Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Asbestos

Yep .... mine is vegetable fibre (I assumed coconut) .... kapok was used in wartime pilot's lifejackets as well

K

Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better about things, especially having my kids help out on the car. After my father-in-laws inquisitive tugging (this Morgan is a real family affair) I would like to try and replace it with something less destroyed so if there are any recommendations I'd appreciate it , otherwise I may just try putting duct tape over it to keep it in place.

I'm sure that e.g. upholsterers or carpet fitters will know what to suggest. It would help though for whatever you use to be resistant to oil, mud etc. The stuff in the picture was used in my office in Switzerland in the 1980's, to provide a sound-deadening layer for old manual style typewriters to sit on (not the typists, I would hasten to add). It is also some kind of compressed fibre, but not too dense. I have used it for all manner of related purposes, usually to provide a fairly gentle under-layer when resting something like a heavy clock, or when adjusting some small component with a large hammer. It's held-up pretty well for the past 40-odd years, but at 3/4" (say 20mm) it is probably way too thick for your purposes. Judging from your photo, you need something about 3/8" thick (less than 10mm). You could ask at your local gym or hiking shop in the Los Altos Hills area if they have any old sound-absorbing / camping mats that you could cut to shape.

Hi all

I've made a living for almost 40 years working with asbestos and this isn't asbestos. DaiBach if you were in the UK and still concerned I get you to send me a sample so we could test it in our lab, but as I said I do not believe this is asbestos.

Although I've not encountered much asbestos in Morgans beyond the brakes and clutch assembleys of older cars you will find it lot of classic car as heat shileding such as asbestos rope and blankets in engine bays, asbestos boards used under floors where exhausts run and most problematic of all in the sound insulation used by one or two of the more up market classic cars.

Love the delicate hammer used in watch repairs

My thoughts also.

Woolies might help

Woolies

As always, incredibly helpful feedback and suggestions.

I went with this stuff uxcell car noise sounded deadener insulation mat "- looks about the right thickness and it's water proof and heat resistant and looks like it's easy to cut to shape. I'll let you know how it works out.

I'll also try to set fire to the existing material, once I've removed it from the car, to prove, without doubt, that it's not asbestos

....'twas in jest.....other hammers are available for precision work...

As a little aside.. That "stuff" smoulders wonderfully well... A garage business owning friend had been welding a section of flooring in an old rot box, finished for the day and locked up. On returning opening up the next morning, the windows of the rot box were clouded over, he made the mistake of opening a door, causing the interior to burst into flame... Fortunately he managed to suppress the blaze.