The
instruction sheet included with the product is reasonably detailed,
so I'm not going to bore you with repeating those instructions
here.
I will cover things I thought of during the installation.
The instructions tell you what
tools they would use, which I thought was a nice touch, even
though I ignored their directions on this. One thing they don't
mention is that while an individual could do this job without
help, an extra set of hands is really useful - even on a project
as simple as this one. In fact, it is highly likely that you will
need and extra set of hands to remove the hood and make sure the
panel is aligned properly.
The
first direction in the instructions is to prepare the Aluminum
Hood Panel, and personally, I think I would do that as my last step, only because I would want to test fit and locate everything and
drill my holes prior to getting the finish put on. I'll touch
on this a little later on.
Removing
the hood from the vehicle is fairly straightforward and a step
I would highly recommend. Could this be done on the vehicle? Yes,
it could be, but you would be taking a chance on getting metal
shavings in and around your engine. I thought of trying to keep
it on the vehicle myself, but am really glad that I did not, as
there is a lot of cutting and moving that makes it a lot easier
on a secure working surface.
The
first thing I did was to remove any hardware, connections or other
items connected or bolted to the hood.
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Before opening your hood,
get a good male star (Torx) socket and loosen (but don't remove)
the bolts in the hood hinge. |
Notice the electrical wiring,
hoses and other connections from the engine bay to the hood. |
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This is the bottom of the
rubber bumpers used to cushion the windscreen if you should
lay it down. Also note that if you want any info off this
sticker you should write it down now.. as the sticker will
be sliced through to finish this installation. |
Use a small screwdriver
to work the bumper out from the underside of the hood. |
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Remove the windshield wiper
hose from the sprayers. |
Disconnect the sprayer
hose from the clamps on the hood. |
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Simply pop them off. |
A pair of needle nose pliers
works well to grip the disconnect and slide it through the
hood. |
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Unbolt the ground strap. |
Disconnect the under-hood
light. |
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Be sure to slide the lock
up before trying to remove. Don't force anything. |
You may have to cut this
connector, but you can re-attach with a wire tie later. |
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Remove the
windshield tie down loop. Be careful here, as I know a number
of people who have snapped these small bolts when taking
them off or putting them on. Mine was oxidized enough that
I ordered a new one from the dealer for about $15.00 with
nuts. |
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Remove the
hinge bolts. Be careful with these, as they are easy to strip
the heads on, and, yes, you do need all 6 bolts to make sure
the hood is aligned properly when you put it back on. |
It
might be noted here that the windshield sprayers are different
on new models of Jeep Wranglers, but the procedure is similar.
Just be sure you have everything taken off the hood or disconnected
underneath before trying to lift the hood... you don't want to
have to do a new paint job.
Another
quick reminder is that the bolts holding the hinges in place are
put in with thread locker. It will take some force to remove them,
just apply steady pressure and they should come out without a
problem.
Time
to Start Cutting