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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Refurbishing a frogeye heater

I have been refusbishing my Frogeye heater, which considering what I started with is looking quite smart. Shiney black! The biggest challenge was the bakalite Smiths snail which was cracked and broken, and then badly repaired with Araldite and wide gaps between broken pieces. I dismembered it again and started afresh with closely fitted joints - modern superglue working much better than old yellowed Araldite! Bits missing were remade with modern bumper repair 2 pack stuff and sanded back to the correct shape. Finished with a light spray of gloss black and, to my eye at least it looks quite smart!

Anyway, today's Frogeye question - The Moss catalogue lists a lower and an upper bracket for the heater blower. I have the lower one that attaches the snail to the top of the footwell, but the illustration is poor for the upper one so I don't know what I am looking for (boxes of bits again!) And its not at all clear where it fits. Horler photos just manage to miss this part.
GuyW

Horler page 61 shows something. It goes from footwell to upper part of the snail. A straight steel strap at both ends a bend.

Flip
Flip Brühl

2 picks

Flip Brühl

Thanks Flip,
P61 Horler I see, does show it if you know what it is! I didn't recognise the dark line as the mystery bracket. Your photo is much better, although mine has the original lower bracket, not the same as yours.

I take it then, that the top link, if I can find it, will be something similar to the two lower dashboard stays, but with the ends bent over through 90 degrees.
GuyW

Ashley Hinton does brackets

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254008929126?ViewItem=&item=254008929126
Dave O'Neill 2

Thanks Dave - a useful image on Ashley's site, so I then knew what to look for. And...
Just look what I found!

OK, well it needs a bit of de-rusting. ;-)

GuyW

We live and learn. First I've heard of the top bracket - neither of my Frogeyes had one. I always thought the mounting was a bit flexible, but it hasn't failed in 40 years.

Les
L B Rose

I had the same problem with mine. A bit of judicial adjustment got it reasonably close to allow the flexible tube to take up the difference.
Bob Beaumont

Mistype - the misalignment is 5/16, not 7/16". Still not close enough. Yes Bob, as you say, I have got mine to fit now.

The heaters that have the tube and flap valve between the snail and the air box use a very short flexible connection that doesn't allow for a step at that point. Whereas the heaters that have the flap valve before the snail use a longer flexible connection which would better accommodate any discrepancy.
GuyW

This thread was discussed between 05/12/2018 and 10/12/2018

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