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MG MGB Technical - GT Tailgate Seals

Working to replace the seals on my 67 GT. Kit ordered was from McGregor, and Martin knew this was a 67 GT MK I car.

My tailgate hatch has the 1/2 size soft rubber compressed by the aluminum strip. It also has a channel on it where a second rubber seal fit around the Hatch.

The body has the metal edge all around the hatch area.

Kit had the soft rubber 1/2 seal and also a seal meant to fit on the edge of the body. It did not have the rubber that was in the channel on the hatch.

When I have the three in place, the hatch does not close. WIthout the seal all around the body lip, it closes. Prior to this, I did not have a seal on the body.

Moss does not show a seal to fit on the medal edge on the body.

Anyone give me what is correct for the MK1 GT?
Bruce Cunha

The roadster boot seal can either be on the lip of the opening or on the lid according to year, not both, and both types are shown in the catalogue.

I'm not aware of both options for the GT (the parts catalogue only indicates one type throughout), and my RB is on the htch. But it's possible it changed like the roadster, the point being there should only be one seal all the way round, plus the part-seal, not two full seals plus the part seal.
Paul Hunt

From Clausager's list of production changes:

Feb '68, GT: improved seal for tailgate.

Mar '76, roadster: new boot lid seal fitted to lip of boot aperture instead of boot lid.
Brian Shaw

As far as I know the GT hatch should only have a seal on the hatch together with the 3/4 seal around the top. There isn't supposed to be any seal on the body opening.

I built mine like that and suffered from day one with exhaust fumes being drawn in round the bottom corners of the hatch. Made my lady and I feel quite nauseous. After trying all sorts of adjustments and extra bits of seal, I bought a roadster boot seal for fitting on the body opening. This isn't long enough to go right round the hatch, so I left the top part of the original hatch seal in place, and fitted the body seal round the lower three quarters, from where I cut off the hatch rubber seal. Problem solved, and 5 years later it is still fine.

The seal that fits on the hatch is like a flat rubber blade and I reckon that either the new one was too hard to conform to the shape, or the fit of the hatch wasn't quite good enough. Either way, the seal round the opening has cured the exhaust gas leak and all is serenity in the car.
Mike Howlett

Thanks all. I will give Martin a call to see if he has the seal for the hatch and send the body seal back. Only reason I am replacing is the rubber is deteriorating.
Bruce Cunha

This product info may be of interest:
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/graphics/uk/instructions/MGB-boot-lid-seal-AHH7833.pdf
It compares OE tailgate/boot seal with a recently manufactured one.
Brian Shaw

That hollow seal is significantly harder to compress than the original sponge seal, which could well lead to failure to seal at some points. I looked into this a while ago for someone else when the hollow seal was no good. Have a look at SRS 108 and SRS 1920 from http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/uploadedDocuments/sealsDirectCatalogueIssue8.pdf, http://www.martins-rubber.co.uk/downloads/Martins_Rubber_Extrusion_Catalogue_2013_revision_1.pdf and http://www.phoenixtrim.co.uk/Portals/Phoenix/PDF%20Files/Vehicles/M%20G%20Cat%20Lea%20Jan%202013.pdf
Paul Hunt

I had a conversation with Martin from McGregor. It appears he also reads the posts. He pointed out the tht rubber seal for the GT that goes in the slot on the hatch has not been found to work well with the current design (harder and not as compressing as the original). Their answer was a seal similar to what the convertible uses, but long enough to fit on the GT.

So, we remove the one that goes in the slot, leave the one that attaches with the aluminum bar and put the one on the edge of the body to seal the hatch.
Bruce Cunha

Just what I was saying! Nice to be right occasionally.
Mike Howlett

This thread was discussed between 23/02/2014 and 02/03/2014

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