Mk. 4 Volkswagen Jetta Hood Swap

Hey guys, the next phase of the Jetta project involves swapping out the very rusty hood on the car with a better one that came with the car.

The video explains the process and all the details pretty well, but just a few things to recap and note. Before removal don’t forget to disconnect the windshield washer fluid lines and the washer jet preheater wires. This takes some patience to get the wires and hoses out without stretching or cutting them on the hood metal, but it is possible with the right technique. If your hood has the plastic access covers you wil need to remove those to disconnect the washer hoses, again gently as the plastic is probably almost 20 years old. If you are planning to remove the washer jets as we did, remember that they are just plastic and if they are original it will not take much to break them up. Recall you have to gently push the whole jet body towards the front of the hood enough that the rear tab clears the hood and then the jet will come out freely.

Once you have the wiring and hoses clear of the hood, the last thing before removing the mount bolts and the hood itself is to release the gas shock from the hood. As we mention in the video there is a metal spring clip that holds the gas shock socket to the steel ball on the hood. You can remove this spring clip altogether, but there is a high probability that it will pop off and zip off to infinity so it is safer to just slide the clip out just enough to remove the socket from the hood. It is best to have a second person to help hold the hood as you remove the mounting bolts to prevent damage to the car and also the new hood when installing.

When installing the “new” hood, if it has been installed on a previous car, use the marks where the paint stops as reference for where to position the mount brackets to best align the hood with the fenders and grill. If the hood is brand new or has been painted you may have to just pick a spot and guess and check the alignment until you get it in the right spot. Research the bolt torque specification if you do not have a service manual. Reinstall the gas shock and pop the spring clip back into place. Then install the washer jets, feed the wires and hoses back through the new hood, reconnect the washer hoses and place the plastic access covers back in the hood.

Voila. Hood swap complete.

Thanks for checking out our article, and enjoy the video!