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MG TD TF 1500 - Windscreen rain leak

I have a left hand drive 1951 TD. The wiper motor is on the right.
I installed the flat Moss rubber gasket in the windscreen frame to hold the glass. It works fairly well to keep out rain even in a hard rain. However, there is a small leak where the two bolts go through the top side of the windscreen frame on the left side. Not only are there two bolts here but there is also the left wiper post going through here as well.
I wonder if anyone has an idea for a simple fix. Something short of taking the windscreen off the car and disassembling it. I thought of a rubber washer under the head of each bolt but I am concerned that this would be visible and it does not do anything to seal the hole for the left wiper post. Small rubber washers may not be visible if they are smaller than the heads of the bolts but I wonder if small ones will work. I can try this but maybe someone has a better idea.
Thanks,
Milton
Milton Babirak

A small shot of black RTV under each head. Tighten the screw down and wipe off any excess RTV that oozes out. No more rain past the screw.
Note: The T series cars are NOT 100% water proof. Living in the Pacific Northwest where the rain as always present, we have learned to live with the occasional leak in our TD, but that has not stopped us from driving the car in the rain (and the occasional snow storm). So far the car has proven that it is not made of sugar cubes and the rainwater has not been detrimental of the car as long as it has a dry garage to dry out. Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

Thanks, Dave.
I just did it and it was a pretty simple procedure. Let's hope it works.
Thanks again.
Milt
Milton Babirak

I am a Brit by birth and lived there into my 20's. It is always a source of amusement to me that the UK could be the home of such awful wiper systems and weather equipment!
S Griffin

Simon I have always had the same thought. After owning many Brit roadsters, I never could understand their love of side curtains, lack of defrosting, lack of door handles to get in or out or terrible wiper systems just to mention a few things. Had to be young and stupid to own and drive one. Guess now we are just the latter.

Honestly the TR3 has the best fitting side curtains. They seem to be heavier and are better at staying in place in high wind. When the MGA was a daily driver I had a string that I tied to each side curtain to keep them from flopping and from letting in to much rain. I also had a slicker to lay over my legs to keep my clothes from getting to wet. In the winter I always had a rag to wipe the inside of the window, drove with gloves and carried a blanket. Guess wood floors made a lot of sense under those conditions.

I do not worry so much these days since I try to only drive them on good weather days. No body would buy a car like these today. Times surely have changed.

Joe
JWP Policastro

All I can say is that post WW2 we Brits were pretty skint compared to many Americans, I think. Few cars even had proper heaters - they were usually only at extra cost. There was also a shortage of materials and of course food rationing for several years. I imagine these were the real reasons for such minimalistic design.
Dave H
es1

This thread was discussed between 20/04/2017 and 22/04/2017

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