MGA Windscreen Rebuild, roadster only The MGA With An AttitudeMGAguru.comMGAguru.comWINDSCREEN REBUILD - WT-101This is the first easy course in how to rebuild the windscreen on your MGA roadster. Mind you that the course is easy, but the actual rebuild can require considerable patience and persistence.Question. Replacing the Windshield Glass on my MGA and wondered if there is any difference between the Moss windshield and the Victoria British glass. Has anyone purchased a windshield from either of these suppliers?I dunno about VB, but I bought MGA glass from Moss a couple years ago, and it was a very nice piece merchandise.
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How to install MGB Windscreen bottom seal. How to install MGB Windscreen bottom seal. Skip navigation. Moss Motors MGB Triplex Windshield - Duration: 4:21. Moss Motors, Ltd. 38,355 views.
However.In the Moss MGA catalog there is a full page copy of a Service Memorandum, dated 2 July 1962, related to 'Windscreen Re-glazing'. This makes a big deal about how you need to put a packing piece in the bottom frame rail to support the glass. This is to assure that the bottom corners of the glass do not sit on the L-shaped metal corner brackets inside of the frame, which is known to cause cracking of the lower corners of the glass. Well, the Moss supplied glass is different than the original glass. The general size of the piece is a bit larger in height, and then the edges are relieved a little for the first couple inches from each corner.
This allows the glass to sit on the glazing rubber at the bottom without touching the corner brackets, and also eliminates the need for the extra packing piece in the bottom. Same goes for the other edges and corners of the glass, no way for the corners to touch anything except the glazing rubber.
So, no extra packing piece is needed in the bottom frame (won't fit), and you can dispose of the original piece of wood you (may) find there.Next a caution note about the fasteners. The original windscreen screws were British Association 2BA, looking for all the world like an American standard number 10 screw but with a different thread pitch and slightly smaller screw heads. The original screws were 31.4 threads per inch, 4.7-mm (0.185') diameter. Number 10 UNC and UNF threads are 24 and 32 threads per inch respectively, and SAE 10-32 is similar to the UNF standard. For some years past the screws and all new brackets being supplied by Moss Motors had #10-32 UNF (or SAE standard) threads. These screws are not compatible with the old brackets, and vice-verse.
Current records show Moss has been supplying parts with the correct 2BA threads at least since 1999.Disassembling an old MGA windscreen will probably result in damage to some of the original fasteners. It is highly advisable to get a complete new set of fasteners before reassembly. In case thread pitch on new parts may not match your existing parts, it is a good idea to disassemble and check before ordering new parts. It is also a good idea to get new tapping plates for the sides and corner brackets for the bottom corners. (No, I didn't forget the top corners, just getting to that).The next note of caution is about the top corner brackets. I have searched high and low, and from every conceivable source I know. In many cases the new brackets are garbage.
With some the top posts are pointing in the wrong direction, some have the brackets too wide so they don't fit in the channels without serious filing, and some have the tapped holes misplaced so badly that it's impossible to get the screws installed. If someone has very recently purchased some of these top corner brackets that actually fit I would surely like to hear about it. Otherwise, I recommend you retain the original top corner brackets, touch up the threads if necessary, and maybe have them re-plated. New brackets from Clarke Spares and Restorations do have the correct threads and will fit perfectly. New parts from Moss Motors will now have the correct threads, but I can't say if the brackets would fit. The last time I had Moss top corner brackets in hand they did not fit, that being a few years ago. This is covered in another article.If you have a MGA 1500 that does not have the later model top center latch installed, now might be a good time to consider installing one.
I find this device does a really nice job of keeping the center of the top bow down at highway speed, in turn keeping out (most of) the wind and/or rain that might otherwise blow in your face. A tiny bit of soft rubber fastened under the front bow can take care of the rest of that problem.
When you drill the top frame to accept the catch bracket screws you will be removing chrome plating. Not to worry, as the underlying frame is brass there will be no rust to worry about.If you should perchance take this opportunity to have the frame re-chromed, don't forget to remove the 'AUSTER' plate and drive rivets in advance. These bits are readily available and inexpensive.Before installing the glass, preassemble the entire frame to be sure the fasteners and brackets all fit nicely.
