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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bonnet fit

Hi

My bonnet seems to be below the line of the body.
How do I adjust the fit. The hinges seems to have a fair bit of play in them, the bulkhead appears to be original.

Is there a way of checking if the hinges have been bent or damaged?

Cheers

Tony

Tony Brough

Tony,
Its to do with packing between the swan-neck hinge and the bonnet. But you don't just add a thick spacer as one might expect. You need to add some packing washers at the rear two bolt fixings to raise the rear edge of the bonnet, or under the front two bolt fixings to lower it.

I think that is the right way round! I do remember TurboBob explaining it rather well; he has got a very clear understanding of the geometry of it.
Guy

Thanks Guy

It worked a treat. I am trying to get things fitting well before I start on the paint work.

I will apply geometry to my next task, the doors.....

Thanks again
Tony Brough

Glad it worked Tony. I was not 100% sure I had got that the right way round. I was expecting TurboBob to wade in with more advice.

Guy
Guy

Thanks for that Guy

For many years I have been explaining how to do that adjustment both on the bonnet and on the boot it is the same (assuming it is not a rubber holding things proud) However it is such a difficult concept to understand that normally both here and I might say the MGA BBS it gets ignored and other hopeless techniques are tried without success! :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Mine's like yours, Tony.
But that's what happens when you let your girfriend pose on the bonnet [it WAS 1975!]
David Cox

Hi Bob,
I can visualise the geometry of why this works, but struggle to explain it in words. It is to do with the rotational angle that the hinge moves through. It would be easier to explain with a diagram, although I remember when you explained it and it suddenly became obvious!
Guy

If they weren't fitted with packing when first fitted, what changes over the years? Does the angle of the bracket change in some way?

I'll have to look at mine tomorrow and see if it is sitting proud or recessed.
Lawrence Slater

Usually it is because of the history of the car - the hinge has suffered some sort of tweak/trauma which has changed its shape a bit. I've usually solved it by fitting a new hinge, but the spacer idea is a lot cheaper!
Paul Walbran

I think that the pressed steel brackets deform in time. Certainly on my car the pivot bolt behind the dash was seized quite tightly although this was not apparent when normally opening and closing the bonnet because of the length of leverage. Only when I removed the bonnet and tried just moving the hinge did I realise how tight it was.
Guy

Bob,
Sorry so for the boot you can do the same, pack the front holes to lower the back and the rear to raise?? Mine sits hit at the back??
Many thanks
Jon
Jon White

Hi Jon

First check to do on the boot lid is to remove the seal around the boot and then close the boot to look at the fit. This will determine if the seal is the problem
Bob Turbo Midget England

Hi!
I've got a similar issue on the boot lid, closing it without the seal makes things much better. Are there large & smaller seals out there and, if so, does anyone know a source of the smaller ones?!

-Craig
C Robertson

One of the most common problems that I have found on bootlids is that it sits high on the nearside, on the leading edge.

This is usually because someone has tried closing the boot without releasing the prop, resulting in a bent hinge. Quite easy to straighten by applying force in the opposite direction.
Dave O'Neill 2

Hi Craig

I am not sure if a smaller seal is available or not? Perhaps the seal metal lip is too proud? however I think initially I would try to add a couple of washers between the hinge plate and the boot lid. These need to be in the mounting holes at the furthest points from the hinge pivot as desribe above. This should lower the boot lid slightly at the edge near the hinge. Hopefully that will put more pressure onto the seal and the boot lid may look better.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

Thanks Bob! Will give that a go

-Craig
C Robertson

This thread was discussed between 10/09/2011 and 13/09/2011

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