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MG MGB Technical - Purpose of Windscreen Centre Rod?

1978 mgb roadster.

The centre rod on my MGB appears to be broken and is loose inside the bracket on the top of the dash.

Looking at the Haynes manual it appears that the bracket has a lip that fits over the scuttle so it is not just a case of undoing the 2 bolts and lifting it out.

I cannot see the purpose of the thin rod. The mirror is attached to the top of the windscreen frame on a plastic bracket so it is not for the mirror. I cannot see how it offers any strength or stability to the windscreen.

Should I leave it alone or is it necessary to replace it?

Any advice would be gratefully received!

Cheers, Adrian
A Stubley

I think you need to replace this as it stops the top frame bowing and the glass slackening.
Iain MacKintosh

Originally it was used to mount the rear view mirror. I've also heard it said that top bar of the frame bows from being pulled up by the top when erected and under way (Bernoulli effect).

The bracket is rivetted to the frame, but those can be broken apart easy enough (as I found when removing the screen) and it is the bracket being bolted to the dash top that is important in restraining the frame top bar, the rivets don't really add anything except location. However the bolts are usually too long and cannot be completely removed without lifting the screen up a bit, but that is with the bracket rivetted to the frame. If you undo the bolts as far as you can, lever the bracket of the frame, I'm guessing the bolts can then be removed with the bracket. With the old rivets tidied up, the bottom threaded fitting recovered, I don't see why you cannot refit the bracket with a replacement bar in the fitting just bolting it to the dashtop in its original position.

I'd be interested in hearing if this proves to be the case.
Paul Hunt

I can see the logic for holding the top of the frame down so it cannot lift upwards.

I will have a go this week at trying to remove the bracket - just hope the rivets give easily so I don't end up distorting everything!

Cheers for the advice.
A Stubley

Both brackets are riveted to the screen frame, the bottom bracket holding the lower frame in place and the top bracket holding the top frame in place against the backwards pull of the soft top when fitted.

Replacement of the rod means taking the screen out.
Chris at Octarine Services

This thread was discussed between 14/11/2009 and 15/11/2009

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