DIY: V6 Hood Damper Installation for 4cyls. (hood struts, lifts, shocks)

AFAccord

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So we finally got some support from Hancockd who has a V6 Accord with the dampers installed from the factory, and was generous enough to provide photos of his car to make this DIY possible. Thanks man. :thumbsup:

COMPARISON, V6 vs I4

Started this off with comparison pics of hancockd's V6 and my 4cyl Accord.

V6 = Green
I4 = Silver

Hood Mount
IMG_0001-1.jpg

_MG_5161.jpg


Fender Mount
IMG_0003.jpg

_MG_5148.jpg




V6 hoods have a nut welded to the inside of hole on the hood mount, whereas our 4cyl hoods just have a hole.

IMG_0002-2.jpg



You can also see that the fender mount on V6's is welded onto the fender, and is not available for purchase separately.

IMG_0004-1.jpg



PARTS

For this, you'll need six parts from Honda, four ball studs (#21 below), and two dampers (#13 below). These will cost $47 and change plus shipping from Majestic Honda.

13S820_B51.gif


You will also need the follow parts that can be picked up from your local Lowes, Home Depot, or other hardware store. When purchasing these parts, keep in mind structural integrity is important, so try to find pieces that are made from thicker gauge metals.

  • L braces - I used corner braces because they used a thicker steel, and the layout of the mounting holes would be better suited to prevent the brace from twisting out of place. (2qty)
  • #10, 3/4" Self-tapping Sheet metal screws. (8qty)
  • M8 x 1.25 Nuts. (4qty)
  • 2" Mending plates. (2qty)

I think these all came out to a little under $6 at Lowes.

Corner Braces
OEMFP-5.jpg


Self-tapping screws
OEMFP-2.jpg


M8 x 1.25 Nuts
OEMFP-4.jpg


Mending Plates
OEMFP-3.jpg



TOOLS

  • Drill with Phillips bit
  • 1/8" Drill bit
  • 5/16 Drill bit
  • Sturdy Pliers
  • 12mm Wrench or deep socket w/ratchet
  • 13mm? Wrench or a set of locking pliers
  • Razor blade


Option tools to make things easier:

  • Hammer
  • Vise
  • Pen/pencil/marker


PROCEDURE

Fender Mount:

1. Using the razor blade to shape/remove the wrinkled area. You want to make a smooth flat surface for the corner brace. It's only a soft epoxy, so it should scrape away easily.

OEMFP-7.jpg


2. Mock fit your corner brace, and mark your holes in case the screw or drill bit walks. You want to align the brace so that it is in line with the edge of the fender as seen in the Yellow line below. You also need to align the hole that the ball stud will be mounted (red line), about a 1/4 behind that little tab. You can refer to hancockd's photos above also.

OEMFP-8.jpg


3. Now, either use the 1/8" drill bit to tap your holes, or just tap them with the screws.

4. Secure mount with screws.

OEMFP-11.jpg


5. Install the ball stud with a lock washer into the corner brace facing the engine. Use the 12mm to hold the ball stud, and the 13mm to turn the nut. I had to bend the brace up a bit to give the damper enough room to pivot on the ball stud. It's not much, as you can see in the photo below.

OEMFP-12.jpg


Hood Mount

6. You'll need to drill a 5/16" hole in the middle of two mending plates. Screwing the plate into a board makes this easier. I started out with the 1/8" drill bit. This will allow the ball stud to thread through the mending plate.

OEMFP-14.jpg


OEMFP-15.jpg


OEMFP-16.jpg


7. Secure the ball stud with a lock washer and nut. Again, use the 12mm wrench or socket to hold the stud and a 13mm wrench or pliers to hold the nut.

OEMFP-18.jpg


8. The top corners of the mending plate need to be bent outward to allow the plate to sit flat on the surface of the mounting spot. A vise and a hammer come in handy to do this.

OEMFP-19.jpg


9. Now you can mount the ball stud and mending plate onto the hood. (I'll get photos of this tomorrow) Place the nut-side of the stud into the existing hole, then secure the mount with two self-tapping screws. Be careful not to over torque the screws, or else it could strip the hole, and the mount might simply pull out.

At this point, you're ready to install the damper.

10. Twist the damper so that the mounting holes are facing opposite directions.

11. Push the cylinder side of the damper onto the fender mount stud, and the rod side of the damper onto the hood mount stud.

OEMFP-20.jpg


OEMFP-21.jpg




Now you can do the same on the opposite side, and you're done!


OEMFP-24.jpg
 
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Neight

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LOL what the hell...haha. man thanks for doing all this, I've been wanting to do this for quite some time.
 

AFAccord

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OMG! It's not even finished yet and you posted! lol Atleast Matt hasn't posted yet!

IMO, this would really help out those guys with 4cyl Show cars, giving them an alternative to that ugly OE hood prop, or a JDM spring to hold the hood open for shows.
 

Crono139

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clean2draccord had all of the parts handy, but, as far as I know, never got around to doing it.
 
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