Dude, I would have spent hours playing with the pull down assembly trying to get the hood to latch. You saved me! Never noticed that these adjustment screws existed. Thank you!
There are a few ways that the gas struts "stretch" the rear hatch out of alignment, and the most important thing you can do is figure out what's actually causing that misalignment, and then fix THAT problem. Your solution may have worked, but it's likely NOT what the initial problem was, and frankly still is. (maybe it is, I can't know YOUR car of course). A few people actually suffer from bent/stretched hinges, but by in large the overwhelming majority of these cars suffer from the metal decklid actually sliding back on the glass over years and years. The only way to fix that is to remove the decklid from the glass, clean, and re-install with the proper adhesives. Look up youtube user Bits Of Wisdom. He has an excellent 6 part set of videos on how to do this. This is a known problem acknowledged by GM. This isn't to say that everyone has this, but far and away, this is the most common issue, and unfortunately, it's a time consuming fix.
This is good information, but there is another adjustment that affects the hatch. That's the height adjustment, and side to side alignment of the hatch pull-down motor assembly. I'm pretty sure you already know that. But loosening the three 13mm bolts that hold the assembly in place, let's you adjust the height and alignment quite a bit. Might help to move it down a bit, if your seal is leaking.
Thanks for the video buddy every other video I was trying to find would only explain the rear spoiler alignment and I don't even spoke at the glass cap I had
hey man I love the car thank you for posting stuff about it It helps me work on mine I'm only just now starting to work on cars and you have already helped me so much so again thanks and please keep posting more about this car
The hinges are slightly bent... over time the struts bend the hinges as seen by the slight arc. You will note that they are not the same, but bent slightly different. The long term fix is to get better hinges from one of the after market suppliers. These hinges will continue to bend until you can no longer push it in any more.
Currently working on an 83 firebird and need to remove the glass so would completely removing all 4 bolts and lifting it off work the same as the camaro?
U also mentioned you could do this on a hatch and push it forward...does the account for struts that POP THE HATCH OPEN by themselves bc there so strong???
When you push it forward you are also pushing against the struts, they are strong enough to lift the hatch but you are stronger than they are when you are pushing the hatch back forward. Over time the struts will slowly push the hatch forward
You can also get quite a bit of adjustment by realigning the deck lid that the spoiler sits on but it is a pain in the ass because it is adhered to the glass with glass adhesive, obviously. Not to mention the best way to do this is to actually have two people remove the whole glass lid it requires heating the glass and being extremely careful because if you shatter that glass it's going to cost you close to $1,000 replace it if you can find it. I've got an 89 formula and I've got the same issue it's kicked out about a quarter of an inch on one side and I would rather try this to get some of that back rather than to risk delaminating the glass and removing the deck all together. Let's face it it was the '80s and the engineering was very let's say substandard.
hey man...so I got on third gen.org...and they were saying all kinds of other stuff like o no u need to take of the entire deck lid and reseal everything??? They said there's not enough slop in the 8 bolt u mentioned? My BIG question is how far back was ur spoiler from the frame, half inch or so???
The 4 bolts on top are the only adjustment you can make, if the hatch is pushed all the way forward and it is still jutting out past the lip then your hinges are most likely bent
Your hinges are more than likely not bent. The stuff you read online was most likely the culprit about the deck lid sliding. Its not that big of deal to fix. I will post a video on how to do it in the next day or two. The sealant is the same stuff you can buy at O'Reilly Auto that they use to seal windshields to the vehicle. Very easy fix and well worth it.
@@mmicky07 There is an adjustment on the bottom of the rear deck lid. You need to adjust it there. But you might find that it has urethane under there and might not slide easily. My 85 had horrible adjustment. Center spoiler nowhere near lined up with 2 side spoilers...
