Talk Morgan Forums Talk Morgan Members Section Special Information Transmission tunnel grommets!

Hello there,
I have just bought a 1992 4/4 and am quite amazed to find that there are no transmission tunnel grommets fitted to the numerous inspection hole openings. Can anyone shed some light on this please as it appears none have ever been fitted from the factory? Kind regards, Adrian.

I take it you mean the gearbox cover rather than the transmission tunnel? The transmission tunnel doesn't have any inspection holes in it as far as I'm aware, at least mine doesn't.

As for the inspection holes in the gearbox cover, I have only ever seen Gaffa Tape being used to cover them.

There is often a small round metal plate hanging by one selftapper.

There are 4 apertures but no grommets at all! I can't understand why they haven't been fitted at the factory. Very strange!

Thanks Tim, yep gearbox cover. There are 4 apertures that are uncovered. I guess I will get some grommets to fit but there is an oval aperture that the speedo cable comes through. No chance of making a grommet or successfully using 'gaffer' tape in that case. I'll keep trying to figure something out for that one. Thanks again!

For a large irregular hole, first cut a piece of neoprene slightly larger than the hole to provide a flange. Cut a suitable hole in the middle. Cut a slot if it needs to be slotted over an existing cable. Place it under the hole. Retain temporarily with masking tape or similar.

Then do the same again for the outside. Line up the slots. Run a thin bead of superglue on the neoprene just inside the hole in the panel. Place the two together and hold until the superglue sets.

Remove the temporary masking tape and you have a grommet.

I don't know about earlier models but the gearbox cover on the 2012 Plus 4 is an appalling bit of design.

The back of the gearbox cover has the transmission tunnel fitted over it. This means that the leather trim has to be peeled off and the transmission tunnel removed before the gearbox cover can be removed.

The front has a flange folded upwards that makes it impossible to get the cover off (the flange makes it impossible to slide the cover past the heater/radio box). If the flange was folded out from the firewall, in other words part of the firewall not the gearbox cover, the cover could be fitted over it and you could remove the cover without removing the heater/radio box. Apparently in some cars it can only just be forced past bottom of the heater box: not on mine

Given that the tail shaft can be accessed from under the car it is difficult to see any need to remove the transmission tunnel unless it has been damaged. In my opinion it should be possible to remove the gearbox cover without disturbing any other components. It is glued to everything with mastic anyway so water should not be a problem better still would be some good neoprene strips to form gaskets.

Why would water be an issue unless you regularly roll the car or drive through deep water?

My gearbox is bone dry and clean, the heat shielding on the inside of my gearbox cover, it is bone dry. The heat in the area probably rapidly dries out any splashes. As the floor boards are lower and not sealed from water as far as it is attached to the chassis any water would come through there anyway.

I think it's a bit of a none problem in all reality.