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MG MGA - Anti-rattle spring

Hello,

Could you please advise me, on the correct placement of the spring, for the bonnet (hood) release rod.

This is the spring for bonnet catch (anti-rattle) part no. 95219, as shown in the service parts list book AKD1055, ilustration RG24 (listed on page R17).

I have searched for a photo without finding one so if anyone Knows of a site with a photo, or can advise on position/securing method I would be gratefull.

Thanks, Graeme.


Graeme Adams

Graeme,

No 64 here ?
http://www.moss-europe.co.uk/MossUK/ProductList.aspx?SubSubCategoryID=MGA_MGAS022B

I seem to remember form the two MGA's we have, both have this spring loose when the bonnet is open.

Cheers <MARK>
Mark Hester

Just looked at mine, the spring connects to the radiator mtg bracket just above the hole for the air intake, the other end connects to the rod by way of a small plate which locks to the rod when the spring is attached

parts no's spring 95219
plate ADA 2463

all listed on the bonnet fitting page R17 in my parts list (twin cam )

Terry
Terry Drinkwater

One end mounts to a teardrop-shaped tab that slides along the release rod. This is used to set the tension of the spring. The other end of the hood release anti rattle spring is connected to the ca. 5" dia. round metal tube for the air intake hose. There is a very small hole for the spring at the top edge of the part of the tube that extends into the engine compartment. This hole is very easy to overlook and there is some misinformation out there about it being mounted to other parts of the car.

Steve
Steve Brandt

Terry and Steve-- what holds it in place on the rod??
george

George, Terry and Steve have described the rod-end piece as a "small plate", and as a "teardrop-shaped tab". These are both accurate for what is a quite small item captured on the bonnet release rod. It is shown as #25 on plate R.17 of the Service Parts List if you have one of those for reference. If you don't have the spring (I need one myself), the tab can freely move along the length of the release rod. Check the extreme ends of the rod, it might still be there.

G Goeppner

So, you are saying that nothing except the spring tension pulling it at an angle against the rod holds it where it is supposed to be?????
George

Graeme

A couple of pictures attached. Does this help?

http://freespace.virgin.net/stephen.gyles/hot_press.htm

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve, I think you've shown the bonnet catch tension spring. Graeme is asking about the anti-rattle spring attached to the release rod (I think).

George G.
G Goeppner

George

I did wonder. The anchor points looked to obvious to generate a question. Just been to have another look at the car and cannot see any other spring attached to the rod. I guess I must have mislaid it during the rebuild. Still I don't suffer from rattles so it can't be that important!

Steve
Steve Gyles

The plate RG25 is just held by friction. The hole is a bit oversize and the spring tension causes it to skew and jam on the rod.
John DeWolf

The other end of the spring is attached to one of the front guard mounting bolts. Todd Clarke has a drawing of it all in his manual.
Gary Lock

Thank you everyone,

I will try a range of attachment points for one end of the spring, the other end connecting to the plate and then the rod.

I was advised by the kind people at Anglo Parts to attach to a wing(fender) bolt, however for the plate to grab the rod and stay connected some amount of angle in the spring is needed, hence my question.

I have been working through the entire bonnet(hood)securing mechanism to prevent it sticking down, I had to un-stick through the grill twice and still have scars on my wrists, not a nice job.

Regards Graeme.
G.M. Adams

As I don't seem to have this spring on my car (unless it is totally hidden from view behind the air ducting pipe)I am still not quite sure from all the posts where it fits. Is it along the lateral rod to the lock mechanism or on the rod running up the length of the engine compartment?

Secondly, do I really need to fit it? My car has apparently worked well without it for the last 8 years.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Oh my, Steve, I'm afraid you're in for it now.

Having just discovered a new part (or lack thereof), the LBC gods will begin playing havoc with your automobile.

Whatever this part was supposed to have done will instantly cease, and trigger off a daisy chain reaction of failures elsewhere.

Poor you.

cheers,

Joe
Joe Cook

Steve, I'm afraid Joe has something there. You're up against the Recently Discovered Component Failure Law, which is, "Any component of a British Sports Car which is unknown to the owner shall function perfectly, until such time that the owner becomes aware of the component's existence, when it shall fail instantly". BTW, my hats off to you for running out to the garage at midnight in the winter to look at something on you car in order to respond to a BBS question. Well Done!

Cheers, George.

G Goeppner

Thanks guys. Humour is alive and well!

