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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Bonnet Latch Plate Bolts

As said before, I broke three latch plate bolts off when removing the latch plates from both bonnet halves. Two are in the photo, the third was to come later! There was enough of the studs where I could grasp them in a vice. By soaking them in a solution of 50/50 acetone and trans fluid, them shocking the Simmonds nuts by tapping them with a hammer, I slowly worked them back and forth, I saved the nuts! Happy that came out well. I haven't found a place that has those nuts as original. Just ordered a 1/4 inch tap from British Tools and Fasteners to clean the threads in them. PJ



Paul S Jennings

Search the archives for "simmons" nuts. There was a long discussion on them. I think they may be a type of locking nut. If you run a tap right through you will destroy that function ( IF I am correct)
Max Irvine

Max: That is a good point and brings up and interesting question.

How do you make a locking nut like this?

Do you start with the cap part partially spread, tap it and then bend it back down which slightly miss-aligns the locking portion of the nut causing extra pressure on the threads?
Christopher Couper

Hmmm, never thought of destroying the locking portion of the nut. Wonder if I could just run a tapered tap from the bottom of the nut and not letting the tap go in far enough to clean the locking section? Sounds feasible if careful. I want to soak them in rust cleaner then zinc plate them. I have some bolts to do also. PJ
Paul S Jennings

Simmonds nuts are also called Nyloc (Nylock) nuts and should be readilty available at an engineers supply house. Other than that you local hardware store should be able to order them in for you.
John Walton

Paul: I was thinking the same and you might as well go from both directions.
Christopher Couper

John, Simmons nuts are not nyloc nuts. They have no nylon in them and are visually different.
Chris, The nuts have a couple of slits in them, maybe the nut is deformed a bit during manufacture, indeed an interesting question.
Max Irvine

Simmonds nuts are still manufactured and a lot of their products goes to the aerospace/aeronautical industry. They make all metal locking nuts, but none like the ones on our cars anymore. Here's a link to Simmonds web site. Click on the flag at the top for English, Dutch or German. My Cross bar bolts has these nuts also. PJ

Simmonds link.

http://www.afssimmonds.net/dah.php?chlang=gb
Paul S Jennings

PJ,

The nut pictured in the link you posted is a nut MG did use. It was made by a company named Phillidas.

There was a real nice discussion on this very subject. Do a search for Phillidas or Simmonds and you will get a thread called Simmonds (aero) nuts.

On my TF, I found these style of nuts on the driveshaft flange.

To give credit where credit is due. This picture was shared by Nick from the Netherlands.

Frank Cronin

Paul: From the illustration it looks like they may do exactly as I say in tapping the nut and then compressing it to 'deform' the spring part.

Can you look at your nuts to see if the gap is uniform around the nut? It looks to be smaller on the far side of the gap. If that is the case you could pry the gap open with a shim, tap it clean, and then pull the shim out so it relaxes back to the 'locking' state.

And for more OEM fun try this page:

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_suppliers.htm
Christopher Couper

Please excuse me developing this thread but what's the best way to rust protect the catches. Will zinc plate seize everything up?


Jan T
J Targosz

Jan: They were Cadmium plated before but that's just about outlawed in every western country. Zinc is a good substitute and its so thin it won't interfere.
Christopher Couper

Be sure to have the parts plated "dull" zinc -- not shiny for a great match.

Frank Cronin

Frank, the nut you show are still available from Simmonds. They are called DAH Sneps. I don't think they can be had in a BSF thread. PJ

Simmonds Snep DAH nut.



Paul S Jennings

Here is the nut on my cars bonnets. PJ



Paul S Jennings

Paul: From your picture my guess on how they are made seems spot on. I should be in the locking nut business :-)

You should be able to shim them open, tap it and then pull the shims out.
Christopher Couper

You should be able to shim them open, tap it and then pull the shims out.

That's what I'm going to do, I know I can save them. PJ
Paul S Jennings

This thread was discussed between 11/06/2014 and 14/06/2014

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