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MG MGB Technical - BGT rear door seals

I posted this originally under General and received two conflicting responses. I have a 70 GT and need to know where the two seals for the rear door are mounted. Moss lists the rear door seals as inner and outer. Are they both on the door or on the body and in which position. Presently my car only has one seal located on the door and extending half way down the sides.
LS Sheldon

OK LS, all I can do is show you some pictures I took before I stripped the rubbers off my tailgate (1969 car). In this one you can see the inner seal going all the way round the hatch (I'll prove that in the next photo), and if you look carefully, you can see the outer seal going along the top (held by the aluminium strip) and half way down the sides. On the left of the picture you can just see the end of it a smidge below the spring prop that holds the gate open.


Mike Howlett

Picture 2 shows the bottom of the tailgate (note the lock hole) and shows the inner seal held in place by being forced into the moulded channel on the door.


Mike Howlett

This is the good one showing the upper corner of the tailgate. The seal that goes all round the door is closest to the window and wiggles around the hinge mounting. The shorter seal is laid over it and held in place by a combination of the screwed down aluminium strip at the top and glue down the sides.

I repeat, there are no rubber seals attached to the body on my car. I have looked in Clausager's "Original MGB" book and in every photo where a GT is shown with its tailgate open, there is no seal on the body.

Hope this helps.


Mike Howlett

LS - Both seals are mounted to the door. I replaced the trashed seals on my '67 with new ones from Moss. They fit fine, but they squeak a lot when the weather's cold. I believe this is due to a combination of the rubber being less pliable when it's cold and the door being slightly too loose. I don't want to tighten the door, though, because the spacing between body and door is perfect now.

I have been considering putting a rubber molding around the mating flange on the body. Would be interested to hear if anyone else has tried this. -G.
Glenn G

Are the seals difficult to install? Any special tricks to make the job easier?
LS Sheldon

As I remember, it was not difficult to replace the seals. It was more trouble to remove the hatch from the car. I did that for painting and replaced the seals while I had it off. I would recommend photographing the original installation, especially the outer seal and aluminum holder, as they are not completely intuitive. -G.
Glenn G

As you see, I had the door off too. I reckon it would be hard with the door on the car. With the door on the bench, it was pretty straightforward. I used a small blunt screwdriver to help get the inner seal into the channel. The top seal seemed a mite short at first, but stretched OK and the aluminium bar held it fine.

Glenn, I have put a piece of edge trim at the lower corners of my tailgate opening as it is slightly the wrong curvature here and there was a small gap. I used this stuff http://www.woolies-trim.co.uk/p-1288-pvc-edge-trim.aspx I think if I put it all round it would prevent the door from closing.
Mike Howlett

Glenn,
You said it was more trouble removing the hatch. Was it just because the door is heavy and awkward to hold or is there something in adjusting the door?
LS Sheldon

Thanks for the tip, Mike. That stuff looks promising.

LS, you guessed right. The door is heavy and awkward, difficult to handle. I managed to remove and replace without assistance, but it would be better to have someone to help. -G.
Glenn G

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2009 and 10/02/2009

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