Chassis dent

Hi,
I took the lower engine cover off my MX5 NA MK1 1993 to replace the Steering boots, and saw a dent in the Chassis.

There is a scrape on the cover where the car must have gone over a rock or something.

Will it pass the MOT, with it? It's unsightly, but it doesn't look like it will affect anything.

Would it be a problem to get it out?

cheers, Camerart.

Nothing to worry about MOT wise, so far as I can tell....
If its a flat flange, could you bend it back with a large adjustable spanner do you think? Its not so easy to see.
The tester wont remove any engine covers.
John

Burnerman said:

Nothing to worry about MOT wise, so far as I can tell....
If its a flat flange, could you bend it back with a large adjustable spanner do you think? Its not so easy to see.
The tester wont remove any engine covers.
John

Click to expand...

Hi J,
I think it's more than that!
If you look at the picture with an arrow on it, you can see the hole behind the point is angled. This is one side of a box section.
The jack holding up the car isn't making any impression on the next part of the section.
C

That's a much better pic, thanks - difficult to see how deep the bend is unless we can get a shot from the front, but I'm sure it isn't an issue andit wouldn't be worrying me.
One way to find out for sure is to have the tracking and castor angles checked, together with the toeing in and out - laser checking by a body repairer would probably be used.
How does the car drive - does it wander or pull any particular way - and when looking at the vehicle does it sit nicely on its wheels without any lean? Any undue tyre wear?
I don't know if that is a complete subframe we see there or just a crossmember - looks like the former I think. Dents in box sections are difficult to remove, I've dabbled in this by welding bolts on and then pulling them with a slide hammer - after heating of course!
John

Hi J,
The other photo is from the front on with a yellow ruler.

I've just bought it, never on the road.

My guess, is that it doesn't affect anything, and it would need serious hydraulics to straighten it, with a bar inside the chassis.
C

If it’s covered up with a panel, no matter how bad it is it will definitely not fail the MOT test. We are simply not allowed to remove anything during the test. Lots of testers put an advisory note along the lines “unable to carry out full inspection due to covers being fitted” to cover themselves. I don’t bother because it’s obvious.

Motman said:

If it’s covered up with a panel, no matter how bad it is it will definitely not fail the MOT test. We are simply not allowed to remove anything during the test. Lots of testers put an advisory note along the lines “unable to carry out full inspection due to covers being fitted” to cover themselves. I don’t bother because it’s obvious.

Click to expand...

Hi M,
I removed the cover after jacking up the car, so some of the dent is showing, but I didn't notice it. I don't think it's affecting anything, just unsightly.
The car has been MOTed since the dent.
''waiting for parts..........................''

Cheers, C.