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MG TD TF 1500 - Windshield Wipers

I have a problem with the windshield wipers. The wiper arms are 7 1/2" long and the wiper blades are 7" blades. I believe the 7" blade is standard. My problem is that when the wipers are in the near vertical position the end of the blade extends over the windshield chrome frame by about 3/4".
Can anyone tell me if my wiper arms are too long? They are not adjustable but I understand that there are some wiper arms that are adjustable. Does anyone know where to purchase them?
Thanks much.
LD Kanaster

Sounds like the wiper arms are too long. Maybe not the correct ones for a TD.
Jim Merz

My wording regarding my problem was not too good. The car is a TF, 1954. Does anyone else have this problem or does anyone have shorte wiper arms?

Larry
LD Kanaster

If nobody responds I'll measure in the morning for you.
LaVerne

Larry
On my TF the arms are 7.5 in measured from the pivot. The blades are 7 in. I bought some new blades recently with the proper fitting. Had to cut an inch off. Used a metal saw and sanded the ends smooth. They were just like the pair I replaced.
If yours are too long at the vertical position, "cut 'em".

Tom
'54 TF
Tom Norby

Don't ever use mine--their pretty much useless at best.

Rain-X is the answer.
David Werblow

Wiper arms are 7 1/2" long and the wiper blades are 7" blades....Just checked mine ...that is what they are.
David Sheward

I find pictures are always helpful


LaVerne

OK OK


LaVerne

and


LaVerne

lastly


LaVerne

Good one!
Now that IS funny ...never thought to measure a rain-x bottle....and it "IS" 7"!
David Sheward

And the reason that women don't make good carpenters.......


All their lives the have been told this is 6 inches


LaVerne

Some neighborhoods that's 9"'s.
David Sheward

I almost regret even starting this. I loved the picture of the RainX. Good thinking. One would think the the same people that built the Merlin engine for the Spitfire could have come up with a better wiper system.
Anyway, I submitted a picture. The arm already has a pretty good bend to it but I suppose I can play with it some more and see if it corrects the problem. I only plan on using the things to demonstrate that they work (well, at least go back and forth). I agree that RainX is a more reliable solution. I may indeed have to cut the blades down a bit.


LD Kanaster

I'm curious now how tall your windscreen is at center?
(Don't let the wife measure it!)

Is that an optical illusion ...or are they actually "longer" on the top than the bottom?
Upside-down? Is that even possible?
David Sheward

LD,
See if this helps any.
Wipers are straight up & down and I put a ruler in the shot. Winscreen is 9" ...no, "I" measured it!


David Sheward

Is that a metric ruler?
LaVerne

I ARGEE WITH DAVE,,, SURE LOOKS LIKE THE BLADES ARE LONGER ON THE TOP THAN ON THE BOTTOM!!!IT LOOKS LIKE THE MOUNTING POINT ON THE BLADE IS NOT CENTERED...

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Just measured my original arms and blades and agree with Dave on the size.
Arms have a flat spoon shape to them on the wiper fitting end, and the blade will only go on one way. With blade at the topmost position the end is about 3/8" from the top of the windscreen.
My blades are marked, Made in England, Pats. 523177 523488. They have no manufacturer on them
Colin Stafford TF6688

"One would think the the same people that built the Merlin engine for the Spitfire could have come up with a better wiper system"

That triggers the question why - if these people were involved - they did not use the Merlin engine in the TD - would have been a good way of beating a tuned up Camaro also on the road (to relate to the other thread...).

I´m on the road so can´t measure (the wipers), but I agree with David that the wipers are largely useless anyway, so rain-x is probably the better choice. Or not driving in the rain as I do - which is difficult enough in Germany.

Mike
Mike Fritsch

When Gumby goes metric ...he's hung!

(Don't get me started...3" shorter than left leg. I'm 5'9" (or was) do the math!)


I think we scarred LD ???
Is your mounting point not centered?
David Sheward

Wow, you guys are really getting into this. The wipers are centered on the wiper arms and the center point is 3 1/2" from the end (either end). The windscreen measures 9" high measuring the glass from the bottom of the lower frame to the top frame.
If I can find some shorter wipers then obviously it would solve the problem. I am thinking about possibly having the arms shortened at a local metal shop. One thing I am definitely doing is stocking up on RainX.

Larry
LD Kanaster

OK somethings not right here,,, we have arms that are 7 1/2 inches long, and blades that are 7 inches long,,, and the blade mounting point is centered... they fit most cars but not Larry's???????? I'm confused now,,,,,,

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Somethings definatley amiss with the arms. They should be straight and I see yours have a bow in them. Where did you get them? I might have the old set in the shop I could send you for comparison. Matter of fact I dig them out later and get some pictures for you.

I thought about commenting on Gumby but figured I'd already went over the line.
LaVerne

Only thing left is to have him measure his "shaft".
There is no way I am going to ask a guy to measure his shaft ....I am not going there, nope, not gonna do it, not me.

