MG Magnette Forum

If you have re-installed yours using the Peter Martin rubber, I need advice. I am not able to fully seat either side. Using my rubber mallet and much care, I have moved the glass to about an inch from where it needs to be.
I anm seeking advice from someone who has been successful in completing this job.
- Paul Evans

Paul, I had a hard time getting mine in place, too. I must have pulled them out a dozen times trying to sort it. I can't remember exactly how I finally got them in all the way but I seem to recall having to make sure the glass was in the right orientation to the frame. I think I set the rubber first, then cussed the glass into place. I kept getting the ends proud of the glass at the top or the bottom. The rubbers are probably not the exact same dimension as the originals.

I too first did put in the rubber, then the glass.
Used lot of „Fit“. Which is just dish washing detergent. Not easy. Also had several attempt to get the correct position. Don’t let the glass slip out of your hands !
Simon

Lots of green Fairy washing up liquid on the rubber.
You will also need G clamps to gently pull the glass into place.
It took multiple fittings to get it correct.

You'll need to lube the rubber/glass to ensure it pushes right back into the corner..
I've seen a threaded spreader tool made for this job to "persuade" the glass back into that rear corrner.
I used plenty of lube and a rubber mallet with a piece of timber against the glass edge. That worked!

Paul,

I too had major problems when fitting my rear quarterlights.

The repro rubber seals that Peter Martin supplied me with were definitely oversize and I found the repro curved metal channels also weren't quite the right shape either so prevented the rubbers from seating properly.
If memory serves me correctly, I eventually dispensed with the curved metal channels completely, which enabled the oversize rubber seals to squash further back in to the door frame. I think I also swapped in a slightly slimmer vertical seal pieces in the chrome channels .
The little arrows on my door frame in my photo shows the original way-out misfit and my two attempts that eventually got an acceptable fit.

I was also fitting repro window lift metal slider channels and rubber seals, the former also weren't quite the correct depth, which gave me double trouble.
As my original metal channels only had rusted out lower brackets I ended up transferring the new repro brackets on to the original channels and reusing them.

I believe Peter is (or was) simply selling old stock that was commissioned by Lou Shorten way back in the past when the repro parts industry was not that brilliant.
I have kept original and repro sample off-cuts of the seals that I will let Peter have so when the time comes for him to commission new stock, hopefully more accurate reproductions can be manufactured.

Roger

OK. Just put mine back together during the winter using Peters gaskets. Fortunately I had seen a post years ago about this challenge. As others have mentioned it’s important to lubricate both the frame and the window groove. I used silicone grease. Next to get it fully seated AND the rear window channel far enough back in order to get the two channels into position so that the small screw that holds them together in the rear upper corner can be put in, I used (as did the the other owner) a small jack in the window opening (with surface protection) to press everything into place. Made all the difference!
Just a note , getting the channels , window cranks and glass back together and aligned took one day/window, 4 days in total. Might have possibly done 2 /day but could only manage so much stress. Probably the most difficult task encountered of the entire restoration.