Steve

PS. Where does it fit? Could I have fitted it to the trunk (boot) mechanism by mistake?!
Steve Gyles

Steve,
If you have the MGA service parts list (AKD1055) go to Plate RG which faces page R17. On plate RG, item 24 is the anti-rattle spring. Item 25 is the anti-rattle spring catch. The front end of the anti-rattle spring is captured, by a nut and washer, under a long fender bolt. So, normally, it's on the LH side of the engine bay, on the bonnet release rod. Normally to the rear of the duct that feeds fresh air to the carbs. I suppose you could fit this to the boot latch, but it should be pretty obvious if it's there.

Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

I need to correct some errorious information I posted earlier in this thread. The hole for attaching the anti-rattle spring to the body is actually located on the radiator mounting baffle directly above the air tube on the left hand (pushrod carb) side of the car. It is about 1" away (toward the inside of the car) and slightly above the the larger (ca. 3/4" dia.) hole through which the hood release rod passes. It is NOT on the tube itself as I originally posted. I just came from the garage to verify since this thread has lasted a while.

I was at work when I made the original posting and trusted memory. Dangeous...Never mix business with pleasure if they aren't the same.

There may be cars out there that came from the factory with the anti-rattle spring attached to one of the fender mounting bolts, but (I'm guessing) on the assembly line, it was probably quicker to mount it that way than fiddle with attaching it to the small hole.

Steve
Steve Brandt

As stated earlier, Todd Clarke has a full description/drawing of the parts in his book MGA Owners Information & Technical Guide. The toggle bracket goes just before the two rod guides. The spring attaches to the toggle at one end, and the other end attaches to the seventh fender bolt..a longer fender bolt is used here.
Gary Lock

If I am reading these posts correctly, there seems to be 2 schools of thought for the spring attachment point to the body.

One opinion is that it is attached to a wing attachment bolt. The other is that it attaches to a small hole above the air duct hole.

I have taken a picture of the duct and hole at: http://freespace.virgin.net/stephen.gyles/hot_press.htm

Which connection is correct?

Steve
Steve Gyles

I had a look at my 59 MGA, no hole to attach the spring as shown. I think the spring was installed later to asist lockspring to lock the hood,rather then to prevent rattling.
Since the egg shaped gizmo is held in position by friction only, I filed a small grove in the rod to prevent sliding out of place.
Martin
martin

Mine is a 1959 roadster and it has the spring mounting hole. Plate RG in the Series MGA 1500 Service Parts List shows RG24 as "Spring for Bonnet Catch (anti-rattle)." The body mounting point is not specified, but there is no wing nut shown. On plate R, R71 is shown as "Screw fixing front wing to body." Only one type of screw is shown for the front of the wing (fender), and no wing nut attached to any wing (fender) mounting screw is shown anywhere in the parts listings. It seems unlikely that a manufacturer would add a component (or two, including a longer bolt) (i.e., co$t)when a hole will do.

We need someone to look at the 6K mi car that was on eBay a while back, or a car of similar time capsule status to resolve this. I can only go back 40 years when my car had 27K mi and was 7 years old. The first time I removed the anti-rattle spring, it was mounted in the small hole shown in Steve G.'s excellent picture.

By way of information, Todd first printed his "MGA Owners Information & Technical Guide" in 1993 and reprinted in in 1996 when the reference car was on the order 30 years old. Someone would have to ask him where he obtained his information.

Steve

Steve Brandt

my 1958 mga has two brackets welded to the body that the pull rod passes through. the mounting point for the spring is the fender(long) bolt above the second bracket toward the front of the vehicle...
Mike

Mike

I think they are standard. They are 13" and 18" aft of the air duct. You can see the forward one in Clausager page 23. I have also spotted one end of the spring in the same photo.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Thanks for this thread everybody. Through February, I have just given my 1959 '1600' an engine rebore, regrind, shells, etc., and a good old tart up under the bonnet and after 9 years of ownership, I too discovered that little plate hanging on the bonnet release rod.

So its to stop a rattle I haven't got is it? I reckon it would also give a more positive spring return, which mine needs. Well I've found a nice little tension spring in the scrap box and there's even a longer wing bolt in the forward most position...looks easy don't it. Off to the garage!

Thanks guys!

Pete
Pete Tipping

OK - so I've fitted a tension spring, but not to a wing bolt.

I discovered a plain vertical rod approx 5/16" dia, hanging down, presumably welded, under the front (LHS) edge of the horizontal bulkhead (In front of and under the wiper motor - RHD car)

So the spring is pulling the bonnet release rod forward by the little plate and is basically hidden underneath the bulkhead. I now have a more positive spring return. Lubricating all the guides and linkage really makes it work nicely too.

Has anybody else found this little pin? Looks to be just the job.

Pete
Pete Tipping

This thread was discussed between 02/03/2006 and 08/03/2006

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