Roadster Windscreens

Having real trouble refitting the windscreen frame back on my 71 roadster - can anyone help me out with tips/advice/bitter experience?

what kind of trouble? There are all kinds of troubles you can have with an MGB windshield.

OK here goes........

The frame was completely off following fitting off new screen & rubbers - I am trying to align the boltholes in the mounting at the bottom of the screen frame with the holes in the mounting points forward of each door. Problem is that they never close to lining up. The rubber seal that lies against the car is correctly positioned but its still not a close fit - nearest we have got is by holding frame against car body using G-clamps

Any ideas?

Cheers Nigel

I have been succesful using a drift punch to get the bottom holes lined up then have someone pull back on the frame till you get the top bolts in. Good luck on the RH side on pre 72 without the glove box. I will take the brake warning light out on the LH side and use a wobble socket with extention to get that one in. On the 72 and up taking the glovebox out gives you access the the RH side. Once you get the top bolts in then take the drift punch out and have someone push the frame foward using the upper bolt as the pivot point to get the bottom bolt in. Then 0ther times I have had to start the two center bolts on top of the dash and tighten them down to pull the frame down. That's usually when I have put a new frame to body seal in ( that's a bad day). It may be that you will have to take the dash out. It's real easy then. I dought you will have to do that.

Tom,

Thanks - sounds like good advice & a job for next weekend

Nigel

When I did the same job on my 79B I used a small dentist mirror to look inside the holes to be ligned up. The mirror is a little round mirror on a short plastic stick. I think you can get that at drug stores.
I also used plenty of light to see deep in the hole.
I moved the windshield around until I could see with the mirror that the lower holes lined up and then I inserted the bolt easily.
Hope it helps.

I remember reading in one of the various windscreen fitting threads, that someone had found some General Motors bolts that were tapered and had the same thread as the original MG bolts. Others have suggested tapering the originals on a bench grinder. This alledgedly makes the bolts easier to start, which everyone seems to agree is a problem.

Over the years, I've noticed the British have some sort of phobia about chamfering lead threads on their fasteners and threaded holes. Re-chamfering lead threads (bench grinder or countersink) works wonders.

Tom's aligning punch idea works great and doesn't destroy any plating on the bolt so it can start rusting easily.

I was going to say "Grind the suckers" but JDW is right. One other tip that helped me ( besides getting fat so you can put extra downward weight on the windscreen) :
if you have replaced the frame to body seal, loose fit the windscreen assembly to the car, don't try to bolt anything down, and let it sit for 24 hours. It will slightly relax the F2B seal a tad. Then get a helper, lay a length of strong twine under the seal front to back and like flossing your teeth use a sawing action while you move across the length of the windscreen to uncurl and lay flat the seal. What ever you do, don't relax downward pressure or you will have to start over. I like to get the two center bolts over the dash started first so the whole damned thing doesn't pop back up,then move on to the pillar bolts. Once the pillar bolts are in, go back to the center bolts and finish tightening them. One last stupid tip: if you do start the center bolts first, use two strings, one on either side of the center bolts. With the bolts in place you can't go all the way from left pillar to right pillar with one string!!!!!!

I have not replaced a windshield yet, but I anticipate doing so when I repaint the car. So I have been reading this thread with great interest.

Question: would a heat gun or hair dryer applied to the seal help soften it up a bit and make it easier to fit? Perhaps soaking it in a bucket of hot water for 15 minutes before installing it?

Peter,

Thanks - already got fat (so my wife tells me) and it didn't help too much.

Your other advice sounds good especially starting with centre holes - didn't think of this last time but will certainly try.