Morris Minor Owners Club

I have just noticed that one of the bolts holding the gearbox cross member in place appears loose - on closer inspection it looks as though one bolt has come adrift from its captive nut in the cross member. Any suggestions as to how I can sort this out - preferably without major dismantling.... to give me peace of mind would be much appreciated !

Thanks

Steve

If the thread in the captive nut or the bolt is not damaged I would be tempted to fit a standard and spring washer on the bolt heads to help combat vibration that may shake them loose over time.
Better than loctite as you may want to remove it easily one day.
But I would check for thread damage first.

Not quite sure what your problem is, but by the reference to major dismantling, I am guessing you mean the captive nut has broken loose in the chassis rail?
If so, then attacking the floor area from inside the car, to open up enough to fish the non-captive nut from it, is the simplest option. It is easy to locate the area by studying spot-weld marks on the floorpan. Even easier if the bolt has fallen out, as you can drill a hole up through the centre from below to find the position. A "flap" of floorpan can then be cut with a jigsaw, bent up, remedial action taken, and welded back down again.

I would like to see how this 'spring and standard washer ' are going to help when the captive nut has broken loose ??

bmcecosse wrote:I would like to see how this 'spring and standard washer ' are going to help when the captive nut has broken loose ??

He said the bolt is loose, not the nut.

Yes, as far as I can see it is the captive bolt that has come loose - I say that because you can't screw it back in - it just wiggles about.

Steve

It's the nut that's captive.........or not, in this case! To get at it you need to lift the gearbox cover/floor panel off. If the crossmember seems solid enough - leave well alone......

Thanks for reply - yes, I meant NUT of course! Think I'll check other 3 are ok and if so hold back for the time being on the floor panel removal!! fingers crossed!

Steve

Easy enough with the floor panel out unless it on the drivers side and then its also a master cylinder out......

Just as well I was thinking of replacing the master cylinder then......

A rose by any other name..............

bmcecosse wrote: ↑Tue May 08, 2012 10:22 pm It's the nut that's captive.........or not, in this case! To get at it you need to lift the gearbox cover/floor panel off. If the crossmember seems solid enough - leave well alone......

Hi there
I discovered whilst rust proofing a nearside missing bolt on the gearbox support. Been missing for some years from the look of the dirt around it.
Have I understood it correctly that if I remove the gearbox cover I can reach the missing captive nut (have determined that) and then I’m planning on a new bolt with a Nylock
Cheers
Charlie

bmcecosse wrote: ↑Tue May 08, 2012 10:22 pm It's the nut that's captive.........or not, in this case! To get at it you need to lift the gearbox cover/floor panel off. If the crossmember seems solid enough - leave well alone......

Hi there
I discovered whilst rust proofing a nearside missing bolt on the gearbox support. Been missing for some years from the look of the dirt around it.
Have I understood it correctly that if I remove the gearbox cover I can reach the missing captive nut (have determined that) and then I’m planning on a new bolt with a Nylock
Cheers
Charlie

You can do that but if you ever need to remove the crossmember, you will have to remove the gearbox cover again to hold the nut. I'm assuming here that you do not intend to make the nylon nut captive.

Charlie,

Is the captive nut stripped or missing? If not then you should be able to fit a normal crossmember bolt to replace the missing one.

If the problem is on the RH side of the car AND it is RH drive, there is a small access panel that can be removed separately to the main transmission tunnel cover for the master cylinder. That will allow you to fit a bolt, with a nut on the top of the captive nut.

If it is the LH side, then at least this time you will need to remove the whole cover, but could cut a similar piece out on the LH side, which would allow access to the crossmember bolts in the future.

My Traveller also has this problem, on the right hand (master cylinder side), of course. It hangs down approx. 0.5 cm or so - it doesn't cause any problem, just unsightly.

I did have a go at wedging screwdrivers in to the captive nut, then undoing the bolt (which appears to be seized in the nut), but without success, so have left the bolt dangling for now.

Not sure what would sort it, other than removing the master cylinder and gaining proper access to use a blowlamp to heat the nut, then maybe having to re-weld it...

I suppose another alternative would be to cut the bolt head off, then try drilling out the remainder of the bolt, being careful not to destroy the captive.

Being a common problem, one solution is to remove the captive nuts and cages, then replace with a steel plate having first drilled and tapped it with 5/16" bsf for the bolts,

les wrote: ↑Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:22 pm Being a common problem, one solution is to remove the captive nuts and cages, then replace with a steel plate having first drilled and tapped it with 5/16" bsf for the bolts,

That is exactly how I would go about solving that problem too. I would also chamfer the lower edges of the plate and consider having it CAD plated. An 8mm plate would suffice. It won't be going anywhere!
Regards
Declan

Just to add to the above - the plate should be a snug fit inside the box section so as not to move about if and when the cross member is or has been removed

I didn't go as far as the plating but did radius the appropriate lower edges! I'm relying on waxoyl