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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bonnet help

Hoi All,
1275 Mk 3 midget.
I have just replaced the bonnet for my Midget., I have fitted it up and the gaps seem to be OK, although the N/S rear of the bonnet seems a little proud. The O/S rear is fine.
I know I am supposed to place washers between the bonnet hinge and the bonnet, but where?
Also, does washer thickness matter?
I have attached a ( rather poor ) representation of the hinge with the screws labelled. Could you suggest which screw(s) need a washer using my numbers?
I have googled this topic to death and the archives, but am still a little unsure- really grateful for any advice.
Cheers all
Colin



colin frowen

Never tried this as I have a GRP flip front, but if the hinge needs to be lower when closed then the washers should go towards the front of the car.

Washer thickness probably about twice the amount of required lowering. Maybe try some longer bolts and small wooden wedges first?
AdrianR

Guy is the fella for this.

But to be sure I think you are best referring to 'windscreen side' and confirm with your numbering in your drawing, which numbers are nearest the windscreen (I take it as 3 & 4).
Nigel Atkins

Hi Nigel,,
Thanks for your helpful comments.
The Diagram I posted is Looking at the hinge from the front of the car, from under the bonnet.
It is the n/s hinge.
The numbering is purely arbitary and my own, so numbers 2 and 4 are nearest to the n/s of the car.
Thanks again for pointing this out.
Cheers colin
colin frowen

Colin, I saved this from a 2010 thread in the archives. Rob posted it I think.

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"You need to change the angle that the hinge mounts to the bonnet.

Imagine if the hinge platform was not bolted to the bonnet and the bonnet was put in place. now if you were able to lift the hinge up to the bonnet you would find that the rear of the platform would come into contact with the bonnet before the front. That is how the thing would have to be mounted and as I said we do that with packer washers at the front of the hinge platform and direct monting at the rear of the platform.

If you were to keep lifting the hinge against the bonnet you would find that when the hinge platform was parallel with the bonnet the bonnet would be sitting high at the rear.

Placing washers between the hinge and the bonnet at the rear 2 holes only will raise the bonnet, placing washers in between the hinge and the bonnet in the front 2 holes only will tend to drop the bonnet"

----

Thickness as required. Just regular washers, and not everbody needs them. I did until I bent my hinges back to shape after repairing a rust split. They weren't used as factory fit.

anamnesis

Hi Colin. Yes, add washers under the front two hinge to bonnet bolts (3 & 4 on your diagram) to lower the rear edge.

As Anam just posted!

The way I think of this is that when the front of the bonnet comes to rest on the stops, the hinge itself needs to have rotated further downwards, so that it is lower. Adding washers at the front achieves this, and the rear edge of the bonnet is lowered. How many washers is just trial and error though. I needed to use just two washers under each bolt.

You should be able to just slacken the two front bolts, leaving the rear two tight so that you don't loose the bonnet alignment, assuming its right to start with! Then withdraw one front bolt completely and slide the washers into position. Refit bolt, then repeat for the other one.

Another tip: once you do have the bonnet accurately positioned drill and fit a self tapping screw through the broad flange of each bonnet hinge, into the corresponding bonnet mounting plate. Then if/ when you next R & R the bonnet, refitting the self tapper will get the hinges back into the exact same position and your bonnet will close perfectly!I

Addendum: If your car has a rubber insert in the rear gutter, check that this isn't preventing the bonnet from settling down correctly at the rear. The inserts used on frogeyes can do this.

GuyW

Hi Guys,
Thank you all very much for your help....I THINK I've got it now!
Cheers all
Colin
colin frowen

Just to echo Guy’s comment on the rubber inserts.

I’ve just taken mine out as they sit too high and push the bonnet out of alignment.

Think you can just see it in the below photo.

Thinking about shaving them down a bit so that they do their job properly.






James Paul

Yes James, that’s exactly what I had to do.
Philip Sellen

This thread was discussed between 06/11/2022 and 11/11/2022

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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