Windscreen installed "further forward" than the rest of us?
David Sheward

David S,
I think you might be onto something,,, Check the location of the rubber on the shaft in reference to the windshield in Larry's TF compared to all ot the others,,,,It seems like larry's windshield rubber weatherstrip covers some of the shaft, where as on the other TF's it is not covering the shaft... Could it be that Larrys windshield is in fact further foward??????
I quess it would be easier to ask to measure his windshield rather than his shaft,,,

SPW

STEVE WINCZE

Or the "rake" is different ...more "upright"?
I'm wondering if at some point some work was done by someone with more TD experance than TF?
Correct me if wrong...the TF's windscreen has a more pronounced "rake" to it when compared to a TD.
A bit more rake would make the wipers hit at a lower point.

Bet LaVerne will know!
He's got the side by side.
David Sheward

A picture of the windscreen moved foward


STEVE WINCZE

If I put my windscreen "straight up and down"...my wipers hang over the top about the same as yours.


David Sheward

When at "normal".
Is this what's going on?
Screen not "raked" correctly?


David Sheward

Ok more pics

From the bottom of the wiper arm to the windscreen.


Yes the TD is slightly more upright but I measured from the same point out and on the TD and still get just about the same measurement.


LaVerne

To the bottom of the windscreen


LaVerne

An old wiper arm


I still think the arms are wacko with the bend. Alos ceck and see if the blade socket is centered on the blade. It doesn't look like it in the photo but that could just be the photo.


Now back to the photo shop and ....oh never mind.


LaVerne

One more :

Somebody should confirm this one...mine could be wrong!


David Sheward

I find it interesting how great minds tend to think alike. I kept looking at the windscreen as I had this feeling that it just didn't look correct. The rake should have been more pronounced. With Davids photo the rake is definitely more pronounced than on my car. I checked all of the measurements that y'all have been providing and they all check out on my car. The windscreen and brackets were removed for rechroming and the installation of new glass. This also provided a 'red flag'. If the windscreen were raked more, i.e. titled further aft, it would lower the wiper blades.
Having said all of this, I compared Davids photo with my windscreen. I may be in error but it looks to me that the shop installed the windscreen brackets on the wrong sides of the windscreen. The part I am attempting to describe are the windscreen side mounts that have the threaded 'bolts' that tighten/loosen the windscreen. If I take these sidemounts and reverse them (rather if I have the shop do it) it would definitely give the windscreen a more pronounced rake. I also installed the top just to check the fit and sure enough when I locked it onto the windscreen the back end was about 1" above the wood mounting at the rear of the cockpit.
I therefore think (and hope) that the problem has been found. I will write again once I get the brackets corrected.
LD Kanaster

Larry ,
Any chance they just put it on backwards? That would be an easy fix! If they did it "correctly" the little plate in the center should be on the inside of the screen. If you look at the picture of mine (with Gumby in it) you will see that mine is wrong! I have seen quit a few of them this way ...but it is not correct. I can see where if the screen was done correctly, but someone else put it back on they might think that id plate "belonges" on the outside.
Be nice if that did it!
Other thing would be to look at the "nubs" for the hood ...they should be to the "front".
If you are going to make them deal with it ...make them do it right!

That was a fun little mistery!
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Authentic Lucas wiper blades are 7 inches long. These are probably 30 years old: Bud



Bud Krueger

Good day Group:

Again, not being an M.G. expert, I had to rebuild the TC's windscreen to fit its hood (top).

I had one deuce of a time before finally redrilling the mounting holes for the bottom side supports (mounting stanchions). I had to renew the bottom four inches of the scuttle top on both sides and the first drillings found the inner holes, through the wooden scuttle side rails, were not aliging with the ones cut through the metal.

I took a poll, from several of the TABC group, regarding the distance from the inner, rolled edge of the scuttle, at the centre, to the lower frame piece at the centre of the "Auster" badge. This was with the windscreen in the normal upright position. I reckon I had about ten replies, with distances ranging between three and three-quarters inches to four.

One of the members reported that an ex-Factory worker had told him that the hood was attached to the bottom side supports, and both were stretched forward to what was felt to be an even and correct positioning. Then using the holes, in the supports as guides, they were further drilled through the scuttle side rails. This, I suspect, may account for the varied lengths between the inner scuttle edges and lower, windscreen frame pieces.

The varied distances given may not answer the query as to the correct "rake" for the windscreen but as the cars were handbuilt, that angle will probably vary. The above action satisfied my hood fitting and I consider the "rake", in my case, to be spot on.

Furthermore the angle may also depend on how in line with and how far above the seam; formed by the meeting of the scuttle edges and the front side panels, the bottom edges of the bottom side supports are placed.

I am probably way off the mark, with this babbling, so I am posting it for what, if anything, it may be worth.

Cheers then; respectfully:
Jack Emdall, TC6768/TD3191, New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.




kernow

IMHO:
Jack's post points out something very important we should all know by now, "the cars were handbuilt, that angle will probably vary"!

I can't think of a single subject on this site that has not come down to that at some point!

