Project Resurrection: Running Log
05-16-12, 12:31 PM
#501
Waffles - hmmm good
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Fall-back plan for the future: A strategically-placed (& normally covered) slot in the firewall would allow a proper-shaped 'key' to pop the hood by reaching thru the vent slots in the air-plenum cover...
Good idea for the future. Considering my failure rate for this part is once in 33 years, I'll have to get right on that.
Jeff, I think you're right; I think the clip that holds the cable jacket either broke or popped loose. Then repeated attempts to use the release, or even vibration while driving, let the **** on the end just fall out of the slot. When I pulled the handle, I didn't even feel slight resistance - - it slid so easily I thought for sure the cable had broken inside the jacket.
That clip's getting backed up with a wire tie or some other more robust clamp once I get this thing open.
The irony is that, had I NOT been diligent about checking the bay that one last time before leaving work, I would quite likely have arrived at the smog shop with "one pop left."
Good idea for the future. Considering my failure rate for this part is once in 33 years, I'll have to get right on that.
Jeff, I think you're right; I think the clip that holds the cable jacket either broke or popped loose. Then repeated attempts to use the release, or even vibration while driving, let the **** on the end just fall out of the slot. When I pulled the handle, I didn't even feel slight resistance - - it slid so easily I thought for sure the cable had broken inside the jacket.
That clip's getting backed up with a wire tie or some other more robust clamp once I get this thing open.
The irony is that, had I NOT been diligent about checking the bay that one last time before leaving work, I would quite likely have arrived at the smog shop with "one pop left."
Like I need another.Let us know what you come up with, I'm curious as to a solution now.
05-16-12, 12:35 PM
#503
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wow, i think your car is turning british! i've looked at the hood latch with the thought of how to open the hood should the cable fail, and um the FC isn't too bad, but the SA is kind of a journey!
you are correct though the cable pulls the framus to the left, so you just need to give it a gentle nudge nudge to the left.
you are correct though the cable pulls the framus to the left, so you just need to give it a gentle nudge nudge to the left.
05-16-12, 12:57 PM
#504
Hooking and pulling would have to be done from the left (driver) side, and that's seriously crowded space over there; the vacuum switch, oil filter, clutch and brake masters, clutch slave, oil and water lines... all right in the way.
There's somewhat more room to maneuver on the right side, but that involves pushing rather than pulling the framus. Which of course is harder.
So I need to make a fairly rigid left-handed froolap, maybe 18" tall, with a pair of 90-deg bends at the top end; one to go "left" about 6" (may make this adjustible) or so past the engine, then a short one that goes "aft" maybe an inch with a skinny little finger to push the framus... since it is of course partially blocked by the frame of the latch. Small keychain light and the camera (which is only about a 1/2" cube) on top of it so I can see what I'm poking. Cable down to the little monitor and power for the cam. Skinny enough to dodge the air and vacuum piping around the back of the intake.
Pfft, I thought this was gonna be hard.
There's somewhat more room to maneuver on the right side, but that involves pushing rather than pulling the framus. Which of course is harder.
So I need to make a fairly rigid left-handed froolap, maybe 18" tall, with a pair of 90-deg bends at the top end; one to go "left" about 6" (may make this adjustible) or so past the engine, then a short one that goes "aft" maybe an inch with a skinny little finger to push the framus... since it is of course partially blocked by the frame of the latch. Small keychain light and the camera (which is only about a 1/2" cube) on top of it so I can see what I'm poking. Cable down to the little monitor and power for the cam. Skinny enough to dodge the air and vacuum piping around the back of the intake.
Pfft, I thought this was gonna be hard.
05-16-12, 01:39 PM
#506
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i went and looked at mine, and i think i'd go from the right side, i think i could do it without removing anything, but my exhaust isn't the TR.... the drivers side, even on peepers looks too crowded, plus the thing you push on is kind of over on the right
the spot you push on is very small, but the good news is that you don't need a ton of force
or you could pull the trans, and it would be a straight shot :0
the spot you push on is very small, but the good news is that you don't need a ton of force
or you could pull the trans, and it would be a straight shot :0
05-16-12, 02:57 PM
#507
A slightly less extreme option than pulling the trans would be to unbolt the hood hinges from the body (access them from the radiator opening in the nose) You could then lift the front of the hood just enough to get in there to release it. Kinda a long shot, but another option for you....
