Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Adjusting Bonnet Catches

Hi, the right rear bonnet catch is not returning to the top of the slot when the bonnet is closed. How do you adjust the latch? The left side rear catch is fine. The bonnet feels secure but for piece of mind I’d like to see the knob at the top of the slot.

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Bob, You just bend them! best not done on the car though. You can usually see them from the other side of the car, other bonnet open for veiwing! Then assess the bonnet element in relation to the wing catch. You can also see this from underneath the car as well but it will need lifting for good access. Its usually a two bend adjustment. Straightening the mid bend or increasing it lengthens and shortens the height, ie. where the hooked end sits then the top in or out for position. However it has always been my opinion that you want a little spring tension as this stops rattles and makes sure the bonnet is always being held tightly to the fixed catch. so ideally you don't want the moving element to return to the top position fully, rather just short of that and keeping tension on the catch.

As above, if you use two 6" Bahco adjustables you can do it in situ, one holding and tother adjusting.

If you are nervous stick one of those belts on the bonnet, some like them but protect your paintwork first.

Bob, the slot in your photo and the internal sliding parts behind get dust and road crud in them, blast it out with brake cleaning spray and then re-lubricate, this may cure the issue without resorting to 'adjustment'

I recall adjusting the fixed part of front catch by loosening its fixings to inner wheel arch slightly and tapping it down to give snugger fit before re-tightening fully. The mounting holes are either slotted or oversize. If you can feel movement of bonnet at any of the four catches when secured one or other needs adjusting.

As alluded above the sliding bonnet part should be under spring tension and not at the limit of the slide travel when fully secured. Note full movement with bonnet released first to make this check.

Many years ago I bought a set of stainless steel bonnet hooks from John Worrall. They were things of incomparable beauty, but also of incomparable sturdiness, a great deal thicker than the originals and as hard as lawd knows what. This made any adjustment of them a completely futile exercise.

Fortunately the moving hooks are quite amenable to being reshaped as they are only mild steel. I ended up putting a slight double bend in them to ensure they held the fixed catches firmly. Like Richard et al have already pointed out, they need to still be under spring tension when latched, and ideally a reasonable amount of it, to stop the bonnet popping open when going over bumps.

with mine i have to press on the catch then i can here it click into position