Midas Cars Forum - www.midascarsforum.com

Hi All,

In the long process of checking what I need to do......

I've discovered another issue.......... Where the top engine steady bar bolts to the scuttle the fibreglass appears to be quite badly cracked

Has anybody else found this and more importantly........what did you do to fix it????

I'm thinking of trying to repair the fibreglass, and making a larger metal bracket to try and spread the load a bit better.....

What does everybody think????

MY Mk1 has a rubber bushed steady bar fitted from the base of the g/box to the subframe to a position below the engine mounting point onthe subframe. I think it came from an A seriescar, poss 1100/1300GT Sorry, can't be more specific and can't get to the car, it's buried behind other toys!. MY 1071 mini had 2. one on either side of the g/box. I'm sure it must have helped. No doubt other members will put you/me right on this!

My Mk 2 had two upper engine steadies, one attached to the engine just above the clutch bellhousing on the right, and one to the left side of the cylinder head on the left. I think the latter must have been one whose bulkhead bracket I made myself, secured to two nuts inside the crossmember that the big bolts for the subframe went through. I used the hole for the big bolt to get access to the back of the bolts - I think I must have welded or brazed the nuts to a plate of some sort, to spread the load and give me a chance of tightening the bolts for the steady bracket.

That's great info guy's....

I think I'll have to try and repair the fibreglass somehow, and look at making another bar to try and spread the forces a bit better........

Kevlar may be your friend!

Alan

Another thought, was that one of the Mk2's I have, had an engine steady fitted from the gearbox to the subframe. Just to expand on the Kevlar post. When we were on the fiberglass course John Dickens explained that when you have bolts going through fiberglass, then you bond in a layer of Kevlar, then the bolts will never pull through!

Alan

Uuummm, now that's a thought......Kevlar.........or Carbon fibre even...........mind you I get in a state using just fibreglass......

tankosl wrote:Uuummm, now that's a thought......Kevlar.........or Carbon fibre even...........mind you I get in a state using just fibreglass......

Kevlar is where it's at, you can get smallish sheets on Ebay, but budget on a new pair of strong shears for cutting it.

I once put a bit in the floor of my Ginetta G4. It took me about 20 minutes to cut through a 2' width with a big pair of scissors and got a mild case of tendonitis. Not surprised they use it for body armour!

Geoff Butcher wrote: Not surprised they use it for body armour!

In multiple sheets up to a thickness of about 1", I wouldn't fancy cutting that lot out!

I have some glass fibre material that is reinforced with a network of kevlar threads and that was hard enough to deal with using decent Facom shears. Made a decent tank guard for my little Subaru though..