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MG MG Y Type - leaking windscreens

At the end of a most enjoyable but wet UK Spring run would value advice how to keep rain out - not a problem which affects our Aussie or perhaps US friends so much. Have fitted new NTG windscreen rubber seal but although good fit with screen daylight is visible between rubber and body so real English rain soon finds the gap. Only bad on passenger side but preferable if wife does'nt suffer. Has anyone tried fitting an additional seal to body to close the gap? If so glad to know what rubber section does the trick.
Grateful any advice. Regards,
Geoffrey Wilson
G H Wilson

The problem I have found is that the repacement seal is not identical to the original and curls up at the corner of the screen.Not sure of a decent solution to this.
David Mullen

Q. When two people have been in a Y Type on a Spring Run, how do you tell who was the driver and who was the passenger?
A. The driver has a wet right leg, the passenger has a wet left leg.
We had a number of long and detailed (and damp) discussions on this topic with fellow Y owners after the Spring Run yesterday. As a result I now have the only solution which prevents Y Type windscreens leaking water - Never go out in the car when it is raining.
P S Sharp

Another Solution - Get a YT put the roof down and with side curtains up and minimum 50mph the rain goes over the top until you have to stop at traffic lights so take a brolley. Put the roof up and it pisses in everywhere and in my experience the worst spot is down the wiper spindles at the top of the windscreen.
Cheers Richo YT3208
Richard Prior

While not a 100% dry solution, and still prone to curl at the corners, I bought a similar but longer profiled rubber seal from Woolies Trim (see Links Page on http://www.mgytypes.org).

Also, remove the trim screws that hold the finisher rail from the top of the dash board (screw heads located on the outside lower frame of screen), put caulk in the hole, and refit the screw.

Final suggestion on screen sealing is - have you got an internal gasket around the bottom of the screen? There should be a beaded leather seal there.

Additional water ingress is around the door seals of the suicide doors - are your seals there effective and is the door fit good? If not, realign doors and fit new seals there too to both the door and door frame (Woolies can also supply the correct P profile rubber trim, and a suitable cloth cover).

Water ingresses also through the floor boards too.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My windscreen seal looks perished, but it keeps the water out - maybe I wont replace it after all!! At the Y weekend I did gain two wet patches on the rooflining - identical place each side towards the rear. Something to do with the sliding roof? Any one got a foolproof way of keeping the screen clear of"mist"? Whats the 1950's version of air-con?
Graham
Graham Mack

Graham

If it dont leak - dont mess!

The rear drain tubes from the sun roof may well be perished or blocked. If they are blocked and have simply allowed the water to back up and over flow, that is easy - just remove the sunroof and with a flexible rod, rod the entire length out to underneath the rear wheel arch from the sunroof. If they are perished then the roof lining will have to come out and the entire length be replaced. Either way, it cant be ignored I am afraid.

As to keeping the screen clear and the 50s version of A/C - well the latter is easy - that is why we have an opening front windscreen! The answer to the former is also easy as you can buy 'mist free' cloths/sponges from most decent motor factor spares shops - they are impregnated cloths/sponges and you just wipe them over the inside of the windows. Beats holding your breath. Rainex is good for the outside too so that the water peals off the outside of the glass and doesnt hang around.

Paul
Paul Barrow

In addition to opening the front-window, to keep the inside of the glass mistfree you can wipe it with pure washing liquid.
Willem van der Veer

Geoffrey,
I fitted a new seal fairly recently and only minimal leakage ocurred over the wet weekend. I got the seal from Woolies but the secret on my car was to position the screen/frame as best as possible. This can be done by unscrewing the chain adjuster at the base of the screen and lifting it high to expose the "sliding hinges". It will be self evident how to adjust them and with the aid of a helper whilst you tighten them you should be able to get the whole thing sitting properly against the body.
Ted
Ted Gardner

Geoffrey

I also obtained my replacement windscreen seal from ‘Woolies’ and it does not leak, or at least none of the rain on the Spring Run got through. The only problem I had was on the motorway on the way up, I noticed bubbles on the outside of the screen. This was due to the Fairy Liquid that I used to ease the seal on coming into contact with water. It was the first run out (in rain) since the new rubber seal had been fitted.

Although you do not need to take the windscreen out to fit the seal, for the sake of four bolts and the ability to get a perfectly fitting seal I would strongly recommend removal. It is difficult to get the seal around the screen corners when it is flat on the ground, let alone still fitted to the car.

Regards.

David.
David Pelham

Many thanks to everyone for most helpful advice. Maybe it would be best on a wet day to stay in the garage and implement all the suggestions!
Thanks again
Regards,
Geoffrey Wilson
G H Wilson

This thread was discussed between 13/05/2007 and 17/05/2007

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