I have a 88 GTA I was trying to do this and did what you said and failed I have a good 1/2 " off I can get a pic How hard do I have to cream it in with my arm Is there anyway to use something that had a stronger arm
If you have it loose enough the hydraulic lift should push it way out of alignment even as your pushing it in and let go, this is where you want it. If you are just pushing on it without it moving then it needs to be loosened more. I wouldn't suggest pushing any harder than arm strength since we are dealing with a bolt in glass
You need to adjust the bolts at the deck lid, not yhe top of the glass... Go under your rear deck lid panel and you will find 2 nuts. Loosen them up and you can adjust the overhang of the spoiler/deck lid
I don't have the torque specs, but you are correct, if you tighten them too much the glass might break. I just tightened them to a good snug fit and didn't have a problem with them moving afterward. Just don't torque them down
Hey man...no offense but there does not seem like there is enough space for the adjustment to be made where you said it would be on those 4 holes. Is this covered by the plastic circle pieces. Mines of by a good quarter of an inch....
my hatch was pushed back as far as it could go and was sticking out a good half inch. once you loosen all of the nuts and you push on the hatch like I show you get adjustment of about a half inch back and forth. If its not moving when you do this it could be rusted or the nuts haven't been backed off enough. The plastic pieces on top are part of the top of the bolt that goes all the way through
Okay so I loosened up the bolts but I couldn’t get it to move forward and even when i did get it to move forward i would tight the bolts and id bring it back down to see if it was still way out and it was exactly the same as it was before🤦🏽♂️.... what could i be doing wrong?!!!
If you are pressing the button and you are hearing it but nothing is happening it could either be that the motor is too weak, or the motor needs to be positioned differently because it is clamping it down, if you can open it with your key then the placement is fine. If you press the button and there is no noise you need to check the wiring, if you are getting power or a fuse is blown
I have an 88 camaro iroc z28 and it keeps overheating I drive it for at least a good 5 to 10 minutes and it's in the red was wondering if you knew why?
J Robling I have changed the thermostat and it's fine how do you check if the water pump is running well? I am new to this which is the reason I started to watch your videos.
Does anybody know what the gas strut pressure would be I have bought after market and they are not strong enough to hold up hatch. Don't have easy access to genuine parts down under. Cheers
I bought brand new for front and rear from a dealership. The rears didnt last a year before it started falling again... Such a waste of my money and time.
I don't know how you got it to go all the way but I couldn't kinda made me upset it moved over a bit but still can't get it to go all the way if you have any thing that you could say to help me plz do plz do 💨😤😅🐐
It's not adjusted at the hinges. The decklid over time slides back towards the rear of the car on the glass. A gap opens up on the metal trim that surrounds the rear glass. The rear hatch struts push on the decklid and over time cause the deck lid to slide.
Hinges have nothing to do with the alignment. Remove thr gas shocms first then take the plastic cover off under the deck lid and loosen the nuts under it slightly. Remove the small bolts on the outside of the hinge track on the sides of the deck lid. Push the deck lid forward, drill new holes on the sides when you have it all lined up, and Redhill holes for the small bolts. Takes 5 minutes
Dude, I would have spent hours playing with the pull down assembly trying to get the hood to latch. You saved me! Never noticed that these adjustment screws existed. Thank you!
There are a few ways that the gas struts "stretch" the rear hatch out of alignment, and the most important thing you can do is figure out what's actually causing that misalignment, and then fix THAT problem. Your solution may have worked, but it's likely NOT what the initial problem was, and frankly still is. (maybe it is, I can't know YOUR car of course). A few people actually suffer from bent/stretched hinges, but by in large the overwhelming majority of these cars suffer from the metal decklid actually sliding back on the glass over years and years. The only way to fix that is to remove the decklid from the glass, clean, and re-install with the proper adhesives. Look up youtube user Bits Of Wisdom. He has an excellent 6 part set of videos on how to do this. This is a known problem acknowledged by GM. This isn't to say that everyone has this, but far and away, this is the most common issue, and unfortunately, it's a time consuming fix.
This is good information, but there is another adjustment that affects the hatch. That's the height adjustment, and side to side alignment of the hatch pull-down motor assembly. I'm pretty sure you already know that. But loosening the three 13mm bolts that hold the assembly in place, let's you adjust the height and alignment quite a bit. Might help to move it down a bit, if your seal is leaking.
