its well worth the money. Now if I could just come up with it so I could have a set rebuilt for my 52!
Rowland rebuilt mine. Little pricey, but they are better than new. Really beefed them up too. Work great!!
Don't quote me 100% on that price. But for some reason, that number comes to mind as it relates to the hinges...
In regards to Jeff's post, I can't figure out how to get the hood aligned on my '53. The primary and secondary latches secure the hood as designed but the corners on the back of the hood are about 1/2" high. The gaps along the sides and front are good but the gap along the cowl is a bit too wide. https://picasaweb.google.com/bizjetpilot/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWF4d-MsorReQ#5674472243351288162 https://picasaweb.google.com/bizjetpilot/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWF4d-MsorReQ#5674472248152219122 https://picasaweb.google.com/bizjetpilot/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWF4d-MsorReQ#5674472257105650338 https://picasaweb.google.com/bizjetpilot/DropBox?authkey=Gv1sRgCOWF4d-MsorReQ#5674472243351288162
I need to play with my hood also, it has a slight tweak in it on the p*** side from the old hood hinge that was sprung after installing the new cowl moulding and rubber bumpers it is also raised at the rear and contacting the rear bumpers ('54 Ford cowl induction?)
do you think it might be the bumpers on the hood. In my manual you can shave down the bumpers for a better fit.
I used SMS (on the East coast) to rebuild my hinges for a 1954 Mercury. Here is their website: http://www.sms-auto.com/Ford.html I have heard good things about Rowland Hall on the west Coast. These hinges are used for 1952-1954 Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns (and Meteors and Monarchs). They are probably the worst hinge design ever conceived. They are dual-springed, counterbalanced and inboard. The pivot pins are the wear points and when the pivot pin holes enlarge, the springs cannot do what the original design intended. The fix is to dis***emble the entire unit, drill and install oversized pivot pins, then re-weld the unit back together. The hood bushings (bumpers) also play a role in allowing the hood to open and sit correctly when closed. The Ford hinges tend to last longer than in Mercurys and Lincolns because the hood is smaller and the centre of m*** is further back. Sometimes one side will wear quicker than the other and this will cause the hinges to bind on one side. This can cause the hinge arms to bend: that is even more difficult to remedy. The clockwork springs are available to purchase but they are cross-listed with truck springs are more robust than the original ones. This can sometimes defeat the counter-balancing that was the original design. I have seen the spiral (tension) springs available from the Philippines (I have no idea why from there) but I cannot comment as to how well they approximate the original springs. When they work correctly one pops the hood and pulls out and up (especially with the Mercs and Lincolns). The hood will touch the hood bumpers closest to the windshield before opening fully. The hood should sit open and balanced: it’s all counterbalanced from the springs. When closed the rear should sit down against the rear hood bumpers and be in contact with the front hood bumpers. There is very little front-to-rear or side-to-side adjustment in the hinges themselves. They are attached to the hood with shoulder bolts (with wave washers). The hinges are attached to the body in such a way that they are an absolute pain to get off without removing the fenders first but it can be done. So that is a very long-winded way of saying that if you want the hinges to work correctly then have to have them rebuilt and replace all the hood bumpers. The hinges do come up once in a while on ebay (never cheap) and are rarely already rebuilt; but make sure the arms are not bent. Did I mention that it is the worst hinge design ever?
Good information here. One question though, is it possible to R&R the hood hinges without removing the fenders? One of the pivot bars on my right hinge is tweaked so I have to be careful opening and closing the hood. For now I keep them well lubricated with Marvel mystery Oil. Thanks, JC
You can remove them, you will need a long 1/4" extension and very slender arms to get at the bottom bolts,thanks to my teenage granddaughter for her help in doing mine!
They hold my hood up just fine been on there for a year and my hood is much bigger and heavier than any merc or ford out there. I'll post some pics tomorrow.
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