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55 minutes ago, Rob Salisbury said:

Hi, I seems to me you have exhausted most of the tried and tested methods of release, so some how you now need to get at and loosen the front bonnet hinges, as someone said earlier, dead easy on a 4 or 5, not sure if just removing the headlights and inner bowl works on a 6, though I'm sure you can get to some of them this way.

Cheers Rob

Only through the front grill on a 6 two bolts to shell or three to bonnet. Might be able to get on them from underneath if the hinge arms are not obscuring the bolts to the shell. May be able to use some long extensions to get at the three on the bonnet.

Or what about pushing up from below a broom handle into the base of the bonnet mechanism to move the Spring/plunger up sounds like it may have got itself wedged into one of the coils?

Worse case dash out cut a hole between the two lower bolts and release it. 

Andy

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11 minutes ago, Rob Salisbury said:

Ho Hum, Don't tell me Andy, to remove the grill you have to get at the fixings with the bonnet up!!

Think that will be impossible unless your happy to cut it out from the front might be a cheaper option to replace if you can then get through to the bonnet bolts. 

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3 hours ago, Richard Green 54 said:

OK. back to basics.

When you say, "Last time I was under the bonnet and noticed this mechanism wasn’t secure as the bolts were loose.  So, I thought, good principle would be to tighten them up", are you referring to the bulkhead bolts or the bonnet bolts?

Is the bonnet still hard down on the cones or has it raised at all?

Dear Richard,

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate you trying to assist me.  It’s the two bolts on the bonnet that were lose I tightened and the bonnet has not raised at all.

Regards

Stephen

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43 minutes ago, PodOne said:

Only through the front grill on a 6 two bolts to shell or three to bonnet. Might be able to get on them from underneath if the hinge arms are not obscuring the bolts to the shell. May be able to use some long extensions to get at the three on the bonnet.

Or what about pushing up from below a broom handle into the base of the bonnet mechanism to move the Spring/plunger up sounds like it may have got itself wedged into one of the coils?

Worse case dash out cut a hole between the two lower bolts and release it. 

Andy

Andy,

Thanks for you advice, yikes, dash out then cut a hole sounds like an “interesting job” !

Stephen

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Can you get at the bolts at the bottom of the hinges through the air dam holes? Might have to remove the grill. Seemed the only  way when I looked at my car in it's country garage last week.

You can't get through the headlights- the body shell  is pressed around them.

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6 hours ago, Mike C said:

Can you get at the bolts at the bottom of the hinges through the air dam holes? Might have to remove the grill. Seemed the only  way when I looked at my car in it's country garage last week.

You can't get through the headlights- the body shell  is pressed around them.

Mike, I fear you are correct, next step is bonnet off, I’ve got one last chance, I’ve put a pair of mole grips on the cable holding the latch open, I can then get a cain on the latch from below the car, with an endoscope attached to the cain, maybe and it’s a long shot, I can give it an extra nudge to open.  I suspect bonnet off is next job.  I’ve got two goals, get the bloody bonnet off, but more importantly - what caused the problem in the first place ?

regards

Stephen

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Stephen,

I do not have a RHD car, but would it be possible to use a socket on a long extension , one person giving directions how to move with the endoscope, the other pushing the extension up from below the car to undo the 2 bolts of the lock to bonnet?
I know, a long shot, literally.

Waldi

 

Addition:

On a lhd car I would probably drill a 20 mm hole in the body from the driver side  foot well just below the lock to insert a socket on an extension. Not sure if that makes sense on a rhd car.

Edited by Waldi
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1 hour ago, Scotland Director said:

Mike, I fear you are correct, next step is bonnet off, I’ve got one last chance, I’ve put a pair of mole grips on the cable holding the latch open, I can then get a cain on the latch from below the car, with an endoscope attached to the cain, maybe and it’s a long shot, I can give it an extra nudge to open.  I suspect bonnet off is next job.  I’ve got two goals, get the bloody bonnet off, but more importantly - what caused the problem in the first place ?

regards

Stephen

 I have to say if the bonnet is locked because the lock body has trapped the head of the plunger it would be the first time I've ever  heard of this happening.

Like many I can only wish you the best of luck and I wait with baited breath for the outcome.

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I'm guessing you've already done an internet search ..but just in case you hadn't come across it < here > is one from our American cousins which proposes several ways and success in opening their TR6 bonnet. 

Wishing you every success.

Pete.

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14 hours ago, Scotland Director said:

Latest update, bonnet still stuck shut.  However, we’ve moved forward a bit.  Endoscope is a brilliant piece of kit, hooked up to my computer and I managed to wiggle it up to the correct position.  I can confirm that the cable is not snapped.  When I pull the cable the latch moves and when I pull the emergency opener the latch also moves.

I wonder if the pivot on the latch is worn and thus does not move significantly to unlatch the plunger ?  

I’m sort of doubting my original theory of the plunger being slightly offset and catching, on something because when the latch moves the plunger doesn’t move at all.

Any ideas for tomorrow’s efforts ?

Thanks Andy @PodOne

regards

Stephen

Stephen,

Re your thought that the latch doesn't move enough.See attached photo. The latch operates rearwards to clear the catch pin. So (i thinks) try and move the bonnet forward to clear the latch when operating and holding open both cable and emergency release mechanisms. a couple of levers down the gap between bonnet and scuttle, with thin sheet steel to suitably spread the load and minimise damage to the scuttle or bonnet. Jiggle forward and prise bonnet upward if you get my meaning while perhaps jiggling the release cable to rattle the whole mechanism.  Clearly to mimimise damage to paintwork etc.  The stuck bonnet scenario did happen to me on my rebuild and I used this method to release bonnet but body at that stage was stilll unrestored so no damage. 

