Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Broken Tenax fastener

Good morning,
Can anyone give me the benefit of their experience in replacing a Tenax fastener please?
The head of the 'post' end fastener to the rear of the door on the back panel has sheared off. It looks as though the threaded section is still held in the bodywork. It is about 4mm dia.
Can anyone confirm that this is a screw rather than a bolted fixing? I suspect that it is a screw thread fixing into the wooden frame and that I will have to try to drill it and remove it with a screw extractor in order to replace it.
I have heard of a system of boring out the screw and a cylinder of the adjacent wood and filling the hole with a dowel, but I don't know what tool I need and it would have to be very small diameter to go in through the existing hole.
The final (easiest)option seems to be to refix the post using a new two screw surface mounted arrangement I have seen on the Tenax suppliers websites. This might be the best solution, to make a stronger, easier replceable fixing as the other side fixing seems destined to go the way of the first!
Anybody any suggestions/advice? I have no 'trained' woodworking skills but I'm fairly proficient with DIY tools.

Best regards, jrd

I suffered the same problem early on with my Roadster when the post snapped off flush with the panel. It’s a woodscrew fastening. Later cars have a pop fastener there. I have a modellers pin chuck in my toolkit which is a hand held manual drill holder, and I drilled down the centre of the screw – it took ages but I daren’t use an electric drill in case it slipped. Then I tapped in a triangular profile needle file, just far enough to get a grip and it wound out, it’s not tight.
You might be bold enough to attempt a Dremel on slow speed, but if you do that, stick a penny washer over the hole with double sided tape so the drill can’t slip.
Good Luck.

Dave,
Many thanks for your prompt reply. It is good to have confirmation on the screw vs bolt query. I had visions if trying to unscrew and pull out a long, captive bolt! The idea of the washer protection is a good one. I'll certainly use it.

I've really enjoyed your series of projects/mods. The pictures are great. I think I'll have a go at your badge bar soon.
Best regards, Ross

I believe that this is quite a common problem, especially among those who flip the hood down without releasing the fastener. I'm not speaking from experience but it was the first thing I was warned about when picking up my car. Because of this I think most dealers will have encountered this "problem" and will have a solution for you.

Thanks Ross.

It took a couple of evenings work to hand drill it and the drill actually came through the side near the inner end - I knew that when the sawdust appeared on the drill.The metal is not great quality, not quite Mazak, but quite aerated, so it does drill quite easily. I added a small stainless washer under the replacement post, and did the same on the other side. Both mine are angled slightly upwards, and it was in a moment of stupidity (just a couple of taps with the hammer to straighten), that it snapped off. Then I got that pit of the stomach feeling..........

Poor Dave - a victim of your perfectionism? Same with your sidescreens (Miscellany, June): they are hazing over because you have excluded the draught which was built in by the factory

BTW: I polish the side and rear screens with Brasso and they still look good(ish) after 43 years.

Frank

A victim of OCD Frank!!!!

The later sidescreens have a lacquer type finish on the perspex so I'm very wary what I use on them.

Is that some kind of anti-scratch treatment? Easiest way to have them shiny would probably be to cut new ones. Not very difficult, especially not for you, and quicker than polishing - unless they are now glued in.

Frank

At a guess Frank it's anti scratch. I only know that because I have a small mark on mine where a stone has chipped it. The coating is very shiny anyway, but mists over, even on mild mornings. In winter they mist badly on both sides, which is a bit odd.
The fronts look as if they are glued, so for now it's leave well alone. I recently tried Rain-X polished with paper serviettes, and it's OK so far.