Sticky Pads

sawood12 · Jan 28, 2005

Can anyone recommend any double sided sticky pads that are good enough to attach a metal bracket to the bulkhead in the engine bay? I'm loathed to start drilling holes in the bulkhead if I can get away with it.

Also the foam insulation that is bonded to the underside of the bonnet is starting to come away in areas so I could use the pads to re-attach.

Thanks.

Helen Goff · Jan 28, 2005

halfords 6mm (heavy duty)sticky pads for numberplates. they also do a heavy duty velcro if its for something that you may want to move from time to time.

John Sims · Jan 28, 2005

I've used adhesives in manufacturing in all maner of situations and, despite all of the suppliers claims, they still don't inspire complete confidence.

The trouble with most adhesives is they don't give you much indication if they are about to fail. One minute the thing is there, then it isn't. IMHO you can't beat a mechanical fixing.

Add to this the hostile environment of an engine bay with vast temperature gradients, vibration, fuel and oil vapours water etc etc and you are asking a lot of any material.

I have to admit that in the past, when being a bit lazy, and fixing things in the engine bay of may old racing car, I would use one self tapping screw to hold brackets in place but put a blob of silicone sealer behind the bracket first. Once the silicone dries it stops the bracket turning on its single fixing and it also stops water getting behind the bracket. At a later date when removing the bracket you would be surprised how robust the bond is even after the screw has been removed.