Bonnet Stay Pic Required
Discussion
Right I need a pic to show the original bonnet stay orientation/fiiting into the hole into the bracket on the metal crossmemeber on the bonnet..... mins of the car at the moment, and I can't work this metal puzzel out without a pic
Was a Chatsworth yesterday, ment to have a look but totally slipped my mind whilst caught up chatting with shed loads of people who knew me, yet I didn't them.
Cheers for the help.
Hoover
Was a Chatsworth yesterday, ment to have a look but totally slipped my mind whilst caught up chatting with shed loads of people who knew me, yet I didn't them.
Cheers for the help.
Hoover
Do yourself a favour Hoover, don't bother trying to figure out how this stupid thing used to work, modify it.
I've made a couple of very simple alterations and have a bonnet stay which a) works better b) is out of the way when I'm working on either side of the car c) is far more supporting d) costs next to nothing to do.
Here's what I did
Take the upright. One end has just a 90deg bend in it, the other end looks like spaghetti.
Work on the end with the 90deg bend in it because it will be less squashed.
Tap this out to fit a small bolt (for the purpose of this experiment - but an Allen/Socket Cap bolt is better for the finish). The bolt will need a shaft of about 10mm length and something like 3 or 4mm dia if memory serves me right.
Get a piece of flat ali bar, this is going to fit over the back of the hole in the bar which bolts across the end of the bonnet.
Bend the flat bar it so it acts as a support between the cross bar and the underside of the bonnet.
You'll need to bend a bit of a kink at the end going over the hole to get it flat to the hole and over the welding, but its easy in the vice.
Holding the bar over the hole, mark the centre point of the hole.
Now drill - on the bench obviously! - a hole which is JUST the same size as the bolt thread you used earlier.
Nearly there mate, bear with me...
You will now need to create a washer (or find one if you're lucky) for the front of the hole in the cross bar - just the same as the end of the flat bar you just made into a bonnet support for the back.
So you will then have a sandwich
Bolt / your new washer / flat plate with a big hole in it on the cross bar / your new bonnet support flat bar / the old bonnet stay upright which is now upside down.
If you are happy this all clamps together nice and tight you'll now have to make the decision to make some cuts, so there's no going back from here without making a new upright.
The last bit is create a Universal Joint in the old stay upright.
There are a couple of ways to do this.
I've used little UJ's from a model shop. They were from a boat propshaft and a perfect interference fit. Made of nylon and about 60p
But my daft mate has managed to headbut the bonnet stay somehow and broken two of these!
I wish I could find a little metal version but I haven't been able to.
So I now have a piece of fuel pipe slid over both bits of stay, effectively acting as a UJ and it works perfectly.
You could get a bit of coloured silicone tube to do this.
Cut the upright about 30mm from the top and fit your chosen UJ
Lastly, you can tidy up the other end of the upright bit.
Leave the 90deg bend on it and cut off the rest.
The reason for leaving the 90deg bend at the end is you can then put a small fuel line P clip on the top bolt of your water pump for the upright to push into. This stops the bonnet lifting in the wind.
When in the garage though I just rest it on the flat area at the front of the water pump.
Here is a photo of the upper join.
And with the UJ
This was before I released the Bonnet Edge Support upgrade!
And how it all works
If anyone wants to make this mod and either needs more pictures or help/advice please feel free to contact me and I'll help in any way I can.
I've made a couple of very simple alterations and have a bonnet stay which a) works better b) is out of the way when I'm working on either side of the car c) is far more supporting d) costs next to nothing to do.
Here's what I did
Take the upright. One end has just a 90deg bend in it, the other end looks like spaghetti.
Work on the end with the 90deg bend in it because it will be less squashed.
Tap this out to fit a small bolt (for the purpose of this experiment - but an Allen/Socket Cap bolt is better for the finish). The bolt will need a shaft of about 10mm length and something like 3 or 4mm dia if memory serves me right.
Get a piece of flat ali bar, this is going to fit over the back of the hole in the bar which bolts across the end of the bonnet.
Bend the flat bar it so it acts as a support between the cross bar and the underside of the bonnet.
You'll need to bend a bit of a kink at the end going over the hole to get it flat to the hole and over the welding, but its easy in the vice.
Holding the bar over the hole, mark the centre point of the hole.
Now drill - on the bench obviously! - a hole which is JUST the same size as the bolt thread you used earlier.
Nearly there mate, bear with me...
You will now need to create a washer (or find one if you're lucky) for the front of the hole in the cross bar - just the same as the end of the flat bar you just made into a bonnet support for the back.
So you will then have a sandwich
Bolt / your new washer / flat plate with a big hole in it on the cross bar / your new bonnet support flat bar / the old bonnet stay upright which is now upside down.
If you are happy this all clamps together nice and tight you'll now have to make the decision to make some cuts, so there's no going back from here without making a new upright.
The last bit is create a Universal Joint in the old stay upright.
There are a couple of ways to do this.
I've used little UJ's from a model shop. They were from a boat propshaft and a perfect interference fit. Made of nylon and about 60p
But my daft mate has managed to headbut the bonnet stay somehow and broken two of these!
I wish I could find a little metal version but I haven't been able to.
So I now have a piece of fuel pipe slid over both bits of stay, effectively acting as a UJ and it works perfectly.
You could get a bit of coloured silicone tube to do this.
Cut the upright about 30mm from the top and fit your chosen UJ
Lastly, you can tidy up the other end of the upright bit.
Leave the 90deg bend on it and cut off the rest.
The reason for leaving the 90deg bend at the end is you can then put a small fuel line P clip on the top bolt of your water pump for the upright to push into. This stops the bonnet lifting in the wind.
When in the garage though I just rest it on the flat area at the front of the water pump.
Here is a photo of the upper join.
And with the UJ
This was before I released the Bonnet Edge Support upgrade!
And how it all works
If anyone wants to make this mod and either needs more pictures or help/advice please feel free to contact me and I'll help in any way I can.
Edited by Barreti on Monday 9th May 11:23
D DUBS said:
Hi why not save the suss and fit the stay from Steve Heath. No messing and works a treat
+1 for the Steve Heath Bonnet stay. I am pleased with mine.https://delta.securesslhost.net/~shenglt/catalog/p...
MPoxon said:
D DUBS said:
Hi why not save the suss and fit the stay from Steve Heath. No messing and works a treat
+1 for the Steve Heath Bonnet stay. I am pleased with mine.https://delta.securesslhost.net/~shenglt/catalog/p...
Bin e original.
5.0ltr said:
RichB said:
It's good but I find the prop drops out of the little spring clip when in the shut position, falling onto the rad fans. Currently got a big bulldog clip holding it up!
My SH did this, took off the little clip and pinched it up, no probs since.
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