Hello.

My 1991 RAM with a Cummins broke the hood release cable about 6 inches into the sheath from the handle in the cab. I can't see anything looking up at the latch from below. If I recall, the cable and release are on top of the radiator support and not accessible from below anyway.

Any helpful hints? It's oil change time.

Redeye.

 

well there is a couple ways you could fix it. 1 you could cut that black plastic piece out of the grill and reach through to release the hood or 2 you could remove the bumper and reach the release from there. i currently have the bumper off my truck and can reach the release. if i didn't have my bumper off i might go with the first option because you can replace those cheap plastic thing in the grill and mine are all broken.

 

The grille is a big chromed plastic thing with no little insert I can see. IIRC, the cable and latch are all on the top of the radiator support, so I doubt I'll be able to get it from below.

I'm thinking I'll destroy the cable housing inside the cab till I get the actual cable and yank that sucker with vise grips. Not gonna destroy my grille if I can help it.

 

the area i painted aqua is the part i was talking about cutting. you don't need to cut any of the chrome stuff. you should be able to reach the hood release. they are replaceable. the top ones on my truck have been kicked in from hopping in and out of underneath the hood so many time.

 

Are you speaking of cutting the grille inserts? I looked at your pics and can't seem to see the aqua parts you mentioned.

 

ya the inserts.

 

ran into a guy last week with busted latches his fix was installing some race pins.it looked nice.

 

I can see the cable in the section you marked, but destroying the grille would do no good. The release is still on the top of the plate. I'm attempting to get the remains of the cable out far enough to release the beast.

What a nightmare. there HAS to be an easier way.

 

It's the cable that's stuck. I can see the manual release thru the spot you mentioned.

 

FINALLY got this thing open. There's NO WAY it was accessible from the bottom or thru the grille, even if I destroyed it. Everything related to the release is on top of the striker plate/radiator support.

What I did was:
Push the remains of the old cable thru the firewall after cutting it at the puller end.

Feel around thru the fenderwell until I grasped the cable and pushed it out of it's sling at the back of the engine compartment.

Get ahold of it where it sneaks up under the battery from underneath and pull it out. Do the same where it comes up next to the radiator.

Push the end out of the grille, and tweak it out at the edge of the headlight to get a straight as possible pull.

Grab with vise grips. Yank mightily. Pop, open she came.

I'll be replacing the cable with a new one, as the original was all full of corrosion. Short term, I'll tie a stick or something to the end of the shorty hanging there now.

What a PITA.