Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Screwing into the ash frame.

Dont make the replacing screw to strong. When something go wrong, the original will break, no further damage.when you make it stronger, and something go wrong, the side panel may be damaged and will need paintwork in the body shop.

Sttefan

There is a widely held view in boating these days that silicone should not be allowed anywhere near a boat, and I'd suspect that this holds true for a Morgan too.

The problem is that silicone doesn't really seal well to either wood or Stainless, and then once you've applied it once, nothing will then stick to that surface without heavy sanding.

Either a polyurethane or butyl sealant would be more suitable, or as Jays suggests a dab of grease

But is this really a problem any more? What fixes the stud to the bodywork is the two screws, so no need for an adhesive. And certainly no adhesive to the screws, in case you want to take them out if the stud breaks again. I personally think a rubber gasket between the base plate and bodywork is enough to prevent water ingress. But a little dab of silicone or whatever as an additional seal should be ok. We are not talking about smearing silicone over the bodywork, just a tiny volume applied to the threads of the screws.
True, if you apply excessive force, the weakest part of the chain will break. Before, on my car it was the bodywork itself, that started to be deformed around the stud, that also became bent. With the stud/circular base plate/two screws I put on, the fixture is rock solid with evenly distributed forces, so I am not worried at all. Now, the stud itself might break again, but it will be easy to change. Frankly, I think the hood itself is the weakest part, and might rip if I put it down without loosening the Tenaxes first. So, I loosen the Tenaxes first....