Bee backplate screw-sealing

This might help to seal a worn backplate with cracked/broken screw-bosses. I used a common household kitchen glove for the rubber.. and used a paper-punch to make small (1/4" diameter) discs. Thin sheet plastic behind the rubber helps to punch a "clean" disc.. or else it may not cut all the way around. A short piece of 1/4" thin-wall alloy-tube and wood-block could also be used to make them. The rubber in these particular gloves I believe is "Latex".. and approx. .015" thick.

Once made, I pierced the center of the disc using an awl, by sticking it into a pine wood-block.



The disc will "cling" to the awl-shaft after being pierced. Leave it on there and get one of your backplate screws. Using tweezers (or your fingers).. tug one side of the disc to stretch-open the hole and insert the screw up to its head, then remove the awl.



Insert the screw with disc installed, into the backplate. It will look like this..



When the screw is tightened.. it will suck the disc down into the seat in the backplate.



The disc will "distort".. but having been "pierced" with the awl; it should adequately seal underneath the area around the screw.. as well as under its head. Unlike liquid-sealants; it's not messy/smelly.. and "may" even prove to be re-usable when and if disassembly is required.

In extreme cases where the screw-seat in the backplate has broken-through.. you could additionally try punching-out 1/4" diameter discs made from thin plastic-sheet.. and drill the center with a 1/16" drill-bit.. (drill first.. punch second) This will require opening-up the 1/16" hole using an awl.. just enough to install the 2-56 screw. Install the plastic disc/washer onto the screw "first" followed by one of the aforementioned rubber-disc below it. Tighten only enough to "dimple" the plastic disc.. and no further. You may need to shim your firewall-mount to accommodate the slight protrusion.. but you'll gain a usable backplate/carb for your Bee.