On the subject of emergency release mechanism, if cause is that it has gone over centre (and to prevent it happening again) then a tip i read on this forum was to extend the length of the actuating arm by say 1/8" with weld so that it still protruded from the slot when fully operated. It worked for me. see photos. 

David B

 

bonnet release.jpg

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Hi, it just so happens that my bonnet is off at the moment and the catch/latch mechanism in bits, I just checked an it only takes a very small amount of miss-alignment for the plunger to become trapped by the body of the fixed section, once this happens no movement of the latch will free it, and I think you are saying that you can feel the latch moving, so only by having the bonnet free to move will you be able to free the plunger . 

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2 minutes ago, Rob Salisbury said:

Hi, it just so happens that my bonnet is off at the moment and the catch/latch mechanism in bits, I just checked an it only takes a very small amount of miss-alignment for the plunger to become trapped by the body of the fixed section, once this happens no movement of the latch will free it, and I think you are saying that you can feel the latch moving, so only by having the bonnet free to move will you be able to free the plunger . 

That was also my thought. But I would expect the back edge of the bonnet to be lifted a few mm.

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1 hour ago, Waldi said:

Stephen,

I do not have a RHD car, but would it be possible to use a socket on a long extension , one person giving directions how to move with the endoscope, the other pushing the extension up from below the car to undo the 2 bolts of the lock to bonnet?
I know, a long shot, literally.

Waldi

 

Addition:

On a lhd car I would probably drill a 20 mm hole in the body from the driver side  foot well just below the lock to insert a socket on an extension. Not sure if that makes sense on a rhd car.

Some merit here in drilling the holes both from underneath to introduce a socket or screwdriver to jiggle the catch and the camera to direct operations bit like taking a gall bladder out.

Real pain hope you get it sorted but please report back as you never know who's next.

Anndy 

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2 hours ago, Richard Green 54 said:

That was also my thought. But I would expect the back edge of the bonnet to be lifted a few mm.

Richard, that is really useful, I thought that could be the issue at the start but latterly I thought maybe there was another issue, but sounds like this is the problem.  What a nightmare, as I thought I’d got it aligned pretty well.  Must be sooooo hard to align to prevent this happening ?  I used some masking tape on the hole and oil on the plunger and spent an hour or so aligning, but I’m not a mechanical engineer, so maybe I just didn’t do it well enough.  Bonnet off her is come I suppose.  Oh well, Updike is I’m getting to know my car better.  And, I uncovered a little secret during this time about my car !

i will definitely update the forum once if I get this sorted.  Last night at dinner my 19 year old daughter said when she’s older an married with children, she’d call me for babysitting and dad would say “ oh, I’m sorry, can’t come around tonight as I’m trying to get my bonnet opened” seems she has little faith in me !

regards

Stephen

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2 hours ago, PodOne said:

Some merit here in drilling the holes both from underneath to introduce a socket or screwdriver to jiggle the catch and the camera to direct operations bit like taking a gall bladder out.

Real pain hope you get it sorted but please report back as you never know who's next.

Anndy 

Once again thanks for your encouragement here, it’s keeping me motivated to solve this problem.  Last week there was almost going to be an advert “ for sale Red TR6 with Audi A2 style bonnet - no offer refused” anyway, you’ve helped with my resilience and determination to solve this problem.

Stephen

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3 hours ago, David B2 said:

Stephen,

Re your thought that the latch doesn't move enough.See attached photo. The latch operates rearwards to clear the catch pin. So (i thinks) try and move the bonnet forward to clear the latch when operating and holding open both cable and emergency release mechanisms. a couple of levers down the gap between bonnet and scuttle, with thin sheet steel to suitably spread the load and minimise damage to the scuttle or bonnet. Jiggle forward and prise bonnet upward if you get my meaning while perhaps jiggling the release cable to rattle the whole mechanism.  Clearly to mimimise damage to paintwork etc.  The stuck bonnet scenario did happen to me on my rebuild and I used this method to release bonnet but body at that stage was stilll unrestored so no damage. 

On the subject of emergency release mechanism, if cause is that it has gone over centre (and to prevent it happening again) then a tip i read on this forum was to extend the length of the actuating arm by say 1/8" with weld so that it still protruded from the slot when fully operated. It worked for me. see photos. 

David B

 

bonnet release.jpg

David,

Thanks for that, we tried without much success to do just that, resulted in chipped paint, but no bonnet opened, might try again, thanks.

Stephen

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3 hours ago, Rob Salisbury said:

Hi, so we are into damage limitation now, don't know if it's any good but there's a used 6 grill on Ebay at the moment, cut out what you've got and replace, Moss have them at around £160, may be the best/worst option.

I think you’re right, this is my next thing to try.

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11 hours ago, Mike C said:

Can you get at the bolts at the bottom of the hinges through the air dam holes? Might have to remove the grill. Seemed the only  way when I looked at my car in it's country garage last week.

You can't get through the headlights- the body shell  is pressed around them.

Thank you, not sure about the air dam holes, think it’s a grill off job.

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Just tried this for you cut a slot for screwdriver in the bolts then two locknuts on the end of the bolts and clockwise them in finish with screwdriver and yes there is enough room for the bolts to drop out 

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1 hour ago, ntc said:

Just tried this for you cut a slot for screwdriver in the bolts then two locknuts on the end of the bolts and clockwise them in finish with screwdriver and yes there is enough room for the bolts to drop out 

Good shout if there is long enough bolts fitted to get to the ends, originals often didnt protrude very far through the captives.

Also even with the bonnet free at the front its going to still be a struggle to get to the bolts either on the bulkhead catch or the catch pin bolts on the underside of the bonnet without sacrificing the catch pin and bracket and possibly bending the mounting section, good luck with it though.

Stuart.

Edited by stuart
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