05-16-12, 03:42 PM
#508
i went and looked at mine, and i think i'd go from the right side, i think i could do it without removing anything, but my exhaust isn't the TR.... the drivers side, even on peepers looks too crowded, plus the thing you push on is kind of over on the right
the spot you push on is very small, but the good news is that you don't need a ton of force
or you could pull the trans, and it would be a straight shot :0
the spot you push on is very small, but the good news is that you don't need a ton of force
or you could pull the trans, and it would be a straight shot :0
Here's the view from underneath:
A slightly less extreme option than pulling the trans would be to unbolt the hood hinges from the body (access them from the radiator opening in the nose) You could then lift the front of the hood just enough to get in there to release it. Kinda a long shot, but another option for you....
It's pretty much a straight shot back about 4 feet. Not much in the way, either, once past the rad... The air cleaner is ALMOST in the way, and the alt on the other side... but just maybe.
That may just be the first thing to try, tonight; sure-enough simple if I can get enough strong hands to hold stuff. When the latch does release, there'll be nothing to hold the hood in place, & it might be under a bit of stress from flex and from the rubber edge seal.
Probably not a time to be soloing. have to pack all the edges with towels to prevent paint mungs.
I grabbed one of these at lunchtime, for a $1.99 - - thought it or parts of it had potential in this situation:
05-16-12, 03:50 PM
#509
Sin City Rotary
DD could you drop the TR from underneath??
would suspect may be easier then the tranny
was sitting in my garage last night trying to eyeball it but my TR is in a cabinet
would suspect may be easier then the tranny
was sitting in my garage last night trying to eyeball it but my TR is in a cabinet
Last edited by 13x; 05-16-12 at 03:54 PM.
05-16-12, 04:20 PM
#510
Dropping out the "air duct" downpipe (which means the rest of the exhaust, too) would work, it's just a lot of work.
I'm averse.
05-16-12, 07:34 PM
#511
Guess what, troops?
The brilliant designers at Mazda decided to make sure the hood would never ever fly off the car if all four of the hinge bolts should happen to disconnect from the frame.
They did this by ensuring the hinges will NOT come out of their frame sockets if the hood is attached and latched at the rear; the hinges are shaped such that they extend forward under a lip far enouh that even if the hood is slid all the way to the rear on the latch bar... they still will not lift out.
Doesn't appear that I can get the bolts back into the hinges until I can raise the hood, either.
So, now I got a stuck latch, AND disconnected hinges which will prevent me from opening the hood without help if I do get the latch undone.
What clever little fellows.
Too bad none of them thought, "Gee, what happens if the latch cable breaks?"
The brilliant designers at Mazda decided to make sure the hood would never ever fly off the car if all four of the hinge bolts should happen to disconnect from the frame.
They did this by ensuring the hinges will NOT come out of their frame sockets if the hood is attached and latched at the rear; the hinges are shaped such that they extend forward under a lip far enouh that even if the hood is slid all the way to the rear on the latch bar... they still will not lift out.
Doesn't appear that I can get the bolts back into the hinges until I can raise the hood, either.
So, now I got a stuck latch, AND disconnected hinges which will prevent me from opening the hood without help if I do get the latch undone.
What clever little fellows.
Too bad none of them thought, "Gee, what happens if the latch cable breaks?"
05-16-12, 10:23 PM
#513
....aaaaaand, I'm in: 
The Mark I Left-Handed Froolap:
Business End:
My Vantage Point:
The route it took:
What it found:
Neither clip nor cable is broken... the cable simply is no longer attached. Which I'm having trouble figuring out how that happened.
Quite possible I mis-attached it last time I had the latch off, which was a couple years back to fix one of the welded nuts it mounts to.
It's been waiting all this time to bite me in the rear at the most opportune moment, apparently.
