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DIY - Fix Broken Hood Latch Mount

53914 Views 37 Replies 30 Participants Last post by  Lucky16
7
Alright so the other day while driving I noticed my hood bouncing up and down. I pulled over and found that where my hood latch bolts onto (upper bulkhead) had completely snapped so the latch was just bouncing around. I looked around quite a few places online to find a solution to the problem, and didn't find much so I figured I would write a DIY for anyone else that has this problem since it seems to be a somewhat common problem.

Once I actually got home and went to open my hood the cable had popped out of the latch so my hood was basically locked down and I had about a 3 inch gap to get in and try and get it loose with my hands.

Parts/Tools:
- Front Bulkhead (upper) part # 04602-S6M-A01ZZ
- Bulkhead Center (optional) part #60434-S6M-A00ZZ
- A set of metric sockets/wrenches
- Pliers
- Screwdriver

I did not buy my parts from here but it is a good reference. http://parts.sonsacura.com/products/Acura/RSX/FRAME-SET--FRONT-BULKHEAD-UPPER/1452602/04602-S6M-A01ZZ.html

Notes:
If you can get your hood open already, you will save a lot of time. In my case the latch was locked on and the cable was unhooked so I had a hell of a time getting it open. I got the hood open to about a 3 inch gap and was able to get in there and work on it. I removed the three bolts on the latch itself and was able to shake it loose allowing the hood to go up about a foot and was able to release the latch.

Step 1:
Unplug the wire that is attached to your hood latch. (I did this in a later step because I didn't know if I had to take it out or not, but it just gets in the way) Also remove the cable from the hood latch if it is still connected.


Step 2:
Remove the clips holding the top of the bumper on. You can take off the whole bumper if you want, but I was able to do it without and it wasn't too bad.


Step 3:
Time to start unbolting. I've marked off which bolts you want to remove. For the first picture you will want to do the same to both sides. There is also one last bolt I didn't get a picture of because of the location. If you follow the metal piece that goes straight down between the two fans, there is one bolt at the very bottom that you will have to remove.


(Can anyone tell me what that piece on the left is? Nothing was bolted up to it and it was just kind of there..)

Step 4:
Fairly simple part. There are a bunch of plastic clips that are clipped into the front bulkhead and bulkhead center. To remove the clips, you just take your pliers and press in the plastic tabs so you can just push it out of the hole. Some are hard to get to but it is possible to get them all out without breaking any. I only have one picture as this step is pretty simple to just look at and find all the clips. I believe most of them were to hold wiring down tight and there was one for the release cable. These are pretty much what they look like:


Step 5:
You are now able to pull out the front bulkhead and bulkhead center. They are welded together so they will pull out as one piece. Now is the part where you have some options. You can separate the old bulkhead center and attach it to your new front bulkhead or if you bought a new bulkhead center, you can use that. What I did was reuse the old center piece and had someone weld it on to the new front bulkhead for me. I have also seen people who have drilled holes and bolted it together. Unfortunately I don't have any pics of the welding or the final product, but I would highly recommend you triple check the fitting BEFORE you weld it. If you decide to bolt it together you can look at the pics in this thread:
http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=763158

This is what it looked like when I took it out. It looked like this when I put it back in too, except the front bulkhead was the new one.


This is to show how bad the metal had ripped where my hood latch bolted up to.


Final Steps:
To reinstall, you just have to bolt it back in. I recommend putting in the bolt on the bottom that you removed first, then bolting up the rest. Reattach all the wires/clips especially the clip for the latch release cable. Next you are going to plug your hood latch wiring back together. Before you bolt your hood latch back up to your new front bulkhead, remember to attach the hood release cable to it then bolt the latch in position. You might need to adjust the latch a bit to get your hood to sit flush.

Hopefully this helps some of you with this issue. If you would like to add on any information, or need my help with this, feel free to let me know.
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tomorrows list :thumbsup:
Thanks for the DIY, all fixed now.

The bottom bolt was a bitch & probably made a lot worse by the fact that I didn't use a hoist.
Thanks for the DIY, all fixed now.

