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MG MGF Technical - Mines really stiff.

My zip.....

The zip on my rear screen seems to be getting stiffer and stiffer, to the point of making me either not take the hood down or be tempted to leave it zipped and face creasing on the screen.
It not too bad undoing but the amount of effort to do it up feels like its going to break.
Anyone have any top tips on making this little problem easier.

Also whilst i'm posting, i really don't know what exhaust system i have on my new F. How do i leave a link so that you knowledgeable chaps and chapettes can tell me what it is.

Cheers, Stu

VVC LE75 '99 - D8 SJP.
Stu Platt

Rather than undoing the zip first, release the windscreen catches first to remove the tension from the roof. This tip is also useful when zipping the window up again.

You may also want to lubricate the zip, Don't use oil but rub a pencil lead over the zip, this will deposit graphite on the zip teeth (top tip)

Tim
tim woolcott

Another lubricant for zips is good old fashioned candle wax - just rub the candle over the teeth edges while the zip is open.

Also repeat Tim's advise, undo the catches first or you risk seperating the zip teeth for good - I did and it cost me a lot of money for a new zip.
JohnP

You only need to unzip it if it is going to be open for more than 24 hours. Another good 'lubricant'is to run a soft pencil along the zip.

Steve
Steve

<You only need to unzip it if it is going to be open for more than 24 hours.>

When i first got it I just threw the top off in excitement and left it down for only about an hour. This left a crease in the middle of the screen which is still there 2 months later.

Is there a nack to opening it and keeping the screen straight ???

Thanks for all the advice above.

Stu
Stu Platt

Stu

<Is there a nack to opening it and keeping the screen straight ???>

Only had my F a couple of months, so I'm no expert. But "throwing the top back" is definately a no no!

I always undo the catches then get out of the car and guide the rear screen into a nice curve with one hand whilst lowering the hood with the other hand.

This has been covered many times here, take a look at the archives, there are plenty of good tips for looking after the rear screen.

HTH

Lloyd.
Lloyd Eagle

Lloyd has obviously done it.

Think of giving the screen a (gentle) karate chop as you lower the roof.

If you want to keep the screen creaseless then do as I do - keep an elderly large towel in the boot, roll it and put it against the outside of the screen as it folds. Basically, make a soft shape for the screen to wrap around.

Some people keep a length of pipe lagging or similar. Some filling stations sell "dowager" travel blankets for about �1.99 which do the same job.

The screen is not really a major problem unless you are a bit careless on those nice crispy frosty mornings - it will split straight across on those days.
JohnP

Also, if you have a crease in it, zip it into the hood and clip the hood to the frame to pull the screen taught. Then using a hairdryer, heat the crease until it miraculously dissapears!

Note, this doesn't work on splits! Also, keep the hairdryer mobile, you want to warm the area, rather than make it hot.

SF
Scarlet Fever

> using a hairdryer, heat the crease

... and wait for the hairdresser jokes! Talk about good advice that is unfortunately a hostage to hostile fortune :-).

BTW, double underline advice about not bending screen in cold weather. Resulting split is really depressing. Been there and do not want to go there again.

Chris
Chris Reeves

Just give the screen a karate chop when lowering the hood. Never done mine any harm.
Whats the point in having a soft top if you need to undo the ctaches, unzip the screen, go into the boot for towels or lagging or whatever ??
Seems a waste of time to me and a tad too much on overkill.
D Jamieson

Just give the screen a karate chop when lowering the hood. Never done mine any harm.
Whats the point in having a soft top if you need to undo the ctaches, unzip the screen, go into the boot for towels or lagging or whatever ??
Seems a waste of time to me and a tad too much on overkill.

P>S IMO also looks ridiculous to onlookers !!
D Jamieson

Wow - how easy is life now. I've spent all day mastering the art of the chop and I've been crease free all day !!
Neighbours are looking a bit strangely at me though.

Thanx Stu
Stu Platt

Tried the tubing trick but it shot across the road one day when I forgot it was there. Also if you just use your hand to guide the fold, then when it starts raining it is easy to just put your right arm back over your shoulder and pull the hood back closed.

Steve.
Steve

Another advntage of leaving the screen zipped in is if it starts to spot with rain, you can pull over,lean round in the drivers seat, reach over with your right arm and raise the roof in about 5 seconds without getting out of the car (much to the annoyance of Elise drivers!).

Have only ever un-zipped the rear screen once, decided it was too much of a ball-ache, so have never done it since.

Scarlet's hairdryer trick will work on creases, but on a hot day like today, just leaving it in the sun will warm the screen up enough to do the job.

Jim
Jim Hosking

... note to self - must read entire thread before posting in future ;o)

Jim
Jim Hosking

Jim

Don't beat yourself up - some points are worth repeating :-)
JohnP

Talking of windows and zips.

The zip on my window works fine but the hook has broken off leaving nothing to actually pull the zip along.

The only way to do it at the moment is too push the zip along with a finger nail which is becoming a real pain in more ways than one.

Does anyone know how I can have this fixed without it costing too much.

Also where I can take it.

Sally
Sally

Sally,

The same happened to me recently. The remainder of the zip, fortunately, was unbroken, so I threaded a key ring (MG one of course) through the hole in the zip where the previous zip pull had been. Cost - none, as I had a spare MG key ring and could find a metal ring the right diameter to thread through the zip. Hopefully, you could do the same.

Dave
Dave

Sally, If the mounting point that the tag attaches to is still there just feed a black paperclip through. Might not look the best but works a treat. Anyway most people wouldn't look.
John Meyer

Just thought the thread's title was quite funny...but nobody seemed to have picked upon it...
Stephane

Dave/John

Unfortunately the mounting point has snapped off so there is now nothing to thread the paperclip through.

It seems like these zips are a bit of a pain.
S L Casley

Jim

It takes you 5 seconds? Clearly you take a leisurely approach :-). With rear screen in place and a sudden heavy fall of rain it is very easy to beat 5 seconds!

Sally

Happened on my last MGF. Actually used a climbers croakie (spelling?), but any loop of fabric tape, feed through hole left by broken zip and pull through itself. Actually better than the zip because it has got some 'play', which helps when dealing with flexible screen and hood.

Stephane

Well, it certainly grabs attention, but upon thinking about it no obvious innuendo stands out.

Chris
Chris Reeves

> >Unfortunately the mounting point has snapped off

Damn, sorry to hear that :-(
Dave

Owning my TF just for one year...

NEVER unzip the rear window (only in winter, for the hard top use...)

The tip consist in pushing GENTLY the bumps of the window while you're lowering the roof, giving it a NICE and CURVY shape. Doing that, no problem at all.

I've noticed when the lateral velcros are thight enough, the window takes more easily this nice shape.

And for the zip problem, there are specific zip lubricants, in stick...
Spinder00

mines all floppy..........
R PRESS

..... It's the heat.
Norman

This thread was discussed between 14/06/2003 and 17/06/2003

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