Changing the rear screen on an MGF: Iain Ross

Whoops!

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:14:03 GMT

Here is Rita-Sue's rear screen (This is Julie's MGF, my TF is called Bob - so naming Julie's car was a sinch!!). I carelessly chucked the hood down late at night the other week (in August!!) and cracked the rear screen.

Closeup of the damage

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:14:15 GMT

I temporarily selotaped up the tear.

Getting started

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:14:27 GMT

First thing to do is to unclip the rear clamping bar. From inside the car, behind the parcel shelf carpet there are several spring clips, 5 in all I think. Release them to enable you to pull the rear clamping bar up, and fold the hood back toward the centre of the car. It may be a bit stiff, as are the clips sometimes, and when they release then can bruise your fingers so do take care!!

When the clamping bar is folded back, you can peel off the protective foam to reveal the rivets you need to drill out to release the lower part of the screen.

Remove the rivets

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:14:56 GMT

First protect the bodywork with a sheet and have a hoover on standby to suck up the swarf. Starting from the centre, drill out the rivets using a 3.2mm drill bit or 1/8 in old money. Start from the centre and work outwards to the edge of the screen. On the MGF there are three clamping strips of metal, one central one and a futher two - one on each side. In order to release the screen you will need to remove two rivets from the side clamping strips to allow you to get the central strip off, and of course the rear screen section.

Remove the section...

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:15:07 GMT

You can see more clearly how the screen section comes out at the bottom in this shot, the side clamping strip lies over the top of the cetral one, and holds the velcro tabs down. When clear, the rear section will come out all except for where it is attached to the top of the hood by the zipper.

Zipper!

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:15:19 GMT

Here you can see the zip, and how its clamped at the bottom. If you peel off the small square of velcro, you will find a metal clamp, you can prise this off with a screwdriver and then completely undo the zip.

Zip clamp off

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:15:31 GMT

Et voila - the zip is free to come undone.

Unzip!

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:15:46 GMT

With the zip undone, you can completely remove the rear screen section of the hood.

Screen Removed

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:15:59 GMT

Once removed the hood looks like this... Quite like it! There is a great view now... no need for greygate!!

This is the time to hoover out all the swarf and clean up the rear clamping bar. You may need to clear the rivet holes with your drill. I used 3.2mm drill bit for this. You don't want to scratch the new screen when you fit it!

Fit the new screen...

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:16:29 GMT

Next position your new screen in place. You may want to warm the plastic up a little with a hair dryer or heat gun (be careful!!!!) to make it a bit more supple to position properly. When this is done, place the clamping strip over the hood section, and line up the central hole. This is the only hole on the clamping strip that is circular. The rest are elongated clearance holes.

Rivet them in place - for clarity in the photos I used aluminium rivets - besides which my spare black painted rivets were in a box in Bob's bonnet space 220miles away!!

Continue rivetting

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:16:42 GMT

Work your way out from the centre symetrically on both sides until you have completed the rear clamping strip. You then need to sort out the side bits... Read on!

Finished Article

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:13:49 GMT

Shot (albeit a bit late in the day) of the finished rear screen... Job well done - Phew!

Finished riveting..

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:17:08 GMT

This is what it should look like when you've finished riveting... All that is left to do is to mate the zip and zip it up!

It is important to make sure the screen is nice and supple when you do this - you don't want to crack your new screen!!

The side bits

(Iain Ross) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 20:16:54 GMT

The most complex part of the proceedure is sorting out the side bits. Place the rear clamping strip over one of the rubber strips, the other goes over the top. Rivet the end of the rear clamping strip, then the side clamp goes over the top of the whole lot. I used a slightly bigger rivet (same diameter body but larger head) as was used originally.