The bottom bolt was a bitch & probably made a lot worse by the fact that I didn't use a hoist.
Agree! that bottom bolt was a real bitch, and putting it back on ... almost give up. No room for doing anything
just got halfway thru this.. damn you honda... my s2k is sooo much easier to work on
Same thing just happened to me! Unfortunately I purchased the whole core support before I found this thread:/ Great write up regardless!
this is great and such a common problem. Awesome walk through with photos...going to start asap!
Thanks for the diy it help
My hood latch just had the same problem recently. Should I replace the busted bracket? Or should I just look into aftermarket hood latches?
3
My hood latch just had the same problem recently. Should I replace the busted bracket? Or should I just look into aftermarket hood latches?
I had this exact problem with my car as well. After reading numerous posts of the same issue, I can only assume this is a manufacture defect. I just finished the swap about an hour ago, no issues other than that damn bottom radiator bolt. It was a lot easier to finally get it by loosening the three 10mm bolts I had drilled in that attach to it on the hood for additional leverage. Thankfully the actual hood latch was recoverable.

Pics of carnage on 03 RSX (probably stock originals I'm guessing)





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I know the bulkhead center is optional to purchase as it is not commonly damaged so you can re-use the old one, but is it optional to put on at all? That would save me a decent amount of time and from what I can see it is not a necessary piece. Does anyone have input?
I know the bulkhead center is optional to purchase as it is not commonly damaged so you can re-use the old one, but is it optional to put on at all? That would save me a decent amount of time and from what I can see it is not a necessary piece. Does anyone have input?
It is definitely possible to use it without the lower piece, although further down the road you risk potentially getting the wiring that attaches to it hit by one of the radiator fans (it's a small risk but definitely possible) and of course the radiator will possibly vibrate a bit more than normal as this is one of only three bolts that holds it down in the bottom. If you're in a bind for time and money you could get away with it, but I'd say the pros outweigh the cons, if possible. Either way, anythings better than a hood hitting your windshield on the highway :hb:
I know the bulkhead center is optional to purchase as it is not commonly damaged so you can re-use the old one, but is it optional to put on at all? That would save me a decent amount of time and from what I can see it is not a necessary piece. Does anyone have input?
You talking about the center support piece that connects the upper core support to the lower core support? You want that in place. Without it, your hood latch won't function as intended because there's not enough support. Also, due to the lack of support, the upper core support will eventually start to tear.

The shop who did the engine swap for the previous owner of my car felt the need to cut that center section off. I had to buy a new core support due to everything that I have stated above.
I know this DIY guide and thread is 10 years old now, but wanted to let the OP know that I'm sure people are still using this DIY to this day as this car has aged quite a bit and many more people are probably running into this problem.

Hopefully this thread and the photos can live on for quite some time and not get lost/archived like so many good threads on clubrsx have. Thanks again, as I just ran into this problem this morning on the highway - quite scary when you notice it while going 80mph!
yup still using this today in 2023
I know this DIY guide and thread is 10 years old now, but wanted to let the OP know that I'm sure people are still using this DIY to this day as this car has aged quite a bit and many more people are probably running into this problem.

Hopefully this thread and the photos can live on for quite some time and not get lost/archived like so many good threads on clubrsx have. Thanks again, as I just ran into this problem this morning on the highway - quite scary when you notice it while going 80mph!
yup still using this today in 2023
Hey I'm using in 2023 as well! Nice!

A couple additions from my experience:

- situation: hood latch mount was broken, but hood latch still functioned. Was just hanging on by a threat. The hood also looked partially popped even when closed (important later)

- I opted to buy both the front bulk head and center from k series parts (good quality, recommend). Took out the broken bulkhead T assembly. (Did not take off bumper, but was a pain to get the lower wiring clips and bolt off). Drilled through the spot weld/heat compress points (whatever) to disassemble and then used the pieces as a template to drill holes through the new parts.

- the T I made was just a hair too long but I was able to bolt everything back in with a little force and effort. Close the hood. Latch works. Still looks like the hood is popped slightly. F.

- figured maybe the too-long T assembly I forced in was making it taller than normal. Took the whole thing back out. Un bolted the center. Re-installed without the center. Closed the hood. Still works. Still looks popped. WTF.

- turns out the problem of the hood looking popped was actually 4x rubber bushings that the hood rests on on either side. 2 look like an arby's curly fry so you can hand screw them in to make it lower (this was the main issue - they were super high. I also ended trimming the other 2 about 1/8".

- now everything sits normal and the latch functions much better. I might reinstall the center piece the next time my bumper is off, but it really doesn't seem necessary IMO.

- Moral of the story is if your latch is still somewhat attached and works and hood looks popped ish. Check those bushings first. I'm probably just an idiot but figured I'd throw it out there for any other noob lurkers like myself.
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