MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MG Y Type - Running board attachment bolts

On our YT, I removed the three bolts and the one bolt each side holding the running boards to the front and rear mudguards (wings, fenders etc etc!)and then a series of self tapping bolts (screws with hex heads and built in washer)that held the boards to the side rail. I now know that these should have been bolts using captive nuts in the side rail.

All the bolts with the mudguards went back successfully but the self tappers are not holding well in their old holes and where the captive nuts are now is anyone's guess. Even those around the rear wheel arches had been removed so I had to take out the seats and trim at the rear to get to the non-captive nuts!!

I think the best solution is to drill through the side rail and use long bolts and nuts, but before I do this I wondered if anyone else has any suggestions.

The good news is that the car passed the stringent Aussie re-registration checks on 1 March and is now on the road registered as YT 2005 representing the year "YeTie" emerged after about 25 years of hibernation and slow deterioration.

Thanks guys for some advice.

Rob
Rob Dunsterville

It's certainly a solution but I would strongly suggest that you seal the holes with a good waterproof seal both sides - you dont want water getting in there and rotting the section out.
Paul Barrow

My guess is that the captive nuts are rattling around in the side rails! Pest! I can't think of a better solution than your drilling idea.
Sometimes a pair of vice grips are very useful in getting the captive nuts from not turning around in the cage, but of course you have to get to the cage first!
Steve Brompton
Steve Brompton

Rob

Do a Google search on "captive nuts" and you will find a number of options that you can use. A couple are:

http://shop.comdir.co.uk/Products.aspx?intGroupID=964

and

http://www.autospeed.com/shop/category_2008/browse.html

There should be some mechanical parts suppliers "down under" that would have something like these in stock.

HTH

Larry
49 YT
Larry Hallanger

Hi Rob,
I had a similar problem with my YT which I purchased fully dismantled . The previous owner had commenced the restoration and had replaced the sills with no provision being made for the captive nuts which attached the running boards to the sills.
I solved the problem by slightly modifying captive nuts , drilling the sills and then welding the captive nuts so that they ended up almost flush with the outside of the sills .
I was able to obtain some second hand captive nuts to take 3/8" and 1/4" whitworth bolts from an old panel beater friend who has since passed away . I imagine that similar articles should still be available new .
The result on the sills admitably did not look very prety but can not be seen when the sills are attached .
Regards, David
David Ardill

Thanks Steve, Larry and David for adding to this thread. I had put off the job until I had more encourgaement and advice from around the world. In the meantime the running boards have held on well by just the bolts front and back with the added precaution that no one was to stand on the boards - not that one stands on them anyway as they seem to be just filling the gap between the front and rear mudguards/wings/fenders! Their only real value appears to be for supporting gangsters hanging one with hand and operating a machine gun erratically with the other while on a mission to kill some other gang leader.

Inserting new captive nuts was obviously good for David with a ground up restoration from a bare chassis but I still favour the long bots with Paul and Steve's precautions.

Watch this space for progress!
Rob Dunsterville

Both of the offerings from Larry look like very viable options to the whole solution of failed captive nuts. They would require good, solid metal mounts (to prevent torque turning and ripping the piece on which they are mounted) and I would also guess you would want to mastic them around the edge so that they are sealed in place and set before attempting to mount any other piece to them, but otherwise they look pretty admirable. I will add both suggestions to the Links page in the next day or so - thank you Larry.

Paul
Paul Barrow

I too had this problem but luckily there were still somr captive nuts remaining,the drivers side the worst effected,obviosly the oil from the jackall that leaked blew back on the sill protecting it.
I bolted the guard on then marked with crayon in new location[new holes drilled in running board first]then drilled and used large self tappers with hex head,big ones vabout twice as thick as roofing ones.all lined up bar one .I had thought about buying a right angle drill attachement but running boards are on tight so I dont want to no about it,if it aint broke dont fix it
of course the captive nut was ok until after it came out of the spray booth.regards Ian Theobald
ian theobald

This thread was discussed between 19/03/2005 and 14/04/2005

MG MG Y Type index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MG Y Type BBS now