MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Cleaning seat foam

I am filling the original Lucas foam with foam cubes as per Gorden Lawson.
Before I do I need to clean out the remains of all the little love letters the critters that have lived in there have left me.

What can I use?
I am thinking of bleach and TSP but I dont know if this will eat up the original latex.

Any suggestions?

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

Jim -

I beefed up the Dunlopillo in my TF seats last week using Gordon's photos and info. I probably should have disinfected them, but I didn't. However, I did spray some Febreze on them to soften the aroma of decaying latex.

Your task is to kill the viruses from rodent and insect feces. Chlorine bleach would probably be best for the job. However, bleach could damage the thread in the pleats and piping on the seat covers, so avoid getting them wet. Bleach will also corrode the captive nuts in the plywood bases that secure the tracks. Don't think that it will damage the latex (?) but obviously test a spot for a few days before forging ahead.

The plywood bases of my TF seats are open, not slotted like TD seat bases. I did not remove the covers. I stuffed the foam cubes through the open bases. Secured the foam with 1/2-inch plyood retainers slid into place above the seat bases. I hope to post pics and description of my seats soon. I may tweak them by adding foam to the outer edges to improve support. Don't know if possible. Without the side support, they kinda feel like I'm sitting on a bowling ball, but my wife and I can see over the dash for the first time since I bought the car!

Lonnie
TF7211

LM Cook

Thanks Lonnie. I have the seats totally apart. I purchased a new seat back board from Moss. I could have made on and should have, but I thought it would be easier. I could see, without removing the seat covers the back board was de-laminating.
Yesterday the upholsterer who is going to install my Moss covers came by and we stripped the old ones off. My car had been recovered in the 60's and the original leather seats were still underneath and in better conditions than the covers.
however the seat bottoms need to be replaced. They are cracked in the area where the two captive nuts hold the hinge that locks into the back. I have some 3/4 Baltic birch on order.

I have added the foam cubes to the corners. and outer sockets. I am using a 14" band-saw to cut the foam. Its very easy. For the corners and outer wells I cut a 1/2" wide by 1" deep slot to fit over the slanted molded bar in the socket. It seems to make the new foam fit well.

I don't think I will try to keep it in with anything since by seat bases cover most of the opening.

I will have, shortly, dimensioned drawings of the TD seat bottoms.

If I dont hear form other members I will try some diluted bleach tomorrow.

Jim B.


JA Benjamin

I used my bandsaw to cut the foam also. Nothing better.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Lonnie. I have used an electric knife. It has two blades that reciprocate. I have cut up to 6" hard foam that way.
Sandy
P.S. Glad to see that you are enjoying that TF.
ss sanders

Jim

When i stripped my TF seats the original foam swabs were in far worse shape than those you displayed. It was obvious that some time in the cars past it had been submerged in a flood the foam pockets were full of silt and spiders remains.

I bit the bullet hit the swabs with a high pressure hose, completely submerged the swabs in a strong detergent and water mix, wrung the excess water out and then left them several days in the Aussie sunshine to dry.

Repacking with high density foam cubes and a sheet of 10mm foam under the seat cover has resulted in a pair of very comfortable seats. I also followed Gordons advice and glued insect screen gauze over the slits in the seat base to keep the nasties out.

Sometimes drastic measures provide positive outcomes.

Graeme
G Evans

Never use bleach on foam rubber... it can badly damage the rubber and shorten its lifetime. Use something mild like Woolite and as above, put it in the sunshine for a few days to dry.
Kevin McLemore

This thread was discussed between 27/07/2014 and 28/07/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now