Moss
Motors Hood Lift Strut Kit
Part
#900-238
Installation
Instructions
- Open hood of
the Miata and support the hood with the factory prop rod. The Hood Lift Strut
will install on the RIGHT side of the engine compartment as seen from IN FRONT
of the car. Assemble toggle bolt assemblies by firmly screwing the two 10mm
headed bolts into the toggle plate provided, as shown in figure A. Install
one of the ball-studs with it's lock nut on the hood bracket with a 13mm wrench,
as shown in figure A.

- Install one
of the toggle bolts into lower hole of the hood bracket with the nut and lock
washer loosely on the threads. Now install the hood bracket on the hood (note
that the tab pointing down is to the center of the hood). Turn the toggle
bolt length wise and insert it in the third hole (counting from the bottom)
on the inner hood support. Once inserted, turn the threaded shaft of the toggle
bolt so that the toggle plate turns 90 degrees sideways in the slotted hole.
Allow the toggle to slide up and down the slotted hole and tighten the nut
with your fingers only, you will retighten it later in the installation.
- Before you install
the top toggle bolt, insert a rag or a few paper towels into the slotted hole
just below the one the lower Toggle is in. This way should you drop the top
toggle bolt it will land on your rag rather than fall to the bottom of the
inner hood support!
- Install the
upper toggle bolt into the slotted hole above the hood bracket by turning
it lengthwise. Then turn the shaft of the bolt so that the toggle plate turns
90 degrees sideways. Pull the toggle bolt to the bottom of the slotted hole
and hold it there with either your finger or a screwdriver blade. While holding
the toggle bolt in place, slide the hood bracket up and pass the threaded
shaft of the toggle through the upper hole in the hood bracket and install
the lock washer and nut. Tighten this nut and the lower one with 10mm wrench.
- Assemble the
firewall bracket by installing the ball-stud and lock nut with a 13mm wrench
in the smaller hole on the bracket. See figure B. On all Miata’s except early
1989/90 1.6 liter cars, there is a hole on the upper right corner of the firewall
as seen from the FRONT of the car. On early cars without this hole, it will
be necessary to drill a 7/16’ hole located 1/2’down and 3-7/8"from the
side on the inside of the firewall. This hole appears just above the master
cylinder, and below the rubber seal on left hand drive cars. Install the firewall
bracket using the short 17mm headed bolt through the bracket and into the
firewall hole. Lift the bracket so that its top edge is hard against the upper
edge of the firewall. On the back side install the large diameter support
washer and lock nut using 17mm wrenches.

- 6. Finally
snap the lower socket of the strut on to the firewall bracket ball-stud. Using
two hands slightly compress the length of the strut and quickly snap the upper
socket on to the hood bracket ball-stud. (This will take some effort, as the
strut will want to extend to its maximum length)

- With
the Hood lift Strut installed, you will find that when you first open the
hood, there will be some slight resistance as you raise it the first few inches
and then it will gently rise open on it’s own.
NOTE: Kit
uses Stabilus SG214008 Lift-O-Mat OEM Gas Charged Lift Support.