Patti, a couple of suggestions 1 - Try the factory. http://www.montgomeryboats.com/ or (949)489-8227. They should be able to supply new parts. If your boat is 30 years old I would recommend replacing the chain plate as well as the backing bar. The design may have changed over the years and a new bar may not fit the old plate, and a 30 year old chainplate may have issues as well. 2 - Try a machine shop. Any competent machine shop can make you a new backing plate from stainless rod stock. Pick the screws you want to use so they know what thread to cut and take both the chainplate and the old backing plate for a pattern. I would not recommend atempting to repair the old part unless you have a better than average home shop and machinist skills. Drilling a stainless bolt out of an aluminum plate will be difficult unles you have a drill press and vise. The drill will slide off the stainless steel and butcher the softer aluminum. If you can't get a new part made, I'd recommend getting some aluminum or bronze rod stock in the appropriate diameter, through drilling and installing longer bolts with locking nuts. If you do try to make your own, http://www.metaldepot.com/home/ or http://www.metalsdepot.com/ are good sources if you can't find what you need locally. Good Luck, John Roland sv. Wokini M-15 # 194 ------------------------------ Message: 13 Date: Tue, 4 May 2010 16:45:45 -0700 (PDT) From: Patti Raymond <pattiraymond@sbcglobal.net> To: montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com Subject: M_Boats: M-15 Side-stay chain plates Message-ID: <250023.73051.qm@web180305.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii I guess this is what you'de call them. Mine where loose so I tried tightening them and of course the 30 yr old bolt spapped like a brittle bone,,,no sweat I'll just slide the bolt out and replace....wrong...the backing bar? is aluminum, the bolts SS and the bars are threaded and the bolts are not going to come out...can I drill out the old bolts and just thru bolt back together or is the threading essential for strength...can I just toss the old backer and use a flat SS backing-plate...or are these a common item I can purchase at my daily sojourn to West Marine? Clear as mud....Greg Adams....#151 ------------------------------