Original Hood Hold Down Bolts

I have a TO-35. Is there a secret to the hood hold down-bolts? I have one from Tisco, and one from A&I, and neither seems to fit into the hood; they are too long. Do I cut them, or just get some j-bolts from my local parts store? May 10, 2015.

Sadly, the after-market hood hold-down bolts are junk. Tisco used to sell a hood hold-down bolt that was an exact duplicate of the MF bolt, It was less expensive, and came with a washer and wing nut. The bolts currently being sold by after-market suppliers have the wrong bends. They will not fit in the holes properly, or swivel as they should. The bend is not sharp enough to fit like they should. Original style hood hold-down bolts are still available, from AGCO/Massey Ferguson, part # 180654M1. They are more expensive, but fit properly like the original parts You will also need two 5/16″ NF wing nuts, MF part # 355583X1, and two 5/16″ flat washers. You can purchase the bolts from any MF dealer or from Jack’s Small Engines, an MF dealer with an online store. Jack’s sells the bolts for $7.52 each, and the wing nuts for $2.08 each. The 5/16″ flat washers should be available in hardware stores. The MF bolts are the correct length. I believe the after-market bolts are a bit longer than the originals. Remember to keep the bolts tight. They have a tendency to loosen and once they do they can fall out.