[Mg-mmm] door safety latch

[Pete Thelander]

Don,

Lawrie correct.  What he did not get into is how to "properly mount the
striker....".   Trying to mount the striker to line up with the latch (or
visa versa) is usually a hit and miss, trial and error proposition.  What I
have found to work (and I believe is the sequence the factory must have
used) is to install the latch and striker as an assembly.  They both have
four mounting holes for attaching to their respective frames.  If you look
carefully, you will find two holes go to captive nuts in a cage which allow
them to float and the other two holes are wood screws.  Once you have the
door fitting into the body opening properly, (bend or shim hinges as
required) mount the striker with the machine bolts into the captive nuts
leaving them a bit loose.  With  the latch engaged into the striker, bring
the door closed.  Now start the machine thread bolts into the captive nuts
on the door.  Loosely tighten all four bolts and shift the latch/striker
assembly until you are happy with its location.  Now you can put in the
wood screws.  Go around one more time and cinch all the screws up tight. 
Of course, the wood must be solid to give you that nice "click"  as pin
snaps into the hole in the striker.....but that can be another project that
hopefully was done before this step.

Pete
pthelander at earthlink.net



> [Original Message]
> From: Lawrie Alexander <lawrie at britcars.com>
> To: <DB35PA at aol.com>; <mg-mmm at autox.team.net>
> Date: 10/21/2009 9:39:02 AM
> Subject: Re: [Mg-mmm] door safety latch
>
> Don,
>
> There is absolutely no need for any safety latch if the door is made to
fit 
> and close properly! If the hinges are tight, the door fits the opening 
> properly and the body is solid, there will be minimal flex which would
cause 
> the door to want to come open. So, all you have to do is properly mount
the 
> striker so that the "pin" of the latch on the door fully enters the hole
in 
> the striker wedge when the door is closed.
>
> The usual problem is that people assume the door latch pin is supposed to 
> engage the notch on the wedge, and that the hole is there just for 
> decoration (or to lighten the striker?!). In fact, the notch is the 
> factory's "safety" and the hole is for the latch pin. When that hole is 
> properly aligned (by carefully fitting the striker assembly to the
A-pillar) 
> the pin goes in so far that there's no bump on earth that would cause the 
> door to fly open.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Lawrie
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <DB35PA at aol.com>
> To: <mg-mmm at autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:45 AM
> Subject: [Mg-mmm] door safety latch
>
>
> > Gents,
> > I have a friend who owns an MGT-D with a "flying" door. He's trying to
> > restore and is resisting using any standard "gate latch" hardware for
> > something more period correct.
> >
> > Anyone have a source for a set of safety latches? I'll be helping him
> > replace the broken hinge, refit the latch... and repair body damage 
> > incurred.
> > Luckily, no one left the car at speed, but he did get quite and ear 
full
> > from wifey!
> >
> > Don B.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
> >
> > Mg-mmm at autox.team.net
> > http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/mg-mmm
> >
> > You are subscribed as lawrie at britcars.com
> >
> > http://www.team.net/archive
> _______________________________________________
> Support Team.Net http://www.team.net/donate.html
>
> Mg-mmm at autox.team.net
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/listinfo/mg-mmm
>
> You are subscribed as pthelander at earthlink.net
>
> http://www.team.net/archive