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MG TD TF 1500 - TD Door Latch Pillar Help needed

Folks,
I'm attempting to restore the interior of my 50 TD (carpets, panels, etc.). Archives tought me first thing is to get the door latches working right. Mine only latch to the "safty" position. The angles are all wrong. I obviously need the "wedge" fix from the archives.
So, the attached picture is of my driver's side front "latch pillar". PO has obviously had a field day with it! The light colored areas in the attached photo seem to have been carved away with a chisel or something. The screw holes won't hold anything anymore. The right side is just as bad.
Maybe I should order a new pillar from Moss, but archives show that's not trivial. Maybe I can fill this mess in with plastic wood or something? Maybe I can just cut that section out and replace myself (I do woodworking). Maybe somebody has designed something made of steel that works better?
Any and all advice will be appreciated!!
Thanks in advice!
Ed in Co, USA



efh Ed

Ed, to change the pillar you basically have to remove the tub and rebuild that part of it. Fitting the pillars was one of the most frustrating parts of doing my tub to get the curve of the quarter panel to fit the door. Save your old ones if you can. It looks like someone has drilled and plugged the screw holes already. As far as the woodscrew holes, you could do this again, with the plugs perhaps made out of some harder wood (oak?). As far as the threaded ones for the striker mounting plate, you can try this: obtain new "T-nut" fittings the correct size for the machine screw. Fabricate a plug or dowel slightly larger in diameter than the t-nut flange, drill hole through the dowel for the machine screw hole, and fix the t-nut to the end. Drill an exactly sized and located hole in the pillar. Then using one of the really strong wood glues, insert the dowel/t-nut assembly into the hole. Carve and sand flat. The quarterpanel is directly against the pillar so measure/mark/ and drill very carefully!! Thanks to Glenn's MG repair for this method. George
George Butz

I talked to Mike O'connor of O'connor classics about this topic at the West Coast GOF, before redoing mine. He uses brass threaded inserts into the wood. I bought mine online from a woodworking supply house and also got a t-shaped tool for screwing the inserts in. This is needed to get it in straight.

Then you attach the plate and striker using machine screws, instead of wood screws. Mike has a lot of experience with old T-Types and says that this works the best. I did this and so far no problems.

Also Sports & Classics sells original spec striker wedges if you need one. Reasonable price $10 when I bought mine.
Larry Ayres

George, by "remove the tub" do you mean take the whole car apart? If so, that's probably not gonna happen until I decide to repaint someday? Is there a way I can remove JUST the pillar perhaps and replace it? (My long term plan is to redo the carpets, panels, steering wheel this summer then someday repaint the body-maybe. I plan on screwing the panels rather than tacks for future easy removal.)

I do like both of your ideas about inserts of some sort. That makes a lot of sense. I had not thought of that.

Larry, do you have a web site for "Sports & Classics" perhaps? I'm not familiar with them.

Thanks guys!
efh Ed

Your door pillar post doesn't seem that bad. They were chiseled out at the factory to accomodate the striker.

Sports & Classics now have an ebay store with contact information. The door striker wedge is the same as for an Austin Healey 3000.

http://stores.ebay.com/Sports-and-Classics-Inc/Contact-Us.html

They have been around for a long,long time and have sources for original spec parts in most cases.
Larry
Larry Ayres

I just noticed something searching archives again. I found a picture of something called the "striker tapping plate". It goes between the "striker plate & wedge" assembly and the wood pillar! You can see it at
http://www.angloparts.com/catalogue/group/800
then click on View Parts Illustration.

Guess what? I don't even have a "striker tapping plate"! Nor do I see it in the Moss catalog. It's job was obviously to prevent the wood from being destroyed. (Maybe this explains what George meant by "threaded ones" above?) The illustration also shows T-nuts from the factory. I don't have those either!

Is this "tapping plate" required? Do you guys have them installed?
Ed
efh Ed

Could this be Moss # 401-420, "Mounting Plate, door striker" perhaps? I just found it on body panel page.
Ed
efh Ed

Ed, you need those. They are rectangular plates that attatch by the two machine screws into the t-nuts. Two of the holes are oversize so you can move them around to align, I can't remember if there are others for the wood screws. They have two captive nuts attached that the machine screws that go through the striker plate itself screw in to. So they are what the striker mounts on to. Gotta go for now (father-dauaghter dance practice in 20 min), I'll comment later about pillar replacement. George
George Butz

To continue, the backing plates have captive nuts in metal boxes on the back side. You have to countersink or chisel a recess in the pillar for those to fit, so the plate will lay flat, with enough depth (or you could drill the center deeper) for the machine screws from the striker plate. To fit my strikers/locks, I held the door shut, engaged the lock pin into the striker bolt (wedge) with the chrome striker plate loosely screwed onto the backing plate, held the assembly against the pillar and looked at where it all aligned. One side I had to shim the front edge of the backing plate out a little, and remove wood to the curved part would lay in flush (the curve in the metal part hit the wood, keeping the flat part away from the pillar). I also had to add a washer or two under the head of the striker wedge bolt. As far as replacing the pillar, don't! See attached picture of the top of my original wood in that area. To get down this far you have to remove the windscreen screws, two bolts from the firewall, the inner and outer dash, and the metal support bracket (you can sort of see the outline in the wood). I think the bottom joint is really inaccesible with the tub on the frame. Hope this helps. George


George Butz

Oh boy! More parts to add to the next Moss list. Thanks a million George! Really appreciate the help!
Ed
efh Ed

Ed, don't place the order yet. I'm positive I have at least one new one at home and maybe two. Pretty sure I still have two used. Your welcome to them. I'll check my treasures when I get home.

LaVerne
LaVerne

LaVerne,
Sounds wonderful! Can you email me off-forum when you arrive. Fyi, we are leaving next Wed. for a few weeks away from snow so there is no rush.
Ed
efhask@roadrunner.com
efh Ed

It'll be about 6pm tonight before I get home.
LaVerne

This thread was discussed between 05/05/2008 and 06/05/2008

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