engine cover

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:00 pm

does anyone know if it's possible to replace one fo the engine cover hinge bolts without removing thr rear clam?
My driver's side one seems to have come loose.

S

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:56 pm

The pivot bolt? Should be ok with a willing helper to hold the boot for 10 mins...

If it's anything like the bonnet hinge it might spit out washers though.

Good luck!

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 3:58 pm

Rich,
It's the one under the clam parallel to the rear window, not the securing bolts into the lid.
Have you done this one?

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:04 pm

nope not yet. It's pretty well hidden by the firewall sound proofing. If you can I would get the whole lot out. Take the boot lid off then take out the hinge. If it's anything like my bonnet hinge it's a complex mess of plastic bushes, washers, rust and grime.

Cleaned it up with a wire brush, a lick o'hammerite, new stainless bolts and a blob of loctite and the hinge works perfectly. Doesn't hold itself open anymore though (which I thought was intentional!)

If you get it out might be worth a piccy for the next victim.

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:58 pm

Or you could beg Rich for some super dooper RAF Tornado titanium bolts as fitted to my front bonnet cover

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:49 pm

Only got a couple left now, they are holding my heat shield in around the back box!

woody · Post by **woody** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:22 pm

Rich, do the military use metric or unf bolts?

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:24 pm

Expect he cannot tell you, its a secret.

woody · Post by **woody** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:48 pm

expect they're unf having thought about it....

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:18 pm

Nope metric. Tonkas were 100% metric.

All our stuff was metric except for on the Jags. They were metric for the airframes and then imperial for most of the engines bits. Not confusing or anything...

offshorematt · Post by **offshorematt** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:24 am

Yeah, you can screw up the hinge bolt without removing the clam. I did it last year when my engine cover came adrift at one side of the hinge.

If you remove the rear window, and loosen the top clam bolts along the back edge, you can gently pry up the middle of the clam where it runs along the window. You'll get a small socket on to the hinge bolt and nip it up fine. As long as you don't try to force it up more than necessary, it works a treat.

Otherwise the longer you leave it, the more damage you'll do to the paint as the boot lid will rub on the clam each time you open it...

HPH

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:16 pm

Thanks mat