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the dreaded caught bonnet catch


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A fine method ;)

 

I've done it with a long screwdriver in 10 minutes via the same hole, with an assistant pressing down on the bonnet directly over the catch mechanism. Not sure how RHD affects feasibility though.

 

The problem was the poor quality repro release cable whose plastic coating bunched up and allowed the sheath to be sucked into the quill when the handle was pulled firmly. I now use an original on the driver and a non-coated type on the show car:

 

http://i400.photobucket.com/albums/pp84/ima68tr/CD8315L9-6-8017.jpg

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secondary bonnet release looks like a very good idea, does anyone know of a supplier in England who does a kit looked at rimmers etc and e bay but no luck,..

 

Malcolm (Prestige) does one pretty cheap.

 

Ivor

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I know I shouldn't do this but arrh what the hell.

Looking at the responses I find it interesting that everybody seems to like the solution that involves buying an expensive bit of kit (nice and shiny though), drilling more than one hole, and fitting nuts and bolts. It will work if the cable breaks but not if the central bolt gets jammed on the non-moving side of the latch.

 

The hole in the firewall needs one hole drilled, plus one rubber cover, and provides access that allows more than one problem to be sorted.

 

Is this telling us something about human nature?

 

Why is it so?

 

(Whichever way you go, do it now while everything is working and you can open the bonnet. Don't wait till it is all shut inside a tin box.)

Edited by littlejim
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I bought an NOS TR4 inner cable (the one with the correct white knob) at ridiculous expense, and put a blob of solder on the end of the cable after tightening it up, but I still hold my breath every time I open the hood/bonnet. My heart rate increased momentously one time when I pulled and there was a snap and no more resistance in the cable. It turned out that the outer cable had slipped inside the quill, as in Tom's case, but the inside cable was still sound, so I just kept pulling until the outer cable caught something solid, and the catch released. I probably had to pull the cable out three or four inches. Then I pulled the outer cable back out of the quill again, pinched the quill tighter with some vice grips ( not TOO tight) and applied a smoothed blob of J-B Weld at the joint, hoping the concours judges won't notice. The original outer cable for the TR4 was uncoated, so I aways have to remove the plastic coating from the repro TR6 outer cables, which probably made the quill slipping problem worse. If (when?)the cable snaps, I'll try the Buckeye Triumphs trick. In fact, maybe I'll make one of those bars, and so some practicing. I always close the hood/bonnet by lowering it gently until it is in place, and then gently pushing down with my palm right over the catch until it closes. I never, ever drop the hood/bonnet to close it. I still use the original catch plate from January 1962. I tried a new one, but it didn't fit.

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When this happened to me a secondary cable/release would have made no difference as the pin/spring had become jammed in the catch. For me the solution was to go in through the headlights, undo the hinges then prop the front of the bonnet open with a piece of wood. I then reached in from the side of the car and unscrewed the pin/spring from the bonnet with a ratchet. Wasn't too much of a drama.

Andy

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I know I shouldn't do this but arrh what the hell.

Looking at the responses I find it interesting that everybody seems to like the solution that involves buying an expensive bit of kit (nice and shiny though), drilling more than one hole, and fitting nuts and bolts. It will work if the cable breaks but not if the central bolt gets jammed on the non-moving side of the latch.

 

The hole in the firewall needs one hole drilled, plus one rubber cover, and provides access that allows more than one problem to be sorted.

 

Is this telling us something about human nature?

 

Why is it so?

 

Why? Because for most of us, shiny trumps practical, every time.... tongue.gif

 

Ivor

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Hi LittleJim,

your very practical approach is what Triumph would have done if they knew of the problem ;) .

However Triumph owners are a different breed :huh:

Having taken ownership of their lumps of junk they now need to get them up to spec - levers, rods, bellcranks, gauges, pistons, springs (all preferably chromed) added to anything and everything to make it do what a rubber bung would do B)

These cars are engineered (whether they want to be or not) to perform with a certain level of complexity - otherwise whats the point!! :rolleyes:

 

Merry Christmas

 

Roger

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I might be depriving Neil Revington of business by describing the secondary bonnet release which he fitted to my car when it was undergoing its rebuild in 1990-1993, but here goes.

