Thread: Bent bonnet hinge

Mick,

I would remove the bonnet by removing the hinges from the bonnet by taking out the screws and then heat the hinge tongue until it is red hot. Then insert a pry bar in the gap between the end of the tongue and the firewall plate and bend the tongue open.
Dont try and do it with the bonnet on or the aluminium bonnet skin will warp. and possibly melt.
Regards,

Is that a Stage 1 (SIII) ?

Most SIII have bonnet hinges which are basically flat gal with a kink.

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Is that a Stage 1 (SIII) ?

Most SIII have bonnet hinges which are basically flat gal with a kink.

Yep.

I wouldn't put heat near it.
It appears to be the type of landrover bonnet that has a plastic incert which acts as the pivot.
It looks like the plastic pivot has come adift or is worn out.
Remove the bonnet support stay from the front body work......it is usually held on to a pin with a washer and split pin.
With the stay disconnected you should be able to move the bonnet up to a vertical position.
In the vertical position if the plastic bushes are aligned correctly the bonnet should just lift off.......but you may have trouble doing that as the pic shows the plastic bush is not in the correct position and not rotating with the bonnet according to the above pics.( the plastic bush may need a bit of help with a thin screw driver and a small hammer to move it around so the cut away in it is vertical so the bonnet will lift out)
With the bonnet off you should be able to slide out the plastic bushes sideways and replace them.

Originally Posted by 101 Ron

In the vertical position if the plastic bushes are aligned correctly the bonnet should just lift off.......

The gap doesn't look big enough to slip the hinge out.

Pull the pin on the vent, remove it and see if the gap is big enough to get a pry bar/screwdriver in. You may need to force the plastic bush out to gain some room

Looks like something has jammed in the opening at the top of the hinge then the bonnet has been opened bending the hinge onto the bulkhead.

Best of luck.


Colin

Plenty of gap.
The bonnet side of the hinge is a flatten pin.
The flat sides of the pin is what turns the plastic bush around in the main hinge housing in the vehicles front frame.
The plastic bush has a cut away in it to allow removal of the bonnet only when vertical.
I use to remove the bonnet on my defender all the time.......quick and easy if the little plastic bushes play the game.

The whole set up is one of landrovers better ideas..................even if they borrowed it from a 1950s Jeep and improved it with the plastic bush instead of metal to metal of the jeep which rattles.

Originally Posted by 101 Ron

Plenty of gap.

No there isn't.
There is a photo of each hinge. One (probably the one you looked at) is fine and there for comparison. The other is, well, a tad bent.

Yes my bad.
The bent part looked to me to be the plastic bush working its way out.
I am guessing the body side of the hinge doesn't unbolt ?