96-00 broken hood release fix

Akihiro

New Member
Hey guys I know many of you are as sick as I am of using pliers, vice grips, or even your fingers to try and open your hoods. So I started looking at replacements but I couldn't find anything so I came up with this. Let me know what you think.

6061 Aircraft Aluminum & 316 Stainless Steel



These will no longer be advertised on this site due to the cost to operate a FS thread.
If you have any interest PM me and I can direct you accordingly.

Install instructions with pictures.
http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showthread.php?p=3093897#post3093897

 

cgpEJ6

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I just bought a new OEM one, i think it was like $20
 


Akihiro

New Member
But I figured if the oem one broke once it'll break again. I can guarentee you that stainless or aluminum won't get brittle and snap off which is why I figured it was a better solution.
 

Ej8Kid

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Any pics of it installed?
 


leothelion

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I like the t-wrench replacement. it looks pretty cool and its only $5. also it never comes off.
 

Akihiro

New Member
You cut off the remaining bits of plastic with a pair of wire cutters and then you slide it over top and tighten it on with a small screw.

Here's a picture. Also this one looks all scratched up because it was the prototype one that I haven't bothered to take out of my car yet.

 

Akihiro

New Member
Also for those who are anal about adding extra weight the aluminum one weighs just under 30g aka 1 ounce
 

cgpEJ6

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so the pressure of the screw is what holds it on?
 

cgpEJ6

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thats pretty lame for something that cost more than an oem one....just saying...if that is the case.....
yeah I'm not sure if that's right or not, it seems like it goes on kind of like one of those AutoZone style automatic shift knobs if you know what I'm talking about. If that's the case it would just pull off, sure it wouldn't break but it would still come off. Maybe there's something I'm missing here, do you have a picture of how it installs, what does the screw look like? Not trying to be a d**k btw, just not clear how it's supposed to work.
 

Akihiro

New Member
Well if you think it's lame then you think it's lame no hard feelings. It is held on by a hardened set screw. The bottom of the screw is a hollowed conical design to prevent it from slipping. Since the rod is hex bar and made of a soft metal it gives the screw a flat surface to bite into that holds well. It sounded similar to the knobs from autozone that you've described but I don't like buying tacky stuff that feels like it's going to break.

I tested mine for a few months before I decided to try and sell some on the forum as I know how annoying it is to spend money on something of poor quality and function. As I have had to do a lot of maintenance since the previous owner was slacking I end up opening my hood 6-8 times a week at minimum and haven't had any problems.

I'm sorry I can't make them cheaper than the oem ones as the materials I'm using are expensive and I don't produce them in high volume. The cutters used to machine them are between $15-30 a piece and it requires 3 different cutters which wear out due to the hardness of some of the materials plus a separate set for aluminum/plastic, and the holders for the tools are between $200-300. Along with multiple drills, the tap, tap handle, tap oil, cutting lubricant, and the use of the machinery, the facility, and my time. The reason I'm making these are for the people who have broken the plastic pull but the release mechanism is still good, it guarantees that they won't have to spend whatever it costs to replace the oem due to the plastic pull snapping again. For some people if the latch mechanism at the hood is worn out, damaged, or not working and it's not just the broken plastic pull then yes the full oem mechanism replacement is a better choice. Not to mention the labour or cost involved to remove the entire assembly and replace it just for a plastic release that could break again.

The other thing is that it's a custom made part. They're not made in China or manufactured in huge quantities. I make them as people want them so I can ensure that the quality and satisfaction will be there. If someone was very concerned about one screw not being strong enough to hold it on I would gladly put a second screw in for them. If they want the edges to be more/less rounded, or a 45˚ chamfer, or they wanted the front face to be concave instead of flat I can do that. We're a small market so I can take the extra 10 or 15 minutes to make a slight change or addition to help give you want you want. (within reason obviously)


Installed picture. (that is the prototype and I hadn't completed the rest of the finishing so it looks a little scratched)

Installation (finished 6061 aluminum)

Set screw
 

emerican

New Member
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I used to t handle tap wrench fix and love it and it cost me nothing.
looks pretty clean though
 

leothelion

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you could just drill a little hole in on the mettal, well, not technically a hole, but a little divit at least, something for the set screw to dig into, that way it would defiantly not come off. though its a bit difficult to get to. you might have to take out the whole thing, drill a little divit(shallow hole for the illiterate) and then put it back in. its a lot of work, cuz thats how you would put a oem one it, but hey, if we didn't like spending more time to make something better we wouldn't be posting on this forum yeah?

Also, emerican, what size t wrench did you use? mine came out the other day lol. how did you tighten yours?
 

Akihiro

New Member
I can guarantee you that you won't need to drill a hole for the screw. It will not come off unless you forget to tighten the screw. The whole goal is to have an easy install and the least possible amount of hassle.
 

Dannyloski

New Member
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Got mine yesterday, finally had a chance to do the install today ... Super easy and pretty straightforward. :thumbs up

Before:


After:


Extras:


 

ed23dodgers

New Member
You cut off the remaining bits of plastic with a pair of wire cutters and then you slide it over top and tighten it on with a small screw.

Here's a picture. Also this one looks all scratched up because it was the prototype one that I haven't bothered to take out of my car yet.

Where do I buy it from?
 

lethal6

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Going to have to make your own or find a custom one by searching on google. The OP was making these himself and left the forum 4 years ago when he didn't want to pay the fee to sell here anymore.

There is a cheap and easy fix for this. Look through the "How-To" sections. The interior part to be specific. Look for how to fix broken hood release, there is a DIY with using a "T" wrench.
 


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