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MG MG Y Type - Fitting the sun roof

My YB has almost reached the spraying stage, after almost every panel has been filled, repaired, reshaped and refitted. I'm having trouble with the sun roof though, or the sliding head as the workshop manual calls it. It was separate from the car when I got it, and wasn't helped by falling off the trailer when being delivered. I am loathe to remove the roof and headlining from my YA to see how it should be fitted so I'd like some advice from people who have refitted one recently (I'm looking at you Chris Pick!).
How does the roof run on the fixed runners, is there a pad to stop it scraping metal to metal?
Has anyone got dimensions/drawings for the centralising rod? Is it secured to the fixed frame, sliding within the roof? Where is it fixed to?
If anyone has any photos or drawings or advice I'll be very grateful.
Peter
P S Sharp

Hi Peter,
There are 4 tabs with holes in on the sunroof towards the rear of the sunroof. When I stripped mine there was pieces of felt secured with bifurcated rivets to each one. I first replaced the felt and rivets with new, however after fitting the sunroof I found that it was difficult to slide along the runners. The felt stopped the metal contact but made it difficult to slide. I then removed the sunroof and removed the felt replacing the rivets with domed head brass bifurcated rivets so that the sunroof slides on the brass rivet heads along the runners. The sunroof now slides in the runners much easier.

The center rod is approximately 1/2 wide X 1/8 thick, length is a guess but about 12" it secures on steel crossmember behind the sunroof opening by a small nut and bolt. This rod needs to be located into the sunroof guide first before you locate the sunroof onto its runners.

I have attached a couple of photos there the best I have you can just see the centre rod in the sunroof.

However If the centre rod is not fitted and poking out of the headlinning you will need to remove the headlinning to fit it.

If you are concerned about fitting the headlinning Jack Murry has written a superb booklet with excellent instructions and pictures which makes fitting the headlinning a doddle. You can by this booklet for £10 pounds from the MG register Y type.

Hope this helps Chris



C A Pick

Hi Peter,
along the runners. The sunroof now slides in the runners much easier.

The center rod is approximately 1/2 wide X 1/8 thick, length is a guess but about 12" it secures on steel crossmember behind the sunroof opening by a small nut and bolt. This rod needs to be located into the sunroof guide first before you locate the sunroof onto its runners.

I have attached a couple of photos there the best I have you can just see the centre rod in the sunroof.

However If the centre rod is not fitted and poking out of the headlinning you will need to remove the headlinning to fit it.

If you are concerned about fitting the headlinning Jack Murry has written a superb booklet with excellent instructions and pictures which makes fitting the headlinning a doddle. You can by this booklet for £10 pounds from the MG register Y type.

Hope this helps Chris



C A Pick

dropped a goolie with the last post !!!!!!!!! trigger happy

Heres another photo

Chris

C A Pick

Chris,
This topic has come up a couple of times over the years. Since you have some photos etc. would you like to write up an article and send it in to me on Sunroof fitting for the website? If you do, please do not embed the pictures in the document you send but send them as separate files. It would be good to have something permanent on the site.

Thanks

Paul
Paul Barrow

Like Chris I found the felt dragged a bit too much, so I dripped hot candle wax on to the felt to waterproof it and provide some lubrication. Any oil or grease (or Lanolin) applied to the felt tabs would accumulate dirt & grit over time making the roof drag again. Wax is the best "dry" lubricant I have found for the sunroof slides.

If you can get some beeswax, that's even better than candle wax - just melt gently in a small pot and pour on the felt tabs & work it in once cooled. Apply some cold wax to the painted surfaces of the slide rails too. then lightly polish by hand with a soft cloth.

But like everything on our cars (including the Jackall System), if you don't use it regularly, it will give you trouble when you really need it !.

Removing the sunroof & cleaning the slides is something that should be done every 2-3 years if you use your car in all weather conditions.

On a hot day here in Australia, opening the roof and the windscreen provides a refreshing breeze on your face driving through our great outdoors. Brilliant days !.

