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MG MGF Technical - Hardtop adjust

I have a mike satur hardtop....
but , how to adjust rear catches to make a perfect fit???
on the right side , it is great...
but on the left , it doesn't seems to be perfectly fitted..
it seems that the left catch is not enough "tightened(??)" (serré en francais)

hi-res picture :
http://www.ifrance.com/bepow/DSC00278.jpg?NOM=bepow

low res picture :
http://www.ifrance.com/bepow/DSC00278l.jpg?NOM=bepow
thanks a lot for your advices , ans excuse me for my (not so??? ;) ) bad english....
Benjamin

Benjamin,

Not many people have the MS hardtop which probably accounts for no earlier response to your problem.

I have an very early version and not sure if the adjustment has changed since, but on mine the top is supported on a threaded chrome pin on each side just behind the catch. To adjust the fit, loosen off the locknut then screw down the pin until the catch is tight and tighten up the lock nut again. Check the back of the top is not resting on the bodywork and is slightly compressed the rubber seal. After changing one side you might find the other one needs adjusting as well, because the top is quite rigid.

If I remember rightly, Mike does a variety of different front catches, but they all adjust with a screw thread like the standard softtop fitting.

Chris
Chris

any other ideas???
Benjamin

Why not ask Mike? mikesatur@mikesatur.co.uk Ive always found him helpful

JR
John Roach

ok , thanks chris and john.... :)
Benjamin

Your Hardtop looks OK to me in the picture. I have a later version and the back catch also has a post with a thread, and this can be lengthened to ensure that the catch is tight.

Steve
Steve

Steve , the same picture but with more indications...
http://www.ifrance.com/bepow/DSC00278p.jpg?NOM=bepow
Benjamin

the "gap" is bigger on the left than on the right side of the car...
but i don't know if it's because of the not-so tightened catch... (sorry for my bad english....)
Benjamin

Benjamin,

Your English is a lot better than my French!! It may be because the catch is not so tight. This can be adjusted (a threaded post) where it sits on and where the catch hooks under the 'U' shaped metal piece on the car.
I still cannot see how different the gap is, but are you sure that the hardtop is sitting centrally and that the seal is in the correct place around the bottom back edge of the hardtop? The seal came loose on mine and I had to stick it back on, this caused similar problems.

Steve.
Steve

thanks , steve !!!
i've e-mailed mike satur to solve the problem , he answered me tha he needs more pistures to help me , i will post the "solution" if anybody is interrested...
Benjamin

Benjamin

I have a similar problem.
I removed my soft-top, and therefore my hard-top seems to sit a couple of millimeters lower than it did before.

This means that my catches are not so tightened either.

They are adjustable, but will not go tight enough.

This means my hardtop doesn't sit quite right.
(and it squeaks)

I am going to adjust the brackets that the hardtop attach to. by moving them slightly further in.
this will mean the catch will be tighter, and hopefully make the hard top sit better.

All window fitting etc are perfect, i just have a similar gap at the back as you do.

I just need some dry weather now.

Paul
paul weatherill

PS

I just have the standard Rover Hard-top, not mike satur one. Just mentioned this as it seemed a similar problem.

Paul
paul weatherill

thanks paul , i've heard that removieng hood should help adjusting hardtop...
i've also heard that removing hood was an easy DIY job
but i think that you need 2 bolts ???
i don't understant why do you need this , could you explain me???
Benjamin

Try this with the factory hardtop IN THIS ORDER.
1)Make sure the front catches are in their windscreen slots with the catches fully open

2)Push the hardtop backwards to ensure the front catches are a really snug fit - do not close the catches yet

3)Make sure the back catches are sitting on exactly the same location on each securing bracket(ie they are equidistant on the bracket)

4)Secure the back brackets ensuring they both sit equidistant on each bracket (they sometimes shift)

5)THEN secure the front catches. Secure what you know the be the weaker(looser) side first.

Works for me. PS Squeeks will happen until the roof beds in


GJ

Thanks for advice GJ.

Think my brackets still need adjustment, as the rear catches have no tension on them at at all, but will definately try your fitting method.

Ben,

Removing the soft-top is very easy.
There are the clips surrounding the rear edge of the soft-top, and 4 bolts securing it to the t-bar.
(you will have to remove the T-bar to get access)

These bolts however also hold on the brackets that the hardtop attaches to.

So they need to be put back in place.

Two 10mm nuts is all you need, (i used exisiting bolts)

Paul
paul weatherill

Is there any way to adjust the tension in the front catches on the hard-top? The tension with the soft-top is perfect, however the near-side catch with the hard-top is too tight, and I'd like to loosen it off.

Preferably I'd like to adjust the catch on the hard-top, not the one on the car (so I don't have to make any changes when switching back to the soft-top).

Thanks,

Leigh
L Reid

Leigh,

They do adjust.

If you release the catch, you will see a small wire, holding a hex shaped barrel in position.

The wire is pulled back, which enable to you rotate the hex shaped barrel.

This will tighten/loosen the catch (by quite a lot.)

Hope this helps

Paul
paul weatherill

Benjamin

Returning to the topic of slackness in the rear catches, you might be able to slacken off the screwed bolts and place a couple of coins underneath so that when you screw them down again, the hooks are pulling against their mounting. The only other thing that occurs to me is that the bearing surface for the screwed pin is small and if the hardtop is not properly fitted you can easily miss it completely. Sorry I haven't a photo of the interior to show this and Mike S can probably explain it better.

Chris
Chris

i've send plenty of pictures to mike this afternoon , i will certainly have an answer tomorrow....
thanks to all :)
Benjamin

Thanks Paul,

I'll give that a try tomorrow. Bit odd it's like that as the driver's side aligns flush, but the passenger side's way too tight.

Also noticed the car's wetter again, and remembered that I noticed it dried up quite a bit when using the soft top.

Thanks again, oh, do you still need those grommets for the holes in the boot??

Leigh
L Reid

Thanks Leigh,

Yup, still need the grommets, willing to try anything to try and get a water tight boot.

Definately going to try and get to next meet, so perhaps we can have a look then.

Paul
paul weatherill

Paul,

Have a word with Laurence. He tried the grommets and it didn't work. He had to seal the seam at the grill IRC - leaking now stopped.

David
David Clelland

here comes the catches:

right one :
http://www.ifrance.com/bepow/img_0214l.jpg

left one :
http://www.ifrance.com/bepow/img_0215l.jpg
Benjamin

i think that i found a "clue" :
when i secure the rear left catch (the side which is too "high" ) the HT do not goes lower , but it goes "outside" , could it be the soft top that prevents the HT from fitting perfectly...???
is the soft top could be stuck between the car and the HT???
Benjamin

Paul,

Thanks for the advice on the front catches. I now have them adjusted so that they meet the front rubber seal, rather than compressing it (now the same as the soft-top). I noticed water in the car this morning, so it'll be interesting to see if this helps or not. No idea how water's getting in though!

Had a look at the rears while I was at it. As well as changing the height of the foot from the bottom of the hard-top mounting catch (can be wound in-out as need be), I think the 'engaging point' of the catch itself can also be changed by moving the nut on the thread within the catches. Only for Mk II catches though.

Leigh
L Reid

Oh,

was also surprised the boot leak wasn't fixed using the grommets. The water was exactly in the position under the hole, and I would have thought a leaky seal would have not been so centered on that point.

I can certainly state that it cured my problem with water getting in, and being particularly bad after washing the car.

Cheers,

Leigh
L Reid

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2002 and 24/10/2002

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