Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Sidescreen Rubbers

Can anyone tell me if these sidescreen rubbers are correct on my 2002 4/4. They appear to be different profiles between driver and passenger side with the passenger side gaping at the top. Thank-you all.

I don't know what rubbers were used on your model, but what jumps at me is the positioning of the sidescreens themselves. A not uncommon Morgan issue.
The passenger side is tucked in nicely behind the screen, but not enough forwards and the driver-side is far enough forward, but sticking out away from the cockpit.
You could try taking side screens off and putting them back on; whilst doing so, keep the door open and apply a little pressure to the top of the sidescreen frame whilst doing up the knurled fasteners. Then shut the doors and see if it has made any improvement.
Also check that the screws securing the knurled fastener triangular plates on the doors have not become loose.
Failing that, it could mean some bending of the sidescreen support brackets but not for the feint hearted; it could easily make things worse due to angles involved.

I've had the side screen fit issue with my 2018 car on both sides. Although I initially bent them slightly inwards using a cloth to protect over the edge of a bench, it's a bit risky as you may put too much force on frame as Doug alludes. Better to disassemble and bend the thick stainless supports independently in a vice. It's the forward one of the two that needs the most.

Then when doors are shut the top edge of frame rests firmly against screen pillar seal eliminating rattle over bumps, not to mention better rain seal. I also regularly lube screen pillar seal so that frame smoothly rides over lip of seal as door shuts. This lip can eventually tear especially on drivers side so handy to have a self adhesive spare seal to replace when needed although only fitted on 2013 on models.



I saw a 2019 car recently that had side screens not even touching pillar seal on drivers side when firmly closed. It must have rattled terribly over bumps.

I would say they are wrong. On my 1997 +4 there was an L shaped steel lip on the frame. I hope you can see that on the picture which I had to blow up to show it.

Hopefully an owner of your yeays car will confirm you design. Try BHM spares as they can I am sure help.

Unfortunately there seems to be a gap between 1997 and 2013 with no seals being listed by BHM at least. Saw an old post though where an owner back in 2013 had just upgraded to "latest" self adhesive pillar seals with great reduction to rain ingress. Link as my post above.

Keith,

That's the wrong seal. It's a rubber seal from a tin top door body seal, most modern type cars are fitted with it! 2002 had a neoprene strip just stuck on the A pillar face where the side frame rests when the door is closed. yours looks like the screen A pillars that can accept the folding screen brackets. and if memory serves me correctly I think chromed wind deflectors are/were available as an internal fit, check with Melvyn Rutter.

Post us a picture of your A pillar at the shut area, without the trim if possible and we can all see what solution can be reached for you.

The door fit, side screen to A pillar in both planes will probably need fettling, so many do. I've touched on this on a previous post when changing the lower screen seal, Have a look there. As Richard rightly says, when tightening the knurled side screen fasteners, door open and pressure applied at top pushing inwards towards car. they also do need tightening with a tommy bar as hand tight will not hold them correctly in position for long. Again some pic's of your door shut issues would be of some use here. The suggestion to disassemble the side screen when adjusting the mounting bars is spot on and when adjusting the angle the change is minute. I use a sliding bevel to get a desired finished angle before bending and after removing the material lower shields. You have to bend it fractionally beyond the fitted angle as this keeps pressure of the side screen against the A pillar when the door is shut thus achieving the best water seal and limited rattle but do bend only at the current bend site and really only a very small amount. Don't panic it's a Morgan Keith! and two things are relevant here. Firstly they all appear from the factory with poor fit or adjustment issues somewhere and secondly, regardless of how well you adjust them or refit anything................. it'll never be perfect!

Thanks to all those who replied. Here are some more photos as requested.

The new photos above were taken with the rubbers removed.

Right Keith,

Better view without those door seals in! So the right hand side seems to be fitting fairly well and your side screens have the rubber seals fitted, which is correct for that period.

I'm not sure without seeing the car in the flesh but your screen doesn't fit the same as the 4/4 we had,. The lower screen frame on ours slotted into a channel in the scuttle bases that when fitting the screen you dropped the legs down those locating channels and the screen was held in that plane.. Yours seems to sit on the face of the scuttle mounts and has no positional location. ie. when our screen was slotted in you couldn't alter the angle of the screen. also your bolts mounting the screen legs aren't Morgan , well not that I've seen anyway!

So,. has the L/H door dropped on worn hinges, They are stainless and wear quite quickly especially in the closed position so do a door lift test in various positions.
Next, are they the original side screens fitted to the car? If not you may have to re drill and position the side screen onto the mounting rods as all screens are fitted to individual cars.
The door hinge screws also come loose and the hinge can be moving about. For some reason the screws can also wear the thread away in the ash frame and won't tighten enough and almost instantly loosen again. I can advise you there if that is the case with yours. Lastly here, and I hope not, this area is prone to rot partly because of poor door fit and side screen seals.

If you tip the dash forward and loosen the scuttle mount nuts from beneath there is some positional movement to make adjustment. best to loosen both sides and move the whole screen around to achieve the best position here.

When the factory fit the screen units they have a jig which fits onto the car and positions the screen correctly but of course things change. Accident damage and rebuilds come along changing the alignment of panels and can have considerable effects in some areas. stand back and look at the car carefully, don't rush and be very critical. Use a tape measure to check both sides etc. Look at panel angles and door fits.

You probably need a dealer or someone to look at it with you to see if you can get to the bottom of it all and then get on and sort it. Usually it turns out to be simpler than you think. Whats your closest main dealer?

Yours will have a Cuprinol dipped frame!