Not all these cats have the motor for the hatch...
Thanks for the video buddy every other video I was trying to find would only explain the rear spoiler alignment and I don't even spoke at the glass cap I had
Thanks ! I have that same problem I was thinking of hitting the hing . Good thing I ran into this !!!! :D
hey man I love the car thank you for posting stuff about it It helps me work on mine I'm only just now starting to work on cars and you have already helped me so much so again thanks and please keep posting more about this car
Thanks! I just bought a 3rd gen and this is my furst fix.
The hinges are slightly bent... over time the struts bend the hinges as seen by the slight arc. You will note that they are not the same, but bent slightly different. The long term fix is to get better hinges from one of the after market suppliers. These hinges will continue to bend until you can no longer push it in any more.
When you try to make these adjustments, do the struts need to be removed on one or both sides?
Good information but what is the torque specs of the nuts? If you tighten too much the glass will shatter
Currently working on an 83 firebird and need to remove the glass so would completely removing all 4 bolts and lifting it off work the same as the camaro?
Yes
Thank you for this video bro good looking out 🔥
Also what is the torque spec on these nuts to be retightened?
U also mentioned you could do this on a hatch and push it forward...does the account for struts that POP THE HATCH OPEN by themselves bc there so strong???
When you push it forward you are also pushing against the struts, they are strong enough to lift the hatch but you are stronger than they are when you are pushing the hatch back forward. Over time the struts will slowly push the hatch forward
@@JRobling , thanks for the video bro. But won't doing this crack or brake the hatch.
You can also get quite a bit of adjustment by realigning the deck lid that the spoiler sits on but it is a pain in the ass because it is adhered to the glass with glass adhesive, obviously. Not to mention the best way to do this is to actually have two people remove the whole glass lid it requires heating the glass and being extremely careful because if you shatter that glass it's going to cost you close to $1,000 replace it if you can find it. I've got an 89 formula and I've got the same issue it's kicked out about a quarter of an inch on one side and I would rather try this to get some of that back rather than to risk delaminating the glass and removing the deck all together. Let's face it it was the '80s and the engineering was very let's say substandard.
Thanks bud for the tip
hey man...so I got on third gen.org...and they were saying all kinds of other stuff like o no u need to take of the entire deck lid and reseal everything??? They said there's not enough slop in the 8 bolt u mentioned? My BIG question is how far back was ur spoiler from the frame, half inch or so???
The 4 bolts on top are the only adjustment you can make, if the hatch is pushed all the way forward and it is still jutting out past the lip then your hinges are most likely bent
J Robling thanks for that explanation. Both my hinges are bent, regardless, the edges did get better aligned
Your hinges are more than likely not bent. The stuff you read online was most likely the culprit about the deck lid sliding. Its not that big of deal to fix. I will post a video on how to do it in the next day or two. The sealant is the same stuff you can buy at O'Reilly Auto that they use to seal windshields to the vehicle. Very easy fix and well worth it.
@@mmicky07
There is an adjustment on the bottom of the rear deck lid. You need to adjust it there. But you might find that it has urethane under there and might not slide easily. My 85 had horrible adjustment. Center spoiler nowhere near lined up with 2 side spoilers...
Can I adjust both horizontally and vertically? thank you
you can move it closer or further from the body like the video showed, there is a little wiggle room for you to move it side to side but not much
I have a 88 GTA
I was trying to do this and did what you said and failed
I have a good 1/2 " off
I can get a pic
How hard do I have to cream it in with my arm
Is there anyway to use something that had a stronger arm
If you have it loose enough the hydraulic lift should push it way out of alignment even as your pushing it in and let go, this is where you want it. If you are just pushing on it without it moving then it needs to be loosened more. I wouldn't suggest pushing any harder than arm strength since we are dealing with a bolt in glass
You need to adjust the bolts at the deck lid, not yhe top of the glass...
