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MG MGA - bonnet alignment

any trick to a good bonnet alignment? I seem to have 1/4" on one side and 1/8" on the other and just can't seem to get it even.
hmc conaway

Tighten the hinge to bonnet bolts finger tight. Then rather than try to move the bonnet on the hinges, hold the bonnet and tap the hinges sidways to move them on the bonnet. You may need to either enlarge the holes in the hinge or bend them slightly if you run out of adjustment room.
John H

I do it differently. I mount the bonnet up without the grill fitted, and with a thin cloth at the back edge on the cowl hanging into the engine bay. I tighten everything up so it is JUST able to move a little bit and then close up, pushing around to get the gaps more or less right and with no catching on the back edge (cloth is there to protect the paint). I have to add that I made up some thick aluminium shims a long time ago to get the height correct at the back edge of the bonnet, and don't know if these are needed on other cars - it was the only way to stop the bonnet catching on the cowl at the rear edge.

I then gently open up and tighten everything up completely.

Then I close again with the cloth still in place and gauge how the gaps are looking. Then I open up and with gentle but firm pressure push/pull the bonnet against the hinges, either uniformly or with a bias to one side, to modify the adjustment of the bonnet in the gap. Rinse and repeat as they say, after a few cycles everything lines up perfectly till I remove the bonnet the next time.

dominic clancy

Moving or bending the hinges moves the rear of the bonnet. The gaps at the front are set by moving the front latch.
R J Brown

The height of the front is correctly adjusted using the latch. This should be done last. The gap around the bonnet is in my experience best done in the manner I described, and once the latch is done once, it never needs attention again.
dominic clancy

Needless to say, unless you have not already experienced the hassles of not knowing it, have the grille out while installing and adjusting the bonnet.
Steven B

Dominic

I have always had an indifferent bonnet fit, caused by damage to the body when it was rolled while racing many years ago. I really should have gone the extra mile and put in repair sections when I rebuilt the car rather than 'making do'. However, I have just followed your advice with good results, except I now need to fine tune the front height. You say to adjust using the latch. Is this the male part on the bonnet you are referring to or the female part on the body cross member?

Steve
Steve Gyles

Male part. Just loosen the nut and screw it in or out to adjust the height
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 17/07/2007 and 25/07/2007

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.