Now, I need to go fix the cable, realign the hood, replace the grille, put the wheels back on, and set her on the ground... at which opint I'll be about where I was on Tuesday morning. Sadder but wiser.
Anyone got a good clear pic of how their release cable routes, that they can share? Mine got a bit pulled out of place when I was trying to pop the hood from the cabin.
Oh, and now that I can look at it with the hood open... it appears that the release lever could be be reached, just barely, in a straight reach up the insdie of the exhaust pipe, aiming right through the left-side loop of the heater hoses. You'll never get an arm up there, but if you can see what you are doing, you could probably push it with a thin, stiff tool like a 24" screwdriver. Maybe. IF you can see.
Good to know for the future.
The Mark I Left-Handed Froolap:
Business End:
My Vantage Point:
The route it took:
What it found:
Neither clip nor cable is broken... the cable simply is no longer attached. Which I'm having trouble figuring out how that happened.
Quite possible I mis-attached it last time I had the latch off, which was a couple years back to fix one of the welded nuts it mounts to.
It's been waiting all this time to bite me in the rear at the most opportune moment, apparently.
Now, I need to go fix the cable, realign the hood, replace the grille, put the wheels back on, and set her on the ground... at which opint I'll be about where I was on Tuesday morning. Sadder but wiser.
Anyone got a good clear pic of how their release cable routes, that they can share? Mine got a bit pulled out of place when I was trying to pop the hood from the cabin.
Oh, and now that I can look at it with the hood open... it appears that the release lever could be be reached, just barely, in a straight reach up the insdie of the exhaust pipe, aiming right through the left-side loop of the heater hoses. You'll never get an arm up there, but if you can see what you are doing, you could probably push it with a thin, stiff tool like a 24" screwdriver. Maybe. IF you can see.
Good to know for the future.
05-17-12, 12:11 PM
#516
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wow, lol thats quite a rig! i was thinking maybe there is enough slack that you can just lift the right side of the hood, but no need!
05-18-12, 12:12 PM
#517
And no slack, either - - I had my hood dialled down tight, as it annoys me if it flutters at highway speed.
Before I take her down off the stands today. I'm going to set a light shining on the latch, close the hood, and take a look from underneath. I think there's a straight shot path that can be used with a long screwdriver to trip the hood even with the bulky SA exhaust and smog gear, after Jeff's post in the "today" thread. May be useful to know where it is in future.
Before I take her down off the stands today. I'm going to set a light shining on the latch, close the hood, and take a look from underneath. I think there's a straight shot path that can be used with a long screwdriver to trip the hood even with the bulky SA exhaust and smog gear, after Jeff's post in the "today" thread. May be useful to know where it is in future.
05-20-12, 02:38 PM
#520
It can make you crazy, if you dwell too long on all the thousands of things that have to go exactly right when doing a full refub. Any one can stop you in your tracks, either at startup or later down the road.
Sometimes amazing that things ever work at all.
Sometimes amazing that things ever work at all.
05-21-12, 09:20 PM
#523
Nope; after the Mind-Wrenching Hood Latch Debacle of 2012 (c) I decided to take a few days off car work, and now I'm taking the time I didn't quite have to go thru each emissions-related system one at a time and run the FSM tests.
Because I'm paranoid. & because the only thing worse than having to waste money on these damn tests is having to do them multiple times.
I'm a little concerned that my TR may not be getting adequte airflow in cooling mode; look at the interesting color my "500-degree" silver paint on the heat shield is turning:
Wish there was some tech data about how hot the outside of a TR should ever get, but there's not. I've got an infrared thermometer coming that will tell me how hot it's getting, at least. If it's below 1000*.
Because I'm paranoid. & because the only thing worse than having to waste money on these damn tests is having to do them multiple times.
I'm a little concerned that my TR may not be getting adequte airflow in cooling mode; look at the interesting color my "500-degree" silver paint on the heat shield is turning:
Wish there was some tech data about how hot the outside of a TR should ever get, but there's not. I've got an infrared thermometer coming that will tell me how hot it's getting, at least. If it's below 1000*.
05-22-12, 11:06 AM
#524
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of course that's INSIDE, so what the outside temp is, is hard to say...