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Check inside the frame to be sure none of the screws protrude appreciably through the inside of the brackets where they could chip away at the edges of the new glass. A small abrasive wheel in a hand grinder can make short work of making the inner ends of the screws flush with the brackets.For final assembly put some soapy water on the glazing rubber and you will be able to easily (relatively speaking) press the new glass and the new rubber bit into the channels of the frame. After assembly the glazing rubber should protrude from the frame on both sides of the glass. Use a razor knife to trim the rubber flush with the edge of the frame.The rest of the job is mostly time, common sense and TLC, but not particularly difficult. Rise to the challenge, and enjoy the success. On the following page you will find links to lots of photos and notes on a more recent MGA windscreen rebuild, which should make it even less mysterious.Claude Spinosa in Boise, Idaho, has a suggestion for a third hand jig.'
I could not hold all the stuff with my soapy hands. Finally I built a rig with scrap 2X4s that kept the glass still while I applied soapy water to the glass and pressed it into the rubber with two well-padded carpenter clamps'.Thank you for your comments -© 2000-2013 Barney Gaylord.
Chicagoland MG Club:PhotosMGB Windscreen Installation DayApril 24, 2004 - Streamwood, IllinoisTruth be known, this was the easy part.Click for BIGGER pictures, average 34KFirst was an attempt to stuff the rubber strip into the 'T' slot without removing the end frame. After half an hour of fiddling, remove a few screws, give a little tap, and the end frame and corner brackets are out of the way.Then the rubber strip would go right into the and slot, just didn't want to slide very well. A little soapy water helped some, but still no go. With one pulling and one feeding and pushing, after about a foot of progress the tail would jump out of the slot. Somebody thought a hammer might help, but no go there either.We tried prying the rubber tongue into the slot with a screwdriver, which seemed to work at first.
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Then just when it looked like it was all in place it just popped out again. At one point it was well enough in place to trim the end to the proper angle for final fit.
Someone suggested trying some lanolin hand cleaner for lubricant. That seemed to work better, or at least it didn't dry out so quick while the work was in progress. Then the 8-hitch mule team pays off and 16 hands working together get the job done.
With one blocking, one pulling, five pushing and holding the rubber down at the same time, and one feeding and guiding the input end, the weather strip finally crept into place at about a quarter inch per second, given a few rest stops along the way. Tom Sotomayor swears he has done this single handed at least once (yeah, sure).
Of course everyone wants to know how this was done in production.With the rubber strip securely in place, it's time to trim the trailing end and install the end frame piece. For this we poke a couple small holes through the rubber for access to the screws, and caulk up the holes when finished.Addendum 08Feb08 - A follow up note from Roger Killin:While assembling my 1970 MGB windshield I discovered that it was not necessary to punch holes in the bottom rubber seal to access the screw holes that secure to end post. The old seal didn't have any holes. With the top rail, bottom rail, 1 post, glass, and glass seal in position, I pushed the seal into position against the installed post, then cut it to the proper length. I then kept pushing up and down the whole length of the seal, with about 5 minutes of pushing and pulling I was able to compress the seal enough to expose the screw holes at the other end of the bottom rail, and secure the other side post. Once this last post was secure I pulled the seal back to it's normal 'decompressed' length.'
Offer up the assembly to the body'. Start with a loop in the cord at the center of the weatherstrip, and pull forward to uncurl the rubber lip, working from the center toward the ends. Wasn't that sweet? We got that part right on the first try. But do remember to insert the two center hold down screws first, as these cannot be installed after the assembly is full down on the body. The sharply sloping glass gets in the way of the screw heads, but with hex head screws they can be run in with an open end wrench (probably another bottleneck in production).As the last bit of rubber lip is uncurled at the ends and the cord is fully removed, the ends of the rubber lip are tucked under the metal end frame just above the rubber post grommet.
Then the entire assembly has to be pressed down VERY firmly against the car body while two bolts are installed at each end to attach the posts to the body. That was a fresh paint job, wasn't it? What's with the big hammer? Cowboy is looking very concerned there.Ah, but success if finally in hand, and it's time for the first spin around the block with the new paint. And how nice that new weatherstrip lays down tight on the body with all that curl tension on it. Time for a ale, and then the cheap help gets to go home, a little stiff for the effort by satisfied with a job well done (except for one or two bums who show up late, just in time to help celebrate).
Anyone recognize that yellow car?©2004 Chicagoland MG Club, All rights reserved.
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