Boot seal... lid or body, that is the question.
One of my goals with the '76 MG is to replace all of the seals wherever it made sense. One of the "trouble" areas is the boot lid. The old seal was original and had been painted over so it seemed like a good candidate for replacement. Boy was that a mistake!
So, I ordered a new seal for the boot lid from my favorite MG parts provider, Moss Motors, and when it arrived went to work.
After removing the old lid seal it didn't think refitting the new one would be much of an issue. I was mostly right. Installing the new seal was really a matter of using the right tools, WD40 and some patience.
I removed the boot lid from the car and placed it on my work surface. This made the process a whole lot easier. And popping the seal into the channel went well enough. Once that was done I move the lid back to the car and bolted it back into place. Then the trouble started...
I could not get the lid to latch. I tried slamming it, gently pushing on it, and adjusting the hinges. Nothing. After reading a few forum posts on The MG Experience it became clear to me that the new lid seals were not as squishy (technical term) and this prevent the lid from closing. Most recommendations were to use the body seal instead.
So, I reached out to Moss Motors for support. I wanted to be sure that what I was purchasing was the right item and confirm what others were saying. Ken from Tech Services at Moss Motors confirmed the approach and the part I needed. (those folks are great at Moss!)
Well, after ordering and receiving the new body seal I went back to work.
I removed the lid seal and the lid from the car. The body seal installation is much easier. You simply line up the seal groove over the the body lip around the boot compartment and encourage it into place. I used my trusty rubber mallet.
With the body seal in place I refitted the lid and tried to latch it. It is a tight fit but with some patience and gentle persuasion the lid did latch.
In my opinion going with the body seal is the best way to go. My recommendation would be to leave the old seal in place if it doing the job.
So, I ordered a new seal for the boot lid from my favorite MG parts provider, Moss Motors, and when it arrived went to work.
After removing the old lid seal it didn't think refitting the new one would be much of an issue. I was mostly right. Installing the new seal was really a matter of using the right tools, WD40 and some patience.
I removed the boot lid from the car and placed it on my work surface. This made the process a whole lot easier. And popping the seal into the channel went well enough. Once that was done I move the lid back to the car and bolted it back into place. Then the trouble started...
I could not get the lid to latch. I tried slamming it, gently pushing on it, and adjusting the hinges. Nothing. After reading a few forum posts on The MG Experience it became clear to me that the new lid seals were not as squishy (technical term) and this prevent the lid from closing. Most recommendations were to use the body seal instead.
So, I reached out to Moss Motors for support. I wanted to be sure that what I was purchasing was the right item and confirm what others were saying. Ken from Tech Services at Moss Motors confirmed the approach and the part I needed. (those folks are great at Moss!)
Well, after ordering and receiving the new body seal I went back to work.
I removed the lid seal and the lid from the car. The body seal installation is much easier. You simply line up the seal groove over the the body lip around the boot compartment and encourage it into place. I used my trusty rubber mallet.
With the body seal in place I refitted the lid and tried to latch it. It is a tight fit but with some patience and gentle persuasion the lid did latch.
In my opinion going with the body seal is the best way to go. My recommendation would be to leave the old seal in place if it doing the job.
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