After the last time i went to sears (i only go there for tires, and they've bought me several new hubcaps after they've used a hammer to put them back on) i noticed that the hood wasn't closing flush with the car. after some inspection, i found that the problem was a link in the hinge is severely bent. i found a local junkyard that has the part, and my question is, how difficult will it be to replace? i plan on replacing the whole mess including the spring, simply removing it from the hood and the car. is this something i can tackle at home, or would i be better off buying the used parts and taking it to my local volvo dealer?

I think the easiest way to change out that hinge is to recruit a couple of friends to help. The hood will be very unstable with one hinge removed. Having friends hold the hood while you change out the hinge would be a good idea. I would put one person on the front corner and the other at the back on the side you are removing the hinge from. Help them find their final holding points before totally removing the last fastner and then work quickly to get the new hinge in place and bolted on. Close carefully to check alignment and adjust if necessary.

High fives all around and then break out that 6 pack of better beer you bought for this special occasion.

Randy

As long as the used parts are good, buy them. Make sure you lube those hinges every time you change the oil. This is a common problem regardless of make, lack of lubrication and subsequant bending.

does $35 sound like a good price for this part (the whole linkage including spring and brackets that attach to the car and the hood)