Just my 2c's worth !.
A L SLATTERY

That's great, just what I wanted, I knew you'd come up with the goods Chris, thanks. The advice about the wax from you Mr. Slattery is good too, I would not have thought about that; I'm looking forward to that one day next year when I can drive with roof and windscreen open.
I have Jack's excellent booklet on headlining, I've even bought a sprung pin hammer to do it with.
One supplementary question, what is the best thing to use to pin into when refitting the lining? All the stuff in the channels disappeared when the body was blasted.
Peter
P S Sharp

Hi Peter,

I was fortunate as the existing twisted paper packings were all still in good condition so I was able to reuse them.
I have given some thought as to what could be used replace it and the best I can suggest is to try a square section rubber silicon compound,I have attached a supplier they will send you a sample to try, and you can buy it by the metre.

http://www.polymax.co.uk/silicone-products/square-section/silicone-rubber-square-section

Let us know if it does the job, if successful, Paul could add the supplier list.

Another suggestion I have is that when you come to trimming the headlining the original hidum is virtually impossible to get hold off. So I used a chair banding braid supplied by J A Milton see link, although not original it finishes the trim off lovely see attached photo, I secured the braid with a hot clue gun

http://jamiltonupholstery.co.uk/show_similar_detail.asp?prod=5194&dept=25

Cheers Chris

PS Paul I will write a short article regarding fitting the sunroof for you sometime over the next month.


C A Pick

Another photo

C A Pick

My good friend Bill Spall replaced the wrapped paper with strips of thin plywood glued in place - once the glue was dried you had a 10mm wide nailing strip.

You can also just make your own wrapped paper strips & insert them - I have not tried this myself, but have heard of people doing it in the past. The only trick is getting it all in place before the glue goes off - I understand a PVA glue was used with commercial "brown wrapping paper", not newspaper.

Good Luck

Tony
A L SLATTERY

I replaced some of the missing scrolled paper with short pieces of MDF. When I needed to make a curve I made shorter sections than if it was a straight run. These were then simply hammered into the channel as the depth of the MDF board was just slightly wider than the width of the channel. Worked a treat for me.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thanks for all this advice and suggestions for materials to use. I'll get some samples to try out; I like the replacement for the hidem strip Chris, looks very classy. I must admit that I was very near the 'why on earth did I start this' stage and this help has re-enthused me.
P S Sharp

As to the non-availability of the hidem banding ... actually this IS available for Ys from Mike Collingburn. Please see his entry on the LINKS page under http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/imgytr/links.shtml#Coachwork

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul,

You are correct but Mike is about the only supplier for the correct hidem and as you need around 10 meters the cost is prohibitive.

Faced between paying £15 per meter for the correct Hidem and £1.68p per meter for the braid it is a no brainer especially after the cost of a full nut and bolt rebuild.

I also think it looks better, but thats only my opinion.

Chris
C A Pick

When I was down in my shop just now I noticed on the shelf a product that I have not tried yet but that was suggested to me as a substitute for the compressed paper filler and it is http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/gallery_item/MakinsByJBH/35115.

The basic product is quite bulky but it was suggested to me to open it up, and split it down and roll it up again. Any way, it is another suggestion that someone can try sometime.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My motor trimmer friend tells me that an old fan belt makes a good substitute for the compressed paper used originally. I don't know if that's what he used in my car (if any, as mine still had most of the paper in it), and I don't intend pulling the headlining out to look!

He used West of England headlining material(sourced from BAS International in UK)and plain hidem binding covered in the same wool fabric, purchased from Woolies for £3.80 incl VAT. It's not strictly original, I know, but looks fantastic, and I am very happy with the end result.

I wasn't aware until ten minutes ago that the original style lacy Hidem is available from Mike Collingburn. Sounds like my ignorance might have saved me a few dollars/pounds.

(The flash used to take the attached image bas 'bleached' the actual colour of the interior which, in real life is very close to the original beige).

N Wakeman

This thread was discussed between 09/11/2013 and 24/11/2013

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