Part of what makes them so fun....get down to it ...they are all "one-off" cars.
David Sheward

Hi,
the windscreen supports are definitely on the wrong sides of the screen, if you look at the photo you will see a straight edge rather than the kinked edge. I have seen this before and the owner had made up new sidescreens to make up for it.
If you look at Dave Shewards photo you can see what I mean.14 Feb
Ray TF2884
Ray Lee

David,

Your Auster badge should be mounted on the dash side of the windscreen. Or did you mount the windscreen reversed?

An interesting thread though...

Jasper
JL Nederhoed

Jasper,
That's the way it came to me ...and something I was trying to let Larry know about.

(see above)
"If they did it "correctly" the little plate in the center should be on the inside of the screen. If you look at the picture of mine (with Gumby in it) you will see that mine is wrong!"

One of the little things I never got around to correcting from the PO. I had the car for a few years before I learned it was wrong because there seems to be so many of them that way. My guess is a lot of shops replacing windscreens simply did not pay attention to that detail.

Larry ,
Make them do your correctly whilst you have the chance!
David Sheward

David,

Sorry, I hadn't noticed.
JL Nederhoed

Jasper,
"You" didn't notice? I drove it for years before I did! LOL
Actually, almost told a guy at a show "his" was backwards...decided to keep my pie-hole shut, went home and did a little research! I would have looked quite funnny with my foot in my mouth.
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Haha...

Life is beautiful!
JL Nederhoed

Hi LD,
I was given a tip 30 years ago, when you have the uprights moved L to R leave out the bottom screw that is hidden by the cowl bracket, it means you can remove the windscreen at any time without dismantling the cowl bracket.I have manage to break 3 windsceens in 37 years of ownership and have never had the bottom screw on place since the first one.
Ray TF 2884
r lee

Funny, funny, gentlemen! I did a search for windshield wipers (for my 1979 mgb roadster) and this post came up. Almost spit my coffee on the monitor from laughing.
Ann E

Careful there Ann E, we get touchy when women start laughing at the length of our ...wipers. :-)
LaVerne

Hope springs eternal that we can put this issue to rest.
Here are pictures of my original arms and wiper blades
(discribed beforehand). These are the parts that were put on the car when it was built.
Windscreen has never been removed and is in the correct rake position.
Best I can do is go to the source. Blades are not marked Lucas and the mounts are different than the ones Bud has.
This is the "skinny"


Colin Stafford TF6688

Pictures of the blades Bud posted are for a TD and the two will not interchange.

You got washer sprayers on there Colin?
LaVerne

Collin.
Think we figured his winscreen was installed worng.
I'm wondering also...
What is that?


David Sheward

Yikes ...I have a finger out of "sync".
windscreen / wrong.
David Sheward

Makes sense. With the entire wiper mechanism being different, there's no reason to believe that the blades would mount in the same way. Or be the same length. Bud
Bud Krueger

E'gads David, the evil eyed one. They are windscreen washer jets that were also installed by dealer in Germany.
Under the right footwell is a flexible vinyl bag marked Blumels, for the fluid. It has filler cap on top. The fluid is pumped by a push/pull knob on the dash where the "MG" octagon emblem was. If you look at my thread on MG heaters I think you can see the pouch.
Colin Stafford TF6688

Poor picture the top of the pouch


Colin Stafford TF6688

Collin,
It surprised me that I had never noticed those on your car before.
When I fist got the TF I knew there were quite a few things “not right”.
For the first couple years I was obsessed with “setting it right”.
At some point I realized I was never going to “make” the car something it was not.
They are only “original” once, and mine had lost that chance long before I got it.
There were 2 cars that I thought I had studied very closely…yours and Mat’s.
Just surprised I never noticed those before as I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of your car!
You said the “knob” is where the “MG” emblem normally is. On the passenger side? (turn signal being on drivers side?)
Good grief …just dawned on me …for years a search of “MG” on fee-bay would return
pages & pages of “illuminated windshield washer nozzles” ….hmmmm do they make them for positive ground cars? LOL
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

LD, I hope you don't mind, but I rotated your photo to give us a better perspective of your windshield. Look to me like the wiper blade connection is off center. PJ


P. Jennings

PJ,
No offence intended ...we covered that one allready.
(He said they are centered...just the pic made it look like they were not.)
Think we figured out the windscreen was installed incorrectly after some repairs/re-chroming.
David Sheward

Dave, my washers are run with a plain old plunger pump handle, no electrics.
Look on the right side of the dash for the pump knob.
I have never used them but once, when I first bought the car. Kinda of a PITA to fill.

Did you read the thread about finding the best original TF in 2013, during an east coast GOF?


Colin Stafford TF6688

Colin,
Speaking of original,,,what is that chrome thing on the passenger door??

SPW
STEVE WINCZE

David, No offense taken. PJ
P. Jennings

Steve,
It looks like Colin has a period ash tray on the door. The first owner of my car mounted his in the glove box door.
Cheers, David
David Honness

Collin,
Saw the thread ...takeing yours there?

Think I would fill the washer with rain-x! That could be handy. LOL

You have chrome tonneau bars!

I have one of those ashtrays ...somewhere, got missplaced when I moved garages. Something else that's "in a safe place" for the kids to look for when I'm gone!
David Sheward

This thread was discussed between 13/02/2012 and 25/02/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

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