Tie a nylon cord to the clamp to which the normal release (steel) cable is secured - use a bowline or some other knot which cannot come undone.

Route this cord over the top of the clutch master cylinder, immediately in front of the outlet for the bundy tube.

Take the cord through the bulkhead via the rubber grommet provided for the tacho cable, and let the cord dangle down into the cabin, over the driver's legs. Put a loop in the end of the cord and, if you don't want the cord visible, hook the loop onto something under the dashboard.

Because the casting of the clutch master cylinder is smooth and rounded, the nylon cord will slide easily when pulled and will exert as much force on the release mechanism as the normal, steel, cable.

This system will only work for a righthand drive car, but on lefthand drive, one might be able to devise a post or some other pivot which would serve in place of the clutch master cylinder.

When pulling the release mechanism, it is always worth applying pressure on the bonnet in the area of the catch - with the window wound down, even someone with short arms (me) can manage this unaided.

Ian Cornish

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I might be depriving Neil Revington of business by describing the secondary bonnet release which he fitted to my car when it was undergoing its rebuild in 1990-1993, but here goes.

Tie a nylon cord to the clamp to which the normal release (steel) cable is secured - use a bowline or some other knot which cannot come undone.

Route this cord over the top of the clutch master cylinder, immediately in front of the outlet for the bundy tube.

Take the cord through the bulkhead via the rubber grommet provided for the tacho cable, and let the cord dangle down into the cabin, over the driver's legs. Put a loop in the end of the cord and, if you don't want the cord visible, hook the loop onto something under the dashboard.

Because the casting of the clutch master cylinder is smooth and rounded, the nylon cord will slide easily when pulled and will exert as much force on the release mechanism as the normal, steel, cable.

This system will only work for a righthand drive car, but on lefthand drive, one might be able to devise a post or some other pivot which would serve in place of the clutch master cylinder.

When pulling the release mechanism, it is always worth applying pressure on the bonnet in the area of the catch - with the window wound down, even someone with short arms (me) can manage this unaided.

Ian Cornish

 

But if Neil were to sell you a piece of string it would be aerospace string (probably parachute grade or something) and be the right length +/- 0.000, but also rather indifferently packaged. :)

 

 

Mike

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Good design should produce something fit for purpose, easy to manufacture, easy to fit, long-lasting and not costing the earth. I think the nylon cord fits all the criteria!

Ian Cornish

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  • 9 years later...

Considering the number of times this forum has got me out of the sh*t, you would think I might have learned to read up on a tricky task before putting spanner to metal....... but no : panel assembly fever had gripped me and I just ploughed on through doors, wings and bootlid and ran straight into jammed bonnet syndrome (yes I have an emergency release).

Having gotten the throwing things around and cursing violently phase out of the way, I found some useful help here (especially the drilling the hole under the latch option), but have also finally twigged what the big hole the PO cut in the vertical bulkhead to one side of the bonnet latch was for. I riveted a plate over this, so drilling out 10 or so rivets is currently plan B.

Then I will carefully follow the premium advice available right here ........

3EE6237A-B40F-4C10-BEE5-06115571A2D4.jpeg

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I have a loop of thin rope on the lever goes thru bulkhead round the windscreen drainage pipe and hangs down inside the trim panel. Same as MikeF and works a treat.

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On 12/27/2009 at 8:45 PM, ianc said:

Good design should produce something fit for purpose, easy to manufacture, easy to fit, long-lasting and not costing the earth. I think the nylon cord fits all the criteria!

Ian Cornish

 

On 12/25/2009 at 11:50 AM, ianc said:

 

....But could I fit a clutch master cylinder on the RH side of my LHD car?  Boost master cyl sales.

Peter W

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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After realising that drilling upwards through the horizontal bulkhead could cause damage to the heater hoses, I went for plan B - removed glovebox, heater vent and moved a few wires away, then drilled out the rivets on the plate I made to cover the mysterious hole made by the PO. After moving the emergency bonnet release to one side I could poke my phone in to take a photo.....which revealed that the pin was caught on the lip under the moving plate on the catch. With this enormous hole, I could fit my entire hand through to release the pin.

Now to do it properly.........

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Edited by ricky30dk
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