MGA DOOR ADJUSTMENT
Written By Steve Schultz
When I purchased my MGA, both doors were sticking ut away from the body about 1/4 of an inch. To say the least it was quite unsightly. I looked at eh strike plate and it was significantly worn away on one side. I then looked at the latching mechanism in the door and it was in worse shape. I spend about five hours getting it sorted out and discovered that there is an easy way to align the door.
The first step in adjusting the door is to inspect all of the components of that affect the alignment of the door. Begin by inspecting the machine bolts to inure that they are the correct machine screws. The door hinges and the guide pin both have flat head National Fine thread screws. The components are machined to use the tapered part of the flat head bolt to align the hinge. There are many MGA's with these components being held in place with hex, round or pan head screws replacing the correct screws. THESE MUST BE REPLACED WITH THE CORRECT BOLTS TO ALIGN THE DOOR PROPERLY.
The hinges should be checked to see if they are worn of sagging. If they are it will effect the door alignment each time you close the door. Begin by opening the door half way and leave it that way for about a half-hour. This will let the door settle. Look particularly at the drivers side door. It will typically receive significantly more ware than the passenger door. The movement can be detected by lifting the end of the door up and down. If door end moves more than 1/8th of an inch the door hinges should probably be replaced.
This is an indication that the door will bounce itself into alignment every time it is closed and will cause constant ware of component, including a nice new paint job.
Next, inspect the strike plate mounted on the door. Check to see that the tapered end is not worn away on any side. If so, replace it. Also inspect the fiber spacer gaskets beneath which will be added or removed for final adjustment. The latching mechanism inside the door should be inspected by looking in the hole to see if the catch pin is moving in and out freely. It is important to see if this pin is in good shape. If it is warn at an angle, the catch should be replaced.
The rubber weather molding between the door and the car should be inspected. It is used to finish off the medal body edges and also to serve as weather molding against the door. Some of the replacement rubber is much too thick and will push the door out and away from the car leaving a very visible alignment problem. On my car, this was causing a significant portion of the door alignment problem.
Once all of the components have been inspected and worn or defective parts replaced the assembly process begins. On my car, it was necessary to begin with the door hinges, as they were not properly aligned. As a result the doors was hanging low. I made a shim out of gasket cork and put it under the lower hinge where it bolts to the door. This raised the door enough at the strike plate.
I then removed the door panel and replaced the latching mechanism. Aligning all of the components is no small task. There are many variables. However, there is a trick. The first step was to replace the weather strip with one with a smaller diameter rubber tube that didn't push the door out. I then set the strike plate so that the door was flush with the body. It may be necessary to add or remove the fiber spacer gasket under the strike plate on the door to achieve the best alignment. The strike plate tapered pin should be reasonably centered in the latching mechanism in the door before proceeding. The difficult part is the adjustment of the four bolts that secure the latch plate. I finally realized that it would align itself if the four bolts were loose. Next, close the car door. Once closed the strike plate on the door will align the latching mechanism to perfectly fit the position on the strike plate. Tighten the four bolts on the latching mechanism and reinstall the door panel.
The key is to remove the door panel and let the latching plate align itself.
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