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MG MGB Technical - Paint and Headlight Aiming

Thought I'd try to combine a couple of questions for the '63 B here.

In the U.S., is there a Duplicolor or otherwise popularly-available spray touch-up paint to match Old English White? Just need to do some touch-ups under the bonnet.

I need to aim the headlamps (US, LHD). I can barely see 50 feet down the road when I drive the B at night, the lights are aimed low and to the right. I don't remember where, but I was able to find instructions for aiming the headlamps on the TC and TF. Is there such a resource for the B?

Thanks,
Greg
Greg Van Hook

This picture may help. This is not mine but is compliments of John Weimer.

DK McNeill

Drive up to wall on flat and level surface and put marks on the wall in line with the centre of the headlights. Back up, and the centre of the *main* beams should be very slightly below those marks.

At 25 feet I'd have said the dipped beams would be significantly below the marks, in the UK the requirement is 2% and that is to the top of the beam, i.e. about 6" at 25'
Paul Hunt

Any good auto paint supply shop should be able to mix matching paint and put it in a spray can for you.
John H

For light aiming google Daniel Stern Lighting, he did a whole article on the subject.
Samuel Sullivan

Wow, nice article. Now I just need to figure out the headlight rims. I think the clips on the bottom has been pried outward, so the rims not only fit poorly, but are very difficult to get off. A PO has obviously used a screwdriver and put multiple small bends and kinks in the lower edge of the rims. Ugh.

Thanks,
Greg
Greg Van Hook

I found my problem (or at least one of them....). vis-a-vis this prior post:

"It sounds like you have the early type of ring which is held on by a piece of bent spring steel at the bottom of the rim. This bears on the lip of the rim. I had this problem on mine. What happens is that the spring gets squeezed flat over time and then bears behind the rim lip instead of on top of it, so kind of locking it in place."

My clips are behind the rim lip.

Greg
Greg Van Hook

The rim is supposed to slide off the spring in the bowl, the tension in the spring simply keeping it held against the rubber seal behind the bowl. But with rust the two cannot slide apart, so levering the rim forwards simpy bends the spring forwards further and further, with more and more tension, but no slip. To get it off you may well end up destroying the rim as well as the spring. A friend has aftermarket conversion headlight where a screw would normally be used from underneath to secure the rim, as on the Mini. Can't be done on an MGB of course, but the screw has been screwed in to the bowl a certain amount that the inner edge of the rim can be pinged over the head, which keeps the rim in place. As the screw can't be moved like the MGB spring can, i.e. to lock behind the edge of the rim, it's probably a better solution. Replacements bowls, from one of the usual suspects anyway, come with a screw fitting and not a spring clip. I thought I was lucky in being able to transfer my old spring clips over to the new bowl. But maybe not when I next come to remove them, although I did liberally daub the bowl, clip and rim with Waxoyl before fitting.
Paul Hunt

"although I did liberally daub the bowl, clip and rim with Waxoyl before fitting."

Paul - try rubbing the spring clip liberally with candle wax each time the ring is removed and replaced. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

This thread was discussed between 02/05/2009 and 08/05/2009

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