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MG MGA - Windscreen Washer Bottle

Hi
Can anyone confirm the correct position for the windscreen washer bottle on the bulkhead of my 1600 RHD. I have been looking at all my books and on the web, but they seem to be in different places.
Thanks
Brian Paddon

I pondered this as well when I fixed my washer bottle and couldn't find any definite original position so, rather than drilling holes in the heater shelf, possibly in the wrong place, I positioned the bottle bracket on top of the rubber blanking piece. I made up a piece of 3 or 4mm ply the same size as the rubber and fixed it underneath so that the bracket could be screwed to the ply. The bottle ends up about a 1/2" away from the wiper motor.

If I ever find out the original position I can easily move the bracket without having to worry about visible holes. To be honest though there is no way I will move it now as I'm quite happy with the position and it doesn't interfere with anything.

Look on page 54 of Clausager to see roughly where I put mine...............Mike
m.j. moore

Hi Brian this from Barney's site may help

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/body/pics/firewall_2.gif



cheers Gordon
G C Pugh

Hi Brian,
Here is a photo of a 1600 Mark II which I took last year at Bob West's workshop,fully restored by Bob; it shows clearly the position of the screen washer bottle. My own MGA is now with Bob for a complete mechanical and interior renovation - to celebrate 40 years of my purchase!
Cheers,
Doug


DRP Wallace

Here is a shot of the firewall after being stripped down. The 4 holes for fixing the rubber blanking pad have 2 holes behind, I am guessing these are for fixing the bracket securing the bottle...
Doug


DRP Wallace

Another from the side... Doug


DRP Wallace

Thanks All
I will position beside heater just behind the blanking cover.
Brian
Brian Paddon

Were the windscreen washer bottles fitted by the dealers or at the factory? If the former, there would be some understandable variation in the bottle cradle's location. I wound up fitting mine as shown in the photos, just behind the blanking diaphragm. Seemed "right" there, and pretty much where most I've seen are mounted.

As for the Bob West restored car shown, are we certain it was restored by Bob West? The "MG" badge and the Weslake patents badge on the rocker (valve) cover seem to be reversed in the sides they are mounted.
T Aczel

I am not sure how this will work but the attached is a photo of a photo taken from 'The Motor's' original UK 1600 roadster road test. The car is SMO907. I do have a second photo from the Autosport test but it is the same car. Whether this £2.15.0 optional extra was normally fitted by the factory I don't know but I presume it was on this official roadtest car.

I have also other road tests that show different positions for RHD cars and Twin Cams.

Paul



Paul Dean

By the way the dates of the tests referenced in my previous response were : -

Motor 2 Sept 1959
Autosport 9 Oct 1959

Paul
Paul Dean

Paul's post got me looking at the road tests I have on my website. I have a copy of the 1956 Motor roadtest and it shows the bottle central in font of the heater box! New one on me!

http://tinyurl.com/pnunzjn

Steve
Steve Gyles

Clausager says that on "early 1500 models it was fitted in front of the heater, more often on the opposite side to the master cylinder"(p.93). The WSM shows the bracket in front of the heater in Fig. S.5. on what is probably an early car.
John DeWolf

We have got to be specific about precise models, in particular LHD and RHD, and pushrod and twin cam.

My road test car was RHD and it clearly couldn't be in this position on a LHD car as it that is where the master cylinder is. Steve's 1956 road test car is LHD. So no contradiction here. I have also got the original Coupe Autosport roadtest from August 1957, this car is 1500 RHD reg. no. NJB 381. The pictures of RHD Twin Cams show it a bit further forward and a bit further towards the wing but of everything is different here. I haven't seen LHD TC with one fitted.

Going back to LHD cars. I have the Oct 59 1600 LHD roadster tests, not the same car, from both 'Road and Track' and 'Sports Car'. These both shows it in the mirror image position of the RHD cars I have seen, i.e. behind the pedal blanking cover and slightly towards the centre of the car. It does look as if the RHD 1500 and 1600 may well be different. But of course the change may well have taken place at some other date between 1956 and 1959.

Of course if someone wants to be really geeky they could go through the factory change notes on Barney's site.

I have just checked my 1500 which had it fitted when I got it in 1972, and reassuringly it is in the same position as the RHD roadtests.

Paul
Paul Dean

my coupe was a one owner car until I got it and although the bottle itself was a replacement I understood it had always been in front of the heater from new


G C Pugh

Hi T Aczel,
Regarding the MGA Mark II in the photo, I took the shot at Bob West's place July 2014 and talked with the owner, sorry forget his name, the reg. no. is 967 UYF, he told me the car had been restored by Bob. It does look like the "MG" badge and the Patents badge are reversed from the norm. Does anyone know this car? It looked superb!
Doug


DRP Wallace

This thread was discussed between 08/07/2015 and 11/07/2015

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