[Howitzer]

2000 AC Powder Special 600, had a bout with a tree. Broken hood tabs that mount into the hood hinge:

Can these tabs be repaired somehow? Any ideas?

 

[tcat446]

I have fixed many. I used a fiberglass kit. Works good. Then paint flat black.

 

[Howitzer]

I have fixed many. I used a fiberglass kit. Works good. Then paint flat black.

Ok good to know. The fiberglass will adhere sufficiently to the tab remnant? Hopefully. Should I use fiberglass matt or cloth?

 

[PifeInPa]

I have used aluminum several times. Take two pieces of thin aluminum sheet, cut it into the shape of the hood tab and hinge piece, place a piece of aluminum on either side of the tab - hinge, drill a few holes through both plastic and aluminum, and rivet together. There is usually enough slop in the hinge to get the aluminum on either side of the plastic hinge. Make sure that you make the aluminum pieces so the hinge pin goes through them.

 

[tcat446]

Ok good to know. The fiberglass will adhere sufficiently to the tab remnant? Hopefully. Should I use fiberglass matt or cloth?

Never had a problem unless you don't rough up the hood for the fiberglass to stick to. Never tried the aluminum but sounds like it might work as well. Not as messy for sure.

 

[PifeInPa]

The issue with the aluminum fix is that you are degrading the "base" material, by having to drill holes through the plastic tab. I didn't think that fiberglass would work, but if I have to do another, I'm going to take tcat's advice and try the fiberglass first to keep as much original material as possible.

 

[Howitzer]

Never had a problem unless you don't rough up the hood for the fiberglass to stick to. Never tried the aluminum but sounds like it might work as well. Not as messy for sure.

I was thinking I might try JB Weld. I would make a removable backing mold (with a plastic yogurt/margarine lid) so that the JB Weld would have something to shape to. Thoughts? JB Weld is pretty hard and durable... maybe fiberglass and resin would be a better choice.

 

[660catman]

Take tcat446’s advice and use fibreglass. I have not needed to fix a hood but have done many fibreglass repairs in my bodyshop days. Prepping the area is all important. Degreased, roughed up and clean is the trick. Mat or cloth doesn’t matter. Use the bare minimum material so it’s not too thick. The more you spread onto the hood the better grip it will have.

 

[PifeInPa]

I'm not sure how you are using the JB Weld as you described it, are you going to make a whole new piece out of it? JB would be a good material to use, as you could form it to make a new piece, and is durable enough, but then you would have to attach it the hood somehow.

When I fixed mine, I removed the hood, glued the pieces back together, so the alignment was correct, and then cut two pieces of aluminum in the shape of the re-joined tab; one for either side of the tab, pinned the aluminum to the tab and re-attached the hood. I did have to clearance the lower hinge piece a little bit on the second one that I did due to the increased width of the tab. It was fortunate that there was sufficient tab left on the hood side to attach the aluminum to, but I figured that if the tab broke off the hood completely, that I could make two new pieces of aluminum that would be larger at the hood area, and rivet to the hood. The rivet heads would be showing, but it would have worked.

 

[PifeInPa]

I agree, I would try the fiberglass first, as it is less intrusive, and easier.

 

[auburn6887]

i just used jb weld quick and 1 screw trough the broken hinge on our 2005 pantera i just got.
little different type hinge than yours.
i would put thin aluminum flashing and clamp it with the jb weld on yours.
jb weld quick seems to dry and hold better .

 

[dmgc]

I have used the aluminum/pop rivet fix on 2 of those A/C hoods. Quick, easy and plenty strong.........as long as I don't have another one of those pesky trees jump out in front of me😀
Dave

 

[sneakypete78]

You'd think by now, (or then) they would've thought of a much better way of doing this/these.

Then again cheap, and needs occasional replacement brings in future money. Maybe planned future demand for replacement parts needed? I have a hard time believing that a company would honestly make parts cheap on purpose so that they break. Maybe I'm too small minded.

 

[MNkittykat]

I have used fiberglass repair kits for fiberglass hoods before.
But I've repaired those hood hinges and I've used epoxy with a mesh in place for reinforcement and it is still working. The epoxy I use is 3m brand made for bumper repairs I believe they refer to it as semi rigid.
You can use many things for the reinforcement mesh but I like using window screen material. If you don't have any extra around at your house it is cheap at a hardware store. I have also used extra frog skin material before too. The reinforcement material is critical to have in there anytime you're doing a repair.

 

[Howitzer]

Today, we tried using fiberglass resin, hardener and cloth. I think the resin was old (or the garage was too cold) as the concoction mix didn't harden at all (maybe it needs a little blue pill 🤪)... I scraped off the uncured material and back to square one. Maybe a piece of sheet metal pop riveted to the remaining tab surface? JB Weld "Plastic Bonder" or Permatex "Plastic Welder"?

Right tab:

Left tab:

 

[tcat446]

You likely have both. Too low a temp and old resin and hardener. Been there done that. I have used a hair dryer in the past.

 

[Howitzer]

You likely have both. Too low a temp and old resin and hardener. Been there done that. I have used a hair dryer in the past.

I had an infrared overhead heater about three feet above my hood, so I think it might have been warm enough (the hood was warm to the touch). I'm thinking it was old resin (I had it in the garage, it is 8-10 years old), the hardener I bought yesterday.

 

[Howitzer]

FYI - I've found out from the snowest forum that the hood material is "Metton"... anyone know anything about it?

 

[Howitzer]

www.metton.com

Metton - Bonding and Painting: https://www.metton.com/about-metton-lmr/bonding-and-painting