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MG B top removal

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Guinn

Guinn

Jedi Warrior
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I recently acquired a 1978 MG B that is in need of something more than TLC. Currently I am trying to remove the top for body painting but am stymied by a steel bar under the rear part of the top. Help!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cryin.gif
 
If you unbolt each side just at the back of the doors the whole roof should just lift off. The steel bar, is this where the rear of the roof under the window fastens to the panel? If so, this should just slide out. Can't picture anything else that would be preventing the roof coming off.
 
Hmmm. Will have to look for those bolts. We may be talking apples and cumquats here. The bar I referred to is found by unsnapping the skirt at the rear of the top and turning it up. It goes athwartship. Mine seems to be rusted at the endsand doesn't move when I pull at it. Haven't horsed it yet as I don't want to rip or break anything.Guinn
 
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Hmmm. Will have to look for those bolts. We may be talking apples and cumquats here. The bar I referred to is found by unsnapping the skirt at the rear of the top and turning it up. It goes athwartship. Mine seems to be rusted at the endsand doesn't move when I pull at it. Haven't horsed it yet as I don't want to rip or break anything.Guinn

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Hi, I could imagine that being the flat bar that fits under the two clips on the rear deck in front of the hood? It is tapered on both ends and slides into the skirt. I'd guess that it is all rusted up and fused to the material...maybe it can be worked at after you remove the whole top from the car. You should have access to the bar in the 2 locations where it engages the clips - maybe you can get something in there to help free it up. Good luck.
 
Once you have the other fasteners all unhooked the top should slide off toward the rear of the car. The bar you are talking about likely (if original) goes the almost then entire way accross the back of the top, but is secured only on two chrome clips. Sometimes it is necessary to wiggle the entire top from side to side. I have also had to press down in the middle to loosen up a top that has been in place for a long while. If all of this fails, get out a can of WD40 with a little red pastic tube and spray into the meeting sufaces LIGHTLY...and be sure to get the runs cleaned up ASAP with a light detergent.

Only once in many years did I actally have to resort to my final idea...it was a buddy's Sunbeam Alpine with a hardtop. We WD40'd the heck out it and got a small dowell under the seal and TAPPED the dowell and top off the clip.
Be very careful, making sure you have the dowell centered on the bar if you have to resort to this.

You can access the bolt to the clip from underneath, but the clip has to be angled to lift out...very difficult to do when the top is still attached, but might work. (?)

GOOD LUCK and have at it.

Bruce
 
Yes, that was the bar that I had thought of.....if that is stuck, then it shouldn't be too difficult to free up. It's only a push-fit, could be that some previous owner has installed a thicker bar though......that can happen. Should push towards the rear of the car as one of the guys mentioned.
 
Another option is to just go inside the trunk and remove the screws holding the two clips in place. Whole thing will lift off and you'll see how the bar slides in place. Since you are painting anyway they will need to come off.
 
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