Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Small oil leak, 1992 morgan +8

Funnily enough, I've just this minute been doing exactly that (came in for a tea and cake break), removing the N/S rear wing. They were last touched by Kevin Vernon in January 2011, when he used A2 stainless fasteners lubed with Copaslip. They came apart smooth as silk. Maybe it takes longer than 6, nearly 7 years for the effect to occur.

Eddie, I will go out on a limb here and probably incur the criticism of other TM members but here goes.

I first put stainless bolts on my Plus Eight in 1982 following the breakage of the factory fitted 3/8 BSW (yes Whitworth) setscrews. The two most rear exhaust threads on the cylinder heads are the most vulnerable to corrosion presumably caused by local hotspots and age. Since then I have used them on the car for race and road use and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the engine was removed probably half a dozen times. I got the removal down to under two hours. Most recently they were removed when the engine was rebuilt in 2014. The bolts (yes bolts as against setscrews) were removed easily and smoothly.

In order to further provide an answer to your question, I have just been out to the garage and unscrewed all 16 of the things. All undid easily and without binding.

I am not a metallurgist; however what happens in the laboratory does not always translate into the practical world. I have never, ever, suffered from galling or welding in 39 years of Morgan ownership and using stainless fasteners with one exception; this was when I inserted two helicoils into one reclaimed thread in an aluminium cylinder head. They bound and I had to get the seized stud and helicoils removed by spark erosion - lesson learnt the hard way.

A4 stainless is designed for extreme conditions such as use in corrosive, saline and food preparation areas. I am presuming that your Morgan is not used for underwater exploration so A2 spec stainless is fine.

Rules:

1. Never use stainless where fasteners require high torque for tightening or shock is present. I am very careful using them on suspension areas; if the load is taken by a bolt or stud such as shock absorbers, I may use a stainless steel washer and retaining nut; never, ever to hold suspension components together.

2. Never overtighten them; stainless has very little stretch; stretch is what keeps fasteners under tension and stops them loosening. Use a nylock nut if you fear that something may loosen.

3. Always use lubricant such as coppaslip or graphite grease; in hot areas the grease may boil away but the residual copper or graphite will remain acting as a lubricant or barrier.

Use 3/8 UNC stainless fasteners for the Rover V8 exhaust manifold flanges, preferably bolts but once fitted, no one other than you will be able tell whether you've used setscrews or bolts. You will fit and forget happy in the knowledge that should the manifolds need to be removed they will do so without effort.

Finally, Tim's experience is further proof of the validity of using stainless fasteners.

I hope that this helps. Regards, David.

I totally agree with David's experiences. I used stainless allen headed bolts plus Coppaslip to fix my Rover V8 manifolds and they were still OK after 22 years.

I have the same view on using stainless washers and nuts on certain suspension applications, and even exhaust fittings.

It's never been a problem. I may be tempting fate but have never had a stainless fastener shear. I've had plenty of ordinary steel fasteners shear over the years though!

And it's wonderful, isn't it Dave, when that fastener is a stud that has sheared in a casting or inaccessible. Then the joys of dismantling, experimenting with extractors, drilling it out and re-tapping the thread or replacing the casting become one's ever frustrating and expensive entertainment!

I had an exhaust stud shear once, I ended up having to weld a bar onto it so I could slip a length of scaffold pipe over to get enough leverage to get it out. Soaked it in Plus Gas for 3 days after I welded the bar on before I dared try it. Worked ok, though.

I've been using stainless fasteners on cars and motorcycles since the early 1980s, I've never had a problem.

I'd agree with the foregoing. Lubricated stainless steel fasteners (including one off items done on one of my two toolroom lathes) all day long.

Never had a problem with galling either.

Re. Lubrication, we had a Loctite technical rep give a presentation at the motorcycle club a few years back and one of the samples he gave out was a lubricant for stainless fasteners in a Pritt Stick type tube, very handy, just roll the threads on the fasteners in it and away you go.

My favourite tool for removing broken bolts and studs has to be a set of left hand drills. Least favourite has to be Easi-outs! Hate the things. Usually ends up with a trip to a spark eroders unless they are soft enough to be attacked with a carbide slot drill in the vertical mill.

Arwyn

Agree Arwyn, easyouts are anything but. In my experience they are only effective in 5% of instances and that is only after drenching in PlusGas and applying heat.

I tend to replace fasteners with stainless when doing jobs. NOT on stress sensitive applications though. A job looming at some time is the exhaust flanges on either end of the cats. Despite a stainless system these are plain steel! Certainly saved oodles of ££££ when fitting the system. (Sarcasm ).
As for copperslip. I have seen a video where some was on a screwdriver tip and ignited in a blowtorch. It burned but still retained a lubricating texture. So, should be ok for hot areas. I think the video was on “Delboys garage” on youtube. Bike based but some good general stuff too.

Ooops.....re the sump. On my 2002 Plus 8 the sump is unobstructed and will simply drop down. It has a dent from a rock from a couple of months ago. No leaks and oil pick up unaffected. It just missed the drainplug luckily. If it is quiet in winter I may drop it to push it out.

I think the worst was the heater adapter on the back of my V8 inlet manifold. Both studs sheared and they screw into a blind casting.
I handed that job out, but when it came back the studs were just slightly angled, fortunately both the same way. It was just good enough to use, and thankfully buried under the carbs.
I've also had lots of manifold flange studs shear, and on the Rover V8 cast manifolds that was usually bad news.
JB Weld often got me out of a hole.