Organization
This was mentioned by JDW from the MGB
Experience BBS. I thought it pretty obvious, but figured I should give
credit where it's due. When you're taking something apart, put the hardware
in plastic zipper bags and label the contents.
Drainage
If your cowl drains are so plugged you can't clear them out by hosing them, try this: Take a length of ½" PVC pipe and stick it down there where the crud is. Then use a shop vac to suck it out. (I just used my hand to make the seal between the shop vac hose and the pipe, but you could duct tape it if you wanted to.)
Stainless Hardware
When you've got rusty, cruddy hardware that's so far gone you've decided to replace it, spend a little extra and opt for stainless, especially in areas where rust is likely to recur. Also, after it's installed, stick a little dab of grease in the drive slots. Grease is much easier to clean out than the crud that would otherwise be there.
Headliner Helper
If you don't have a helper handy to hold the headliner when you're fiddling with it, use a broom. Stick the bristle end of the broom up against the headliner (so as not to damage it), and hold the other end in place with your foot, or tape it down if you need to keep it there longer.
Rust Prevention
1) Stripping. I used Zip Strip because that's what I had on hand working on my house, but I am told that Aircraft Stripper is best for working with metal. It took 2-3 applications to get the paint off. I used an old, dull chisel as a scraper. best scraper I've ever had. I also used masking tape to mark the boundaries of where I wanted to strip the paint off.
2) Sanding. To roughen up the metal for the POR-15 to get a better grip on the surface (and get the last bits of paint and primer off) sand the surface to be treated. here I used an orbital sander, a Dremel, a drill with a wire wheel and a plain old piece of sandpaper.
3) Etching. Use the POR Metal Ready according to the directions. This applies a zinc compound to the surface and helps the POR-15 to bond better. Use rubber gloves as the stuff really stings bare hands.
4) Apply the POR-15. I used the foam brush that came with the kit because I didn't want to bother trying to clean it out - I just tossed it. POR-15 paints on pretty easily, but will run if it's on too thick. When it dried the surface was a little rough in places, but I didn't care as carpet was going to be covering it anyway.
Coolant Tips
If you have one of those radiators with the plastic
top and bottom crimped on to the brass core, you may find it needs to be
crimped again because it’s leaking. After removing the radiator, simply
use a vice grips to firmly crimp the tabs down against the plastic. Don’t
crimp so hard as to break the plastic.
I found that the easiest way to flush the block out is to connect
a hose to the heater inlet and use just enough pressure to make it come
out the top of the radiator so the gunk can be seen. Be sure the drain
plug is removed.
After getting all the bugs out, cut a piece of ordinary fiberglass window screen to size and mount it in front of your radiator. You'll notice in the picture I also removed the intake cover plate and put a piece of screen over that. The screen is really easy to get bugs off of, a simple brushing will take care of most of them.
Door Glass Replacement
After removing the door panel and vacuuming up the glass, 1) Remove the bolts securing the window track. Take the end cap off the bottom of the rear track and slide out the clips. Drill out the rivets that hold the bump stop at the bottom (there's one on the bottom of the door - arrow). This will give you a lot more room to work with.
2) Drill out the rivets from the plastic slider and mount it onto the new glass. I used stainless hardware. Snap the clips into the holes in the glass. Slide the glass down inside the door. I had to remove the top outside trim to do this, reattach the trim before putting the roller in the slider.
3) Put the window roller into the slider, then position the glass in the tracks. This is where all that wiggle room comes in handy. Snap the clips into the track. The top one is easy, but to avoid bending the lower part of the track, remove the vent from the back of the door so you can push on the track as you push the clip into place.
4) First blood! Window was in for only a few hours before a bird shat on it.