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MG MGB Technical - New MGBGT owner with a couple of questions

Hi, I thought I'd introduce myself to this group because I've just bought a 1968 GT to live alongside my '53 TD, and will be asking you all for a lot of help to understand this more 'complicated' car.

So my first two questions. The car is pretty but shabby on the inside. My first job was to try and fix the driver's side window which was very stiff. I stripped off the door panel and cleaned the channels the glass slides in and that solved that problem. But I had to remove the vapour barrier and when I replace it with a new one, what glue/tape should I use?

Question 2. The driver's door opens and closes OK but the lock doesn't lock the door, and neither does the inside door lock. What should I be checking for here? I have the WSM and the diagrams are quite clear but although the WSM refers to 'adjustments' I can't see how those are done.

Thanks for your help with what I am sure will be the first of many questions.

Mike.
Mike Christie

For the barrier inside the door I used a self-adhesive plastic film that you can buy in DIY stores. It comes on a roll and is sold for sticking to carpets and floors to protect them during decorating. Have a hunt round B&Q and you should find it.

The key lock has a fork on the inside that rocks forward and back as you twist the key. Between the arms of the fork there should be a curved rod that operates the lock. The inner locking handle is also connected to this rod by a mechanical linkage. There is no adjustment as far as I know. Is your key lock rotating in the door? That is quite common and will stop it from operating.
Mike Howlett

I've just used double-sided sticky tape, the thin clear stuff. That was over 20 years ago and it is still doing its job even though it has been off and back on a couple of times.

Further to the lock the two arms (one from the internal handle and one from the lock) connect to different parts of the same lever on the latch itself. The lock lever has a considerable amount of lost motion built in as you turn the key to lock it then centralise the key again to remove it, and turn the key the other way to unlock it and centralise it to remove it, whereas the internal lever is simply one way to lock and the other way to unlock i.e. no lost motion.

In my experience if the lock rotates on the door panel then the operation of the *latch* is as normal, i.e. it locks and unlocks as before, the difference is that you can lock it and unlock it with a screwdriver of course.

Is the internal handle moving back and fore? If so with the panel and vapour barrier removed you should be able to see the end of the latch end of the rod or bar moving back and fore as you operate the internal handle. If that is moving the lever on the latch itself but not disabling the latch release mechanism then I'd say the latch was faulty.
PaulH Solihull

This thread was discussed on 12/02/2011

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