Is there a proper way to do this, i.e. an EASY way? Is there a special tool?

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

LOL,
I do not know if this will work for your machine..
but I remember someone stretching their springs to the proper length...
putting them into water in the refrigerator...
and taking then out frozen...and held in place with tape until the thawed in place..

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/10414-help-i-need-check-stretch.html

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Well since I got them out using quarters! Freezing them sounds like a plan. I almost closed the hood, then reached inside and stuck a pair of quarters between the coils. Maybe a roll worth. Then lifted up the hood
and popped the spring off. Then since the quarters bent the spring downward a bit, I had to pull out all the quarters in order to get it out of
the rear mount hole. Those suckers are hard to stretch in place, but not so hard with a threaded rod spreader and frozen water. I'll try it.

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

If you are referring to the large coil springs at the hinges all you need to do is lift the hood to a fully opened position by releasing the little latches on the hinge.
The springs will then be loose enough to remove and reinstall

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1981 240D 143k 4 spd manual -SOLD

2004 VW Jetta TDI 5 speed 300k -still driven daily

Man, I just don't see that great anymore. Likely time for bi-focals. I've been putting it off for a while. First I miss the rust in the pocket, now
latches. I thought I checked out those pivot arms well, looking for something like that. As soon as it stops pouring outside I'll take another look.

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

It's just as fruitcakesa says:

The hood opens to 90 degrees, straight up when fully open. The latches that slide into slots to hold the hinges at certain positions may have broken off, which is very common. You may also have just part of the latches stuck in the hinge slots. Remove these and lift the hood to 90 degrees. After that, installing the springs is a walk in the park.

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

Look under the "hood pad replacement" threads. I didn't even know the hood could open that wide. It makes working on the car a lot easier on the scalp. The grill is almost out of the way.

You have to pull the hood down a bit from the intermediate position, do one hinge, go to the other side and do the other hinge.

IIRC, the springs do get a lot of slack when the hood's fully up.

Yall just took all the ' spirit of adventure' out of this fix....

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/156207-photo-step-step-post-showing-w123-evaporator-removal-1983-240d-1982-300td.html?highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

Just trying to stop the question "what kind of tape sticks to ice?"

Freezer tape

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"