Topic

Over 50 years since I watched brand new MGBs being test driven around the lanes near RAF Abingdon where I lived for a time I am finally the rather proud owner of a 2002 British Racing Green MGTF. It is my first sports car having ridden motorbikes for most of my life and I am really pleased with it in my first few days of ownership. It is a hot car ( yes the heater controls are stuck on full heat!) and it has done nothing but rain since I bought it but I am still smitten. My plans are to take it to Ireland for a holiday tour along the west coast and maybe do a MG owners track day at Cadwell Park, my local circuit.

Welcome to the T-Bar!!

That's a very nice TF. Welcome to the forum.
Now is very much the right time to have got into ownership as the prices are still on a sensible scale and the specialist part suppliers are great. Find some time to read through the How To's on the forum and soak up the experience of the ownership community. There should be something useful in there about the heater controls.

1st thing to check with the heater controls is has the D stem collar of the knobs broken? If so then you can turn the knob without actually adjusting anything, just pull the knob off……..NO not that knob! Pulling that knob, however pleasurable won’t fix the damned heater, though it may well warm you……..No the knob l refer to is the one on the heater control, pull it off the control stem and have a look at the stem collar on the back of the knob.
If the stem collar of the knob is only split then you can effect a temporary repair with a few layers of heat shrink tubing, as many as you can get on. Once you have new replacement knobs you can reinforce them with heat shrink tubing in the same way, they should never fail again.

Welcome to the forum

Thanks, there was some helpful stuff on here about the heater controls. I took the knob off and the collar has split so I've ordered some replacement knobs from Mike Satur. I'm impressed by the amount of parts and accessories available.

Cobber wrote:

1st thing to check with the heater controls is has the D stem collar of the knobs broken? If so then you can turn the knob without actually adjusting anything, just pull the knob off……..NO not that knob! Pulling that knob, however pleasurable won’t fix the damned heater, though it may well warm you……..No the knob l refer to is the one on the heater control, pull it off the control stem and have a look at the stem collar on the back of the knob.
If the stem collar of the knob is only split then you can effect a temporary repair with a few layers of heat shrink tubing, as many as you can get on. Once you have new replacement knobs you can reinforce them with heat shrink tubing in the same way, they should never fail again.

Good advice, I picked up your tip from elsewhere on the forum when I was searching for what the problem might be, shrink wrap would be a good tip, I considered whipping as well but in the end I'll just fit the new knobs when they arrive, the old ones wouldn't look out of place on a 1980s washing machine and have become brittle so they aren't worth rescuing.

to the forum from John in Yorkshire.
The F and TF are as you have found out great little cars to drive . They do have their faults but, once you get your head round their frailties they are fine .
John

I am a fan of the alloy knobs sold by MGMania. They clip on like the original plastic ones (no grub screw) and fit very well. The original plastic knobs really bring down the interior and certainly do not age well.

Welcome to the forum!

Recently a member referred to them as cooker knobs, which is just about right. But why are the originals, as grotty as they are & their replacements so expensive.
A short while ago I was doing a mod on the heater