Completely agree that once it's set . . it's not being removed.

Since someone was good enough to leave the hood pins out prior to a drive around town, the backing was busted loose and repaired with a nice fiberglass patch, a piece of angle iron, and a couple bolts. This made the decision easy for me to repair it. I started by making templates traced from the fender contours, and set them the width of the hood, creating a tool to be able to work the hood. Not gonna lie, took me a lot of time and some careful planning to correct the hood, but it turned out VERY well.

The reason the hoods warp is a combination of load, time, and resin cure. When composite parts are cured there is much to consider. Unsure if we had any of it down in the US (or world) in 1970. The basic idea that when a bend angle or contour is layed up and cured, the resin drying (shrinking) closes the angle or contour, even though the tool is trying to keep it in it's perfect form. While each company has their own proprietary formulas for figuring the amount it will close, often trial and error prevail. So if Ma MOPAR would have thought this out better, they would have created a tool that was less contoured than the final desired shape. It was appearent this was not the case when I broke the stiffening structure off the back of mine. I had to clamp it to the tool to get it to come down. Then bonding the structure to the back again, the bonding system helps to account for the variations, leaving me a pretty good hood.

Picture the stresses already in the hood, now add load in the direction the hood wants to bow, over years, with additional curing of the resin system (yes they continue to cure, and become brittle) . . . . bang, big open gap.

Sorry for the long disertation, but figured if you understood why, and were presented with a solution, it's easier to fix.

And if it's warped as hell, all AAR savy will just accept it for being what it is

AMEN

this is what i love about this site, the 'real world' input from folks. thank you all for your insight on this issue, now i have a much better knowledge of how things are working in that lovely bulge of fiberglass.

well, maybe i will still keep the prop rod, but in your opinions, do you think leaving the really warped side spring out will help at all? maybe i jumped the gun and was just 'optimistic', but it seems to sit a little bit better?

either way, thank you all for chiming in, now it's here for everyone to learn from....

D

Leaving the springs out has not flatten mine, it may keep it from warping more or cracking

Taking the spring out will help take the additional load out of the already warped hood (So you may have a LITTLE less bow in it)

If you fix the bow, leaving the springs out will help keep it its best for a longer period of time, but these hoods are notoriously off, so in my world, any true MOPAR contisour expects to see a bit of warp, a badge of honor so to speak. If perfect, it just doesn't look right to me (as long as you cant see in the engine bay)

You can always try the illusion of adjusting the hood lower at the window, bringing the center lower . . . unsure how bad yours is but sometimes this can help.

well, here we go again. engine back from builder, installed, go for maiden voyage of 15 miles, and drip drip drip. this is ridiculous. i can't believe it ran on the dyno and didn't leak, according to him.

i put dye in the oil, to really confirm the leaking area, (appeared to be rear main), and sure enough, no oil anywhere except coming down from the rear main. so, out it comes again.......

one more, looking up at crank......

This is testiment to using people you can get to within a 1/2 day drive.
Sorry to hear your having issues.

well, engine out AGAIN, with no help or response from eddie, it's up to my uncle and i to figure this mess out for now. let's take a look at what is what here...........

seals were offset, no problem there, but the rtv looks a little excessive in my opinion....

the other side. like i said, a little excessive in the rtv, but it supposedly did not leak for two hours during dyno time. still wondering why it would not leak there, but it would in the car after a few miles.......

there is definitely a little friend off to the side there. maybe something broke loose and got hung up on the lip/face providing a gap for oil?

this is an aftermarket crank, an eagle. i am not sure where the fel-pro lip seal rides on a factory crank, but on this eagle, it's right at the slinger grooves edge, just barely on them. i still don't understand how lip seals are supposed to seal on a grooved surface, in my mind, lip seals should ride on smooth surfaces, like the other end of the crank. i fought this same issue on my blown pontiac engine too......

edited for 'family viewing', (hope it's ok) just a pic (that i REALLY wanted to send to the builder) showing my feelings about having to dig into a new motor myself, that i paid a poop ton of money for, wear and tear on a freshly resto'd engine compartment, not to mention wrecking the new paint on the engine, oh, and that last little thing, all my money, free time, and patience i had left in me.

such is life, carry on!

There is a thread on hear by Troy , put a ROPE SEAL in it and be done .

Sorry for your troubles .

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/show...part=1&vc=1

I was just going to post that thread.

Sorry to here of you troubles.....it sucks, I know.