Boot spring sheared - how to replace?

[C-J]

Hi folks,
I went to close the boot and something 'pinged' - then no resistance holding the boot lid up. I then realised that I'd never noticed how the boot lid holds up!

On investigation the coiled spring (that I only now know exists) on the NSR has snapped. I can now easily pull the remaining spring coil off, however I guessing that even if I can acquire one, that reinstalling in situ is not feasible?...Questions...

- 1. Can a new spring be fitted without disassembling anything? It feels impossible to reach in and get enough tension on a coiled spring?
- 2. Does the whole boot lid and hinge arrangement need to come off to replace the spring? From the link below I'm guessing all has to come off?
- 3. Or is there some technique to just remove part of one side without placing too much strain on the other side?
- 4. Is the spring sold separately - or does anyone have a good one that they would sell?

https://www.mg-rover.org/threads/how-to ... es.501940/

The spring looks otherwise in great condition so not sure what caused it to fail (I don't have the missing piece but looks like a clean fracture presumably 1 or 2 cm before the hook).

Any thoughts welcomed.

Thanks
Chris

[Rob Bell]

Hi Chris

I doubt that replacing the spring with everything in situ is possible: You will need to replace the boot lid hinge assembly complete. This actually is pretty straightforward to do, the main niusance factor being the paint damage on the retaining screws and the need to get the boot lid realigned without damaging paint (don't ask me how I know )

The bootlid hinge is attached to the bootlid by two studs and to the body with three. One of these is in the shut face/ rain channel close to the silver rear deck/quarter panel trim. The other two are accessed from inside the cabin - it is hidden by the rear engine panel/ parcel shelf carpet. You'll find these in-line with the hinge and external screw, on the vertical face of the panel recess.

If you need one, I have one spare! Probably not in the right colour though!

[C-J]

Hi Rob,
Wow, that was a fast response - thanks.

I now see that the entire hinge units can be purchased - as you say the annoyance being the loss of body colour. Not that critical though.

I have every confidence in my ability to remove it. lining up again? Less so! Ideally I'd wait for a warm weekend - however not sure if only one Spring puts too much load/torsion on the other side?

As it is not a normal boot strut it doesn't feel to me that there is much force involved? - but there was enough force to snap approx 2mm thick coiled steel!

Cheers
Chris

[C-J]

Rob (or others)
Re your spare - if available, how much would you want. They look a bit ugly to post though. And what colour is it please?

The car is Brooklands Green (code HYF) so unlikely anyone has one of those. British Racing Green or Black might be fine.
Or I'll have to improve my rattle can paint skills!

Cheers
Chris

[Mike H]

To Rob's earlier point about realignment, several years ago I spent many months (on and off) trying to get the boot to shut cleanly so that all the shut lines were good. The sticking point (haha) was the front nearside corner always caught on the bodywork when everything else was seemingly lined up. In the end I spoke to an old boy in my Dealers bodyshop. "Bring it round" he said. Within less then ten minutes he'd slackened it off, lined it up and tweaked it, and it's been 100% perfect ever since. He just had the knowledge and experience that I didn't!

[Rob Bell]

To Rob's earlier point about realignment, several years ago I spent many months (on and off) trying to get the boot to shut cleanly so that all the shut lines were good. The sticking point (haha) was the front nearside corner always caught on the bodywork when everything else was seemingly lined up. In the end I spoke to an old boy in my Dealers bodyshop. "Bring it round" he said. Within less then ten minutes he'd slackened it off, lined it up and tweaked it, and it's been 100% perfect ever since. He just had the knowledge and experience that I didn't!

I wish I had that experience: I managed to chip the fresh pain on that same corner... Live and learn.

[Rob Bell]

Chris, are you going to any shows in the new year? If so, potentially I could hand one over to you. I have BRG hinges and I should have charcoal grey too.

[Rob Bell]

PS I can't quite work out why yours snapped its spring either. They are definitely needed given the weight of the bootlid and it is a very neat solution, and I have not heard of one snap before? Strange - but springs can and do snap; perhaps just a fault within the crystalline structure of the metal that led to its giving way?

[nigelandjo]

Rob, I had one snap last year on the daily 2003 Typhoon TF.

[C-J]

To Rob's earlier point about realignment, several years ago I spent many months (on and off) trying to get the boot to shut cleanly so that all the shut lines were good. The sticking point (haha) was the front nearside corner always caught on the bodywork when everything else was seemingly lined up. In the end I spoke to an old boy in my Dealers bodyshop. "Bring it round" he said. Within less then ten minutes he'd slackened it off, lined it up and tweaked it, and it's been 100% perfect ever since. He just had the knowledge and experience that I didn't!

I wish I had that experience: I managed to chip the fresh pain on that same corner... Live and learn.

The main way that I worked out what had happened was that something was catching - that something I now know is that near side front corner - without the spring it now sits lower by a couple of mom and foreward by a couple of mm.
The good news is that I don't have to worry about damage to that front corner - as it is now freshly damaged where it now catches on the rear of the hockey stick!

Good to know that realignment is possible - just a black art!

[C-J]

Chris, are you going to any shows in the new year? If so, potentially I could hand one over to you. I have BRG hinges and I should have charcoal grey too.

Cheers Rob,
Much appreciated.

If you have a BRG one that you can spare that would be great (partly as I'm colour-blind so might not notice much!) Unfortunately no plans to visit any shows at this stage.

Would you be able to post? I would of course cover the costs.
If I can get one before xmas I might be able to get a more-talented-relative-than-me relative to help!

[C-J]

Rob, I had one snap last year on the daily 2003 Typhoon TF.

Sorry to hear that - but good to know that I'm not alone!

It happened just after I'd driven back 2 miles with the engine cover not bolted down. Why? Well during the MOT a coolant hose sprang a leak therefore I lashed up with 'amalgamation tape' to minimise fluid loss to get home. Even though it was such a short journey and cross-town so less than 30mph, perhaps the body flexes and puts it under stress at a different angle to normal forces? Seems a tad unlucky (2 failures in 20 mins!) but perhaps the torsional rigidity is important at low speed too?

[C-J]

Big thanks to Rob who very kindly supplied replacement hinge assembly - top bloke.

One question to Rob or anyone...

As I only need to change the left for now, any views on whether I should be able to do with the boot lid in situ (i.e. without removing the right) - single handed and with something propping the boot lid up. Now that I see the resting position of the hinge is the open position, I'm assuming this could work?

[nigelandjo]

You should be able to change it single handed (I'm sure I did). Just ensure the area around the left hinge is protected from the rear corner of the boot. I started by removing the half of the hinge attached to the car, so that I could leave the boot closed so that it was open for the shortest time.

[C-J]

You should be able to change it single handed (I'm sure I did). Just ensure the area around the left hinge is protected from the rear corner of the boot. I started by removing the half of the hinge attached to the car, so that I could leave the boot closed so that it was open for the shortest time.

Good to know, thanks. And good thinking to do in that order.

[Rob Bell]

Yes, I reckon you could just drop the broken hinge out and pop the replacement in - that's how I've done it before.

[C-J]

Sounds good - cheers