opening the hood

[VAC Mowing Man]

I need help trying to open the hood on my late 50s VAC-14. This hood has a paddle looking mechanism compared to a hood ornament style.
I am pushing in on the top portion of the paddle and I cant get the hood open. Underneath the hood I can see the paddle operating the spring on the hood but I cant get it to budge.
Can anyone get a picture of the hood mechanism with the hood open? I am assuming the hood post from the grille has a hook on it that engages the hood.

 

[dhamps10]

Try to pry out at the bottom. Sometimes pushing the top doesn't move the latch enough.
Dennis

 

[Christopher Mikesell]

You may not be pulling the bottom shaft out far enough. The lower shaft pulls a metal plate with a hole in it. There is a pin attached to the top of the grill with a groove. When the hood closes the pin goes through a hole in the hood and the plate slides back into the groove. When you pull the bottom rod by pushing the top of the hood ornament, then the hole in the hood alligns with the hole in the plate and the hood will raise (the plate can leave the groove). Sometimes the hood gets bent so that pushing the hood ornament back is not enough to open the hood. Also, the hood may be binding on the pin. This is the result of misalignment and it may take some jiggling if this is the problem.

 

[VAC Mowing Man]

Well it does have some grille damage so maybe the impact jared the latch enough to be a pain. Thanks guys.

 

[Richard G.]

I have to slap the top of the latch on mine to make it release. If I just push it, it won't release.
Richard