Go under your rear deck lid panel and you will find 2 nuts. Loosen them up and you can adjust the overhang of the spoiler/deck lid
I need help with my trunk motor? Is there a universal one where I can use instead of the factory one.
The only one that I know of is the one you can buy off of amazon or if you get one from the junkyard.
I have a good working one...Pulled it from my 89 GTA a couple yrs back.
how tight do you tighten the nuts or will it break the glass time it too much need to know
I don't have the torque specs, but you are correct, if you tighten them too much the glass might break. I just tightened them to a good snug fit and didn't have a problem with them moving afterward. Just don't torque them down
Hey man...no offense but there does not seem like there is enough space for the adjustment to be made where you said it would be on those 4 holes. Is this covered by the plastic circle pieces. Mines of by a good quarter of an inch....
my hatch was pushed back as far as it could go and was sticking out a good half inch. once you loosen all of the nuts and you push on the hatch like I show you get adjustment of about a half inch back and forth. If its not moving when you do this it could be rusted or the nuts haven't been backed off enough. The plastic pieces on top are part of the top of the bolt that goes all the way through
J Robling gotcha man thanks for the help! I doubt my nuts will be rusted. u just snug it with ur hand...guess it's easy to over tighten it...on glass!
Okay so I loosened up the bolts but I couldn’t get it to move forward and even when i did get it to move forward i would tight the bolts and id bring it back down to see if it was still way out and it was exactly the same as it was before🤦🏽♂️.... what could i be doing wrong?!!!
I'm having thr same problem
When I push on the trunk release it doesn't work. How do I fix this problem?
If you are pressing the button and you are hearing it but nothing is happening it could either be that the motor is too weak, or the motor needs to be positioned differently because it is clamping it down, if you can open it with your key then the placement is fine. If you press the button and there is no noise you need to check the wiring, if you are getting power or a fuse is blown
I have an 88 camaro iroc z28 and it keeps overheating I drive it for at least a good 5 to 10 minutes and it's in the red was wondering if you knew why?
STELO Lok have you checked your thermostat or clogged/dirty radiator or faulty waterpump
STELO Lok that's fast, make sure you have fluid and no clogs or leaks in the radiator. Make sure your fans run at temp
J Robling I have changed the thermostat and it's fine how do you check if the water pump is running well? I am new to this which is the reason I started to watch your videos.
for a water pump check your coolant levels, checks for antifreeze leaks anywhere, and a low grinding can be heard too.
Did you fix it yet...the water pump is in the center basically...look straight down from the air intake and you will see a weep hole...
Does anybody know what the gas strut pressure would be
I have bought after market and they are not strong enough to hold up hatch.
Don't have easy access to genuine parts down under. Cheers
I bought brand new for front and rear from a dealership. The rears didnt last a year before it started falling again... Such a waste of my money and time.
Hey Man, yeah just get on summit racing they will send to Australia.
I don't know how you got it to go all the way but I couldn't kinda made me upset it moved over a bit but still can't get it to go all the way if you have any thing that you could say to help me plz do plz do 💨😤😅🐐
okay thanks I just seen a little scary wish me luck LOL
It's not adjusted at the hinges. The decklid over time slides back towards the rear of the car on the glass. A gap opens up on the metal trim that surrounds the rear glass. The rear hatch struts push on the decklid and over time cause the deck lid to slide.
How do you fix this
I ain't going to lie I like your videos but.......... I wish you had better lighting because some of your videos you can't see that your explaining
Every time I do this as soon as I put my hinges back on the hatch comes back out of alignment lol
you sound like ryan reynolds..
i think its awesome..
its dead pool doing a car video..!
Hinges have nothing to do with the alignment. Remove thr gas shocms first then take the plastic cover off under the deck lid and loosen the nuts under it slightly. Remove the small bolts on the outside of the hinge track on the sides of the deck lid. Push the deck lid forward, drill new holes on the sides when you have it all lined up, and Redhill holes for the small bolts. Takes 5 minutes