Holy loosening bonnet bolts Batman!!!

[JMF894]

Well well as above whilst washing the 450 after it's fest treck i noticed the bonnet bolts seemed to be sticking out rather a lot. Sure enough the nearside tightened up by at least 2/3 inch and the offside wasn't much better!!

Is this a common occurrence chaps? I really hate to think of the consequences if the bonnet had flown off as I made my way home on the A14 last Saturday.

Is there a fix to stop the bolts working their way out? Wire/ metal tabs etc?

Jimbo

[ROOODBOY]

I had this happen a couple of months ago, but a bolt did come out, and it was a bit interesting!

Here is what I did;

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Jonny weggie]

In some cases there is a wire on to body work and onto the bolt to save it moving. Or a drop of thread lock just for a piece of mind.

jonny.

[JMF894]

Thanks for that. Out of interest what size/thread are the bolts as I need to get some stainless or at least clean ones anyway?

Jimbo

[ROOODBOY]

Mine are M8 metric, but it seems a lot of cars are imperial size, probably 5/16" u.n.f.

If you intend to drill the bolt head for lock wiring be careful which grade of steel you get, or you'll struggle to put a whole in them with most drill bits!

[adam quantrill]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&a...

[JMF894]

Thanks Adam

[wooly350i]

When berks tvr club was doing stuff(not much these days) we were in convoy to Waterlooville bombing down outside lane of motorway when new boy behind us had his wedge bonnet lift off in a spectacular way narrowly missing the swerving cerbera behind and then skating across the opposite carriageway,we lost the lad for a while but he eventually showed up with his scratched bonnet back in place and a story to tell!!
I suppose i should put tabs on mine.

[Wedg1e]

ROOODBOY said:

Mine are M8 metric, but it seems a lot of cars are imperial size, probably 5/16" u.n.f.

Early cars certainly; design and early production was in the 70's when Metric was still a novelty!

[The Hatter]

My SEAC's M8 but a new M8 won't go in more than a couple of turns, I guess the insert moulded into the body has corroded or distorted in some way. I'm not brave enough (yet) to put some serious torque on it to wind it in and lock it, but it is worrying me for when I have to! I guess if you lockwire it then it can't come out anyway so that's a good solution.

[Top Gear TVR]

I may only be 42 but good old whitworth is hard to beat.

My experience....Give me a whitworth anyday.

I was once told that metric threads were basically 'rounded off' nearest metric dimensions of whitworth dimensions, except for 12mm & half inch where they added an extra thread per inch???? just to be different.

Maybe I am just a bit of a brit at heart.

[heightswitch]

Top Gear TVR said:

I may only be 42 but good old whitworth is hard to beat.

My experience....Give me a whitworth anyday.

I was once told that metric threads were basically 'rounded off' nearest metric dimensions of whitworth dimensions, except for 12mm & half inch where they added an extra thread per inch???? just to be different.

Maybe I am just a bit of a brit at heart.

Their is a very interesting Story which was told by a certain Mr Keith Duckworth regarding the whitworth Thread. Apparrently he hed the American's and the adoption of AF as responsible for one of the best thread types ever becoming obsolete!!

N.

[wooly350i]

The Hatter said:

My SEAC's M8 but a new M8 won't go in more than a couple of turns, I guess the insert moulded into the body has corroded or distorted in some way. I'm not brave enough (yet) to put some serious torque on it to wind it in and lock it, but it is worrying me for when I have to! I guess if you lockwire it then it can't come out anyway so that's a good solution.

Be Carefull then cos its probably not m8,don't want to mess the female bit in the body or you will have some work,john.

[wooly350i]

The Hatter said:

My SEAC's M8 but a new M8 won't go in more than a couple of turns, I guess the insert moulded into the body has corroded or distorted in some way. I'm not brave enough (yet) to put some serious torque on it to wind it in and lock it, but it is worrying me for when I have to! I guess if you lockwire it then it can't come out anyway so that's a good solution.

Be Carefull then cos its probably not m8,don't want to mess the female bit in the body or you will have some work,john.