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MG MGB Technical - Wing/scuttle filler piece

Having stripped the front of the car of paint I noticed a few rust threads emanating from under the filler piece between wing and scuttle (don't know what it's called). How am I best to address this? I had considered grinding the filler piece off to expose more of the seam, treating it then epoxying a shortened filler piece over the seam. I'm assuming the filler piece is available. I don't think I'm up to lead filling it!
Steve Church

Steve, take the wing off and examine the scuttle carefully. Grind back any remaining rust then apply a rust converter such as Jenolite prior to priming and painting then replace the wing. Now if you go through the scuttle metal when removing the rust you will have to make good by cutting out the corroded metal and welding in new. Then dress it all down apply some filler and dress to original shape before painting. I like to paint the scuttle prior to fitting the wings as this ensures that the scuttle is covered plus it avoids any bridges occurring between the filler strip and wing which tend to flake off causing further rust
Iain MacKintosh

The bead is a hollow steel moulding. It's welded to the wing. Many people have removed it altogether and sealed the seam with P U sealer. Removing the wing is best to address your problem.
Allan Reeling

What's more, you can buy it separately by the yard (or metre) and replace the rusty stuff with nice new beading.
Mike
Mike Standring

I really don't want to remove the wings. I believe that will open up a whole new can of worms. I'll remove as much of the beading as I can. There will be some of it left behind in the space between the wing and scuttle but I shall pour some rust neutraliser into the gap. I'll cap off with a cut down section of new beading. Not ideal but if it comes back I can remove the beading and retreat. There are just too many things to realign if I take the wings off.
Steve Church

"There are just too many things to realign if I take the wings off".
What exactly? It's just bolts and set screws. Drill a datum hole first, 3 or 4 mm through the "gutter". The only awkward bit is the one "diagonal scuttle bolt, just requires patience on re-assembly.
Allan Reeling

Steve, I tried that a few years ago, put most of a tin of Kurust down the two rear wing seams. I sorely regret it as I then had a respray on top and it's now bubbling through again. If the moisture is getting through from below, pouring rust neutraliser on top won't kill it. It's wings off I believe.
A Riddett

And the rear beading is even more of a problem!
Paul Hunt

Steve, you must do this thing properly and remove the wings otherwise the problem will quickly come back and bite you. As Allan says there is no problem with realignment as it's not as if you were fitting a new wing. Either bore a couple of pilots or even easier just realign the bolt heads with the paint marks when you put it all back together. The job will pay you back hands down if you do it properly
Iain MacKintosh

So assuming I take the wings off, do I need to remove the dash? Also how to attach the new beading. I dont have a spot welder or any welder for that matter.

Is there mastic between the wing and the flange it sits on each side of the engine compartment (where it bolts down)? How easy does that joint come apart? Do I need to worry about vertical alignment? What happens around the grill area? Is it just an overlap joint? Sealing? When the wing is seated back will I have had to account for the "in/out" location so it lines up with the door skin? The doors are off at the moment. I can see there needing to be careful alignment on 4 axees. Maybe theres a Youtube video showing how it's done.
Steve Church

I removed my front wings a few years ago (1979 BGT) to sort out the rusting beading. I think there were three fixing bolts on each wing which are accessed from the cockpit, behind the dash (you'll need a socket set for this). I didn't have to remove the dash, but I did remove the glove box.

The original beading appeared to be spot welded to the wing; when I re-fitted the wing I just bent a piece of new beading to match the shape of the scuttle. I think I had to cut part of the beading flange away to clear the wing fixing bolts. I didn't attach the new beading to the wing or the body; I applied sealant (U-Pol Grey Stripe) to all surfaces before reassembling. When the wing bolts are fully tightened the beading is held securely in place.

I don't recall having any difficulty with alignment (the doors were on the car).
Brian Shaw

You will have more of a problem realigning the wing if the doors are off (was Michael Caine a PO?). Personally I'd do one job at a time, i.e. replace the doors and align those to the wing etc., then you will have more than enough datum points to reattach the wing, especially reusing the original.
Paul Hunt

Completely agree. I would refit the doors as well. That way you maintain the original reference points and everything becomes so much easier. I agree with Brian that if you haven't got access to a spot welder then shape the beading and trap it between the wing and the scuttle. However make sure that the scuttle, filler and wing are fully painted before final assembly
Iain MacKintosh

So remove the wings and paint off the car (they are already stripped back to bare metal in rediness for painting ON the car!)? There are gaps between scuttle and wing (this is a 1994 shell) so I dont think I can rely on the filler being held in place. I'll need to improvise for that one. Fit doors first and match wings to doors. Oh well a few more days work won't be noticed. I only started last September and that was just to paint.
Steve Church

Steve. As said there are plenty of datum points if you are putting back the same wing. But drill a 4mm hole near the scuttle in the wing channel and if the buffer holes are accurate, they will line up the front of the wing. Plus give yourself another datum on the wing to sill joint. I know there are 3 screws, but the holes are slotted. The doors on/off, isn't that I'mportant.
Leave dash in place, the off-side angled bolt can be accessed easily by removing the fuel gauge, the near-side one is possible, but a fiddle, with the glove box in place. The job is made much easier if you grind a "lead-in" on the first 1/2" of the bolt which aligns the bolt with the hole when doing the braille bit!!
Allan Reeling

Thanks for the tips. I have one wing off now. Drilled holes at front and back of drainage channel of wing and also at the front between the two fixings near the horn. I didn't do one at the sill/wing joint but I will on the other one. I did take severla photos showing the alignment. I nearly had "a can of worms" moment when one of the bolts in the footwell wouldn't unscrew. I had visions of twisting out the captive nut then having to get it welded back in. Fortunately I could get behind it by removing the splash plate and lubricating it.

I can see several places that need some attention on the inside of the wing. So it needed removing for things apart from the filler piece.

Thanks for all your persuasions. If it wasn't for those I would have take the easy route.
Steve Church

This thread was discussed between 28/06/2014 and 05/07/2014

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