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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Pulling the dashboard

Chaps

Before pulling the dashboard, put me right here please...

Choke knob. Will not budge. The retaining screw - is it a screw? - has sheared its head - not by me! If you release at the engine, does the cable just pull through anyways with the dash ? Would still like to remove the horrid plastic knob - any tips save drilling through? incidentally I have 2 black wires leading from the mechanism behind the dash - what are these?

Water temp hose thingy - release at engine somwhere and pull through dash? - same for oil temp springy thingy?

Released the clamps at the rev counter and speedo. They are not pushing out of the dash still - I'll take them off with the dash, but any clues here?

Many thanks as always

Oggers

Are you referring to the heater knob? There are two black wires from the heater switch.

The knob is retained by a spring clip. There is a small pin which you need to push inwards to release the clip.

The water temperature capillary tube is permanently attached to the gauge, so you need to undo from the cylinder head (carefully) and feed it through the bulkhead.

Oil temp is not standard, so assume it's similar to water temp.

The speedo and tacho have a rubber seal between the casing and the dash. These tend to dissolve and glue the gauges to the dash.
Dave O'Neill 2

Two wires, not black? (wrong), come off the heater knob but nothing off choke knob, is there a grub screw on the choke cable(?).

Any chance a heater cable has been used for the choke cable?

Once released from any fixings the whole cable, inner and outer should pull through still fitted to dash if required.

Water temp, release bulb and carefully feed back through dash, don't break it.

Oil is normally pressure on dual (with temp) gauge, that is normally fitted to a feed pipe, actual oil going to the gauge.

Speedo, rev counter - knurled nuts on gauge clamps should unscrew fully off allowing clamps to be removed behind dash in situ. The dials (could) have a rubber o-ring between them and the dash perhaps all are stuck with muck and/or paint.

I think I've remembered right.

ETA: DaveO beat me to it.
Nigel Atkins

That sounds about right to me as well

Prop
1 Paper

Dont forget to undo speedo cable before pulling the speedo out. Also the wires on the rev counter may stop it coming out if they are a bit short.

Trev
T Mason

Since you are pulling the dashboard, why remove all of the components from the dash first? Unless I am misunderstanding the discussion? Remove the dash with as many of the items still attached to it as you can, then dismantle on the bench.

Disconnect the cable connections from the back of each dial and gauge by reaching up behind the dash. Sometimes it helps to remove the rev counter complete, and then you can use the mounting hole as an access point, reaching in through the hole in the dash.

Disconnect choke and heater wires at the engine end. Disconnect the speedometer cable and washer tube from the pump/knob if you still have one. (many have been replaced with an electric one, so just wires to disconnect). Undo the dashboard mounts at either end, and along the top; remove the 2 lower metal stays.

Disconnect the temp sender from the engine and feed it and its coily wire thing carefully through the bulkead as you lift the dash complete with the remaining gauges still mounted.
GuyW

My thanks for all of this. I think Nigel is correct - someone at some time has bodged the heater cable to use as a choke cable. This is the new acquisition with the 2.0 Zetec fitted... So the question is how to remove the heater knob! There is no heater fitted incidentally.

No real intent to remove gauges in situ - but as stated, it helps if some are removed for access to others and pulling wires off switches.

Apologies though... Not oil temp but oil pressure gauge - the dual thing with the water temp. I assume the oil side is the springy thing and the water side the capillary tubing?
Oggers

The spiral wound springy looking thing is the capilliary tube to the water temp sensor bulb. Its filled with etheyll alcohol (I think). Very volatile and will quickly evaporate away if the tube is fractured. Undo the sensor bulb and feed the whole thing out through the bulkhead and the dash together with the gauge. Don't try and disconnect it!

The small copper tube is the oil pressure feed.

Whether the stubborn knob is heater flap or choke, undo the engine end connection and pull the knob and control wire out as a unit.
GuyW

Oggers,
you missed it, DaveO gave you the usual answer to removing the heater knob in his post -
>>The knob is retained by a spring clip. There is a small pin which you need to push inwards to release the clip.<<

The pin is in the shank of the knob, push the pin in whilst at the same time gently pulling back on the knob, maintain this light pressure whilst removing pin-pushing-instrument and the knob should slide off, usually it removes easily without the need of removing any muck or rust or use of a bit of releasing fluid.

Nigel Atkins

Hi Oggers I restore dashboards to concourse standard £69 exchange.
rj woolley

Nigel

Yes indeed. I believe I inappropriately mis-read Dave's note. Unfortunately, I don't have the spring latch thingy. I think it has been bodged - doubly so - by someone with a screw. No big deal if I can pull it though the other way as Guy suggests.

Incidentally whilst the dash is out I wouldn't mind adding another couple of gauges - voltmeter perhaps plus oil temp? anything else? - Anyone have any ideas where I may find details of how to wire them in?
Oggers

Surely Oggers, the essential 'extra' gauge must be the state of Flux Capacitor......
P Bentley

Oggers, Yes I know it's been posted before, and might be OTT. but still worth a laugh.


S Holt

Is that Prop's car?
Dave O'Neill 2

This is my effort, only two gauges with radio
S Holt

And now with the photo!
Simon


S Holt

Simom

Excellent first pic, horrible second one! Remove that yellow number plate immediately! Not too sure about that steering wheel either.....

Dash is finally out after a minor battle with steering column and various looms. Bit of electrical bodging by POs didn't help either. Dash to be body colour in OEW I think...and maybe some sort of console for head unit/extra guages.....
Oggers

Number plate is excellent, it really makes the car stand out - and correct for originality, b&w on a car back then would have been old fashioned - and dull. :)

I struggle to see the dials and radio though.

Oggers,
well done on getting the dash out, I'd give it a good look over now to find other non-standard and/or bodged bits, the good book will help with some guidance to this and photos posted here can be assessed for deviations.

OEW dash colour though with black dials, suck-air-between-teeth, shake-head, each to their own. ;)
Nigel Atkins

I know what you mean about the steering wheel, but the original is a bit big to get my legs under and this one was cheaper than most at the time.
Better photo attached, though not as sharp as I hoped.
Simon
S Holt

Photo


S Holt

Simon

Yes - very nice - what are the two extra guages and the red digital thing?

Oggers

Extra gauges are, Vacuum and Ammeter, (seemed like a good idea at the time)!. The red digital thing is a Voltmeter (only £5 or so), easy to see at night, not so good in direct sunlight.
I know, battery is a bit low!
Simon
S Holt

This thread was discussed between 21/11/2017 and 26/11/2017

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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