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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Door Mirror Fix

Since my engine no longer leaks oil I have been driving quicker :-) A much happier state of affairs even though my mileage is suffering :-(
However at higher speeds the drivers door mirror flops down and in and I can no longer see the idiots who hold back to admire my car when they have caught me up and are in the overtaking lane behind me. (Note the outer lane on any road is the overtaking lane and I drive in the normal driving lane unless overtaking). I usually drive along fast single and multi lane A roads in normal regular to heavy traffic so this is fairly essential.
Its a standard factory chrome door mirror on a standard door mount.

Is it possible to tighten the 'swivel' of the mirror?
Has anyone done it?
And if so how?

Thanks in advance. Dave
Dave Squire

I tightened a screw on the underside of the mirror housing which increased pressure on the ball joint of the mirror, seemed a lot better afterwards.
Dominic Excell

more intrested how you got an oil leak free engine
mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

It depends which mirror you have.

I've looked at your vehicle profile and can't see a mirror on the car or the wheelbarrow.

IIRC with the Tex mirrors, you need to remove the glass in order to tighten the screw. To do this, you apply light pressure to the glass to push it back into the housing, then prise the black plastic surround out.

There are two different methods employed to keep pressure on the glass - either a large spring, or four small foam pads glued to the edges of the glass.

The spring rarely causes a problem, but the foam pads tend to lose their springiness and can allow the glass to rattle.

I've found that filling the housing with a screwed up piece of bubble wrap does an admirable job!
Dave O'Neill 2

""""IIRC with the Tex mirrors, you need to remove the glass in order to tighten the screw. """"

Hmmm....

Seriously, id think using a claw hammer to beat on your own nut sack for 20 minutes would not be as painful as your little trick of removing then reinstalling the door glass, (sure no issues there, just take out the door glass to tighten this little screw....that sure sounds easy enough to me...hahaha) NOT !!!

What about somekind of anchor system or welding some captive nuts on to the door skin to hold the mirror

Heck even lucus wing convex mirrors centered overbthe front tires would be a better idea then removing the door glass

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

If it's a Tex mirror (standard BL), there's a screw easily adjusted for stiffness.

I wrote the following on mirrors. Includes a picture of tightening, at the end. http://mollymidget.tumblr.com/post/102384676041/tex-door-mirror-glass-replacement
Pete AC

Prop, your brain synchro's gone again! No one mentioned removing the door glass. Maybe your thought clutch needs bleeding again.
Guy W

Do you need this?
https://www.minispares.com/Blog/post/2013/08/28/Tex-Universal-Door-Mirror-Fitting-Instructions.aspx




Lawrence Slater

Thanks all,

The glass is out, the mechanism is accessible, and will be sorted later today when sufficiently freed up with plus gas.

Mark, a lot of hard work on all the gaskets and seals is the answer. I didn't fix the rear oil seal myself I had a local classics guy who I new as a lad fix it. He is a Healy / MG man in the main and put two rear oil seals in. Seams to have fixed it.

Dave, the 'wheelbarrow' is definitely OK. The door mirror does not need fixing yet as its in a box nice and warm and dry (but somewhere in the garage - doh). Planned as a pocket rocket but housework is holding things up so still chocked up outside.

Prop, not sure exactly but Guy is right.

Pete, great thanks, that's made life very easy.

Guy, just excellent :-)

For those of you interested in progress I am now revving up to 5000 + rpm which I am aware is beginning to 'go it' a bit with a 1500. However the car feels and sounds better all the time like its running in better and better as time goes on. Doing just over 100 happy miles a week on average. :-)

Thanks again all, Dave
Dave Squire

I've just had this same problem but could not tighten the adjuster screw sufficiently and on examination it seems that either hole in the metal case had bent over time from pressure and possibly over enthusiastic adjustment, or the spring had weakened.

It was cured quite simply by adding a some packing washers to tighten it all up, and now all's well until the next time.

Remove the mirror housing by releasing the screw in the end of the mount and then you will be able to access the adjusting screw, spring, etc.
Peter Blockley

I like simple solutions so Dave's bubblewrap idea really appeals to me

Dave,
depending on what engine oil you're using thorough 6 monthly oil (and filter) changes may be beneficial - although knowing how much you like to work on your car you're probably already doing that if not sooner
Nigel Atkins

Dave, got engine out at the moment think i found the leak on mine PO had fit (badly)a helicoil insert in one of the bottom screws on the timing chain cover which seemed to leak past the thread , taped out to take a bigger screw and fit with a copper washer hopefully cured it.
mark 1500 on the road Preston Lancs

Fixed. Now how fast will it go before the mirror moves? (just kidding ;-))

That's the one Lawrence, it was just a bit rusty where the two screws thread in inside. Screws wouldn't turn to begin with. Now tightened and threads greased to inhibit further rust.

I had a leak somewhere there as well Mark. I replaced the timing cover gasket when I did the tensioner with engine in. My problem was the ally block thread at the front so I drilled and tapped out. Put in a bigger bolt with as large a washer as I could get on and tightened to a 'good feel'. Been OK since.

In case its helpful while your engine is out I found Rimmers supply second user ally, new ally, and even new steel blocks for those who want to bolt up tighter front and back. Something I will do if I rebuild the engine out of the car next time.

Thanks again, Dave
Dave Squire

On my Sprite, I only have a bullet mirror in the drivers door.

But on my '73 rwa midget, I've got the BL standard mirrors on both doors. I f*cking hate them at night in traffic.

You can't easily reach over to the passenger door to 'dip' the mirror to stop you being blinded by the bastard behind with his headlights, -- which being so much higher in moderns, are EXACTLY at the right height to send a million candle power directly into my eyeball. I swear I can even feel the heat. lol.

But in daylight, they're pretty good.

Although I did clout the passenger side mirror, when I got a bit too close to a hedge down a country lane not so long ago. :).
Lawrence Slater

Prop, even though your brain was disengaged on this, you had a good thought, "What about somekind of anchor system..."

That is what I did to mount the mirrors on the doors. Originally they were mounted with sheet metal screws (or more likely, wood screws). When the mirror was bumped the screws pulled part way out and forever more they would loosen after being tightened up.

I welded nuts to a small piece of sheet metal and double taped them to the inside of the doors. If ever needed, I can remove the machine screws holding the mirror and the nuts will not fall to the bottom of the door. I used a sample of 3M panel tape but any relatively thin foam tape will work.

I did the same thing under the coil mounting bracket so I would not have to fight with those nuts.

..............

I have a question on the interior mirror. Is there any way to tighten that up? I've got a new mirror but it is loose when centered and does not stay in adjustment. At the extremes of travel it is very tight, but not in the center. That indicates to me that pivot was not manufactured very well.

Paul


Paul Noeth

Zorry... im misunderstood something above, I appeared that dave said he needs to remove the door glass to tighten the mirror...so something got lost in translation

I think dave was describing removing the mirror glass section not the door glass its self

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 06/12/2014 and 08/12/2014

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