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MG TD TF 1500 - TF Cowl Rubber Thickness?

Again, I've searched the archives without success. If I recall correctly I read somewhere that the rubber strip, cowl to hood that Moss provides is way to thick. That is, the flat portion where the hood/bonnet contacts when closed. I measured the one I bought from Moss and it's approx 4 mm thick. I think I read that it should be approx 1.5 mm thick. (1.5 mm seems to thin to me.)
I'm aware of the chance Moss made on round portion of the strip but now I'm questioning the flat area thickness.
Can someone tell me what the proper thickness should be? Thanks.
L Staller

LS
There was quite a bit of discussion of this rubber 3 or 4 months ago. Try the archives under "cowel to hood rubber". The issue would be the same for TD and TF cars.
When I recently restored my TF, this was the one and only piece of rubber that I re-used. I felt that my 40 year old rubber was better than what I got new, for a couple of reasons. It was overly thick and the "round portion" was not the shape I wanted.

It seems that a better rubber can be bought from Brown and Gammons in the UK, among others.

Tom
'54 TF
T Norby

Here you go
http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/or17?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=8&subjectar=8&thread=20140724225805896
Christopher Couper

Lots of talk about the rubber piece that Moss sells but primarily concerning the round portion that sits on the cowl. I'm attempting to determine if the thickness of the flat area is thicker then needed on the Moss part.
In one of the photos it looks like the rubber from B&G is thinner then the other ones available. That's why I'm trying to determine what the proper size is (thickness).
How about what Abington Spares? Has anyone used their cowl rubber? If so how thick is the flat area? Thanks,
Lou
L Staller

Lou: While the Moss and its sellers parts are about 1 mm thicker than the B&G one, it has its own set of issues too. I think the post above, but others for sure, mention the issues.

You can get the Moss derivatives to work just fine if there are two people to help install it. Follow the instructions on the link in the post I quoted on the Original MGTD site. It may also be dependent on how much of a step there is where the round corner goes. You really have to work the corners of the cowl to get everything shoved into position.

At one time I think Paul or Frank talked to Moss who agreed to start selling a better round side than what they do, but I am not sure if that was adopted or if ready yet. You could ask Moss. Call to speak to Mike Grant.

BTW its been this way since the early 70's because that's about the only piece of rubber on my car that has not failed in less than a year. The junk rubber that is out their today has no life in it. Nobody cares because once they sell it, its your problem, and the solution is for them to sell you another crummy piece of rubber in a few years time. Its an annuity to the parts suppliers.
Christopher Couper

Lou the following rubber is identical in every respect to the rubber that was originally fitted to the TF. I have compared both a piece of the original & a piece of the following: Scuttle to Bonnet Rubber (Spectrum Rubber & Panels P/N 234.008) & they are EXACTLY the same. This was verified by about thirty T Type owners at the last TF seminar held at Gosford earlier in the year, when both samples were closely examined. Close enough is not good enough for me either which is why I no longer buy from Moss. Spectrum Rubber is an Australian Company selling quality rubber products. Just Google for the details. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, could you possibly measure the thickness of the flat area of the rubber where the bonnet top sits when closed? The Moss reproduction piece measures 4mm and seems to be too thick. Could you measure the one you obtained from Spectrum Rubber so we can see how off the Moss piece is, if at all. Thanks in advance. Lou
L Staller

Lou I don't have a sample. This is just one of the many items that was discussed at the TF seminar. My original rubber is still in great condition so I'm reusing it. However I've just called Spectrum & they advise the flat area is 3mm thick & 15mm wide. This makes the Moss item about 30% thicker than the original so not only is the curve wrong but the flat section as well! (Close enough wouldn't be good enough for Al).. The cost per metre of the Spectrum product P/N 234.008 is Oz $16.63. Hope this helps. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,

Please email me. Dirtydish AT comcast DOT net

Frank
Frank Cronin

Hi All,
Have just measured the thickness of my original cowl rubber with a vernier gauge & taken a photograph that shows both the compressed section from the hood/bonnet & the original height where the hood/bonnet did not meet the rubber.
Compressed thickness 3.9mm
Non compressed thickness 4.6mm
Cheers John


J.K. Chester-Freeman

John,
Thanks for measuring the cowl rubber. Based on your measurements it looks like the 4mm Moss provided part is close to being the correct thickness. My hood/bonnet sits nicely on the cowl except where the rubber rolls around the curved corner of the cowl. Being that the rubber is 4mm thick it's not very flexible and wants to bunch up. I might purchase some from Spectrum Rubber to see how their 3mm thickness fits. Or, maybe I'm making too much out of nothing? Once I do the final tacking it may just fit nicely. At least I can hope so.
L Staller

If you install the cowl rubber under tension I believe your problem will be resolved. I am not a concourse compliant restorer I fixed my rubber using stainless steel self tappers which resolves corrosion issues and makes adjustment simple.
G Evans

Glenn is absolutely correct about the tension. And when I looked at my instructions (link below) I noticed I left that tidbit off so I have just added this text:

If you need to replace the rubber cowl strip you should consider doing this with help. It must be done with the rubber strip in tension and pressed up tightly to the lip of the cowl. The round part of the rubber rests on the cowl while its notched back sits up against the lip. It will take two sets of hands to get this positioning, especially at the corners of the cowl. You need to work from the center out and downwards, tacking as you go. One person holds tension and position while the other aligns and tacks every few inches. Make sure you don't let the rubber leave the lip or else you will have a wavy line to the cowl strip.

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_bonnet.htm
Christopher Couper

Frank you have mail. John yours is thicker than the original sample provided by Ron Taylor who is a major restorer here. Graeme & Chris are both correct about the corner Lou. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Just back from measuring the rubber on my car. It is also 4.6mm non compressed. I bought the car in 1969 so I can only assume the rubber must have been replaced prior to then as it is definitely thicker than the original TF rubber tabled at the TF seminar. Ron also mentiond that applying Glycerine will help rejuvinate old rubber which may assist in dealing with the corners. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hi Peter,
Will email you re parcel as soon as iinet sought out there current problems.
The cowl rubber was on my TF when I purchased it in 1969.
It was starting to show signs of cracking on the curves then but I was unable to locate another so it was left on the car.
From the way the car had been looked after by POs I don't believe it had ever been replaced.
And I am inclined to believe it is original.
But & this will always be a grey area.
Cheers John
J.K. Chester-Freeman

Frank you have mail.
P Hehir

Thanks to everyone that helped by measuring their cowl rubber strip. I'm thinking it's safe to say that the 4mm strip that Moss provides is very close to what the factory used. (except for the shape of the round section)
So with that I'm most likely going to use the new one I have and will certainly have a buddy help me install it by maintaining some tension on it as I tack it down. I'm months away from painting the body so I have lots of time to look at other cars and see what they've done to fit the rubber strip. Until then I'm moving onto other areas of the car to keep it moving along. Fun times!
L Staller

This thread was discussed between 07/10/2014 and 12/10/2014

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