Trunk pull down device

[J I Garner]

I am reassembling a 62 Eldorado which was disassembled when I got it. The body is complete now, but I have some mysteries remaining to sort out. I have a vacuum trunk release and do not know where to run the hose and what kind of switch is used to activate it. I also have a pull down device which I do not know how to hook up. The service manual gives a brief description of the system and mentions a hydraulic cylinder which I do not have. I have the part which fits on the trunk hinge and another part with a couple of rollers on it and a roughly six foot cable which goes to the trunk lower latch.
Can someone tell me how this device works and if it is worth the trouble to hook it up.
Jim

[Glen]

The trunk release is as you say a vacuum device.  The hose IIRC runs through the trunk lid to the right hinge then into the interior and under the carpet, under the sill plate for the passenger door up into the glove compartment.  The button is mounted in the top of the glove compartment near the left side.  The vacuum source is somewhere under the hood.   At least that was the way I remember my ’61 Coupe DeVille. 

The pull down is spring powered.  The “hydraulic device” is a spring.  The roller rides on a plate on the hinge and cocks the spring.  There is a Bowden cable that runs under the floor mat to the lower latch.  When the upper latch connects to the lower latch the spring is released and pulls the trunk lid down. 

There is more information in the Fisher Body manual. 

Glen

[J I Garner]

Thanks Glen. I learned that the rear latch area has to modified to accomodate the installation. Since my car is painted and trimmed out I am not going to install the pull down. I have no problem manually closing the trunk.
Jim

[Glen]

Yes that is correct.  I don’t know why Cadillac did it that way but all the pull down units I’ve seen have a different mounting bracket than the non-pull down latch.  The bracket is spot welded to the body so the old one has to be cut off then the new one welded on.  Not something you want to do at the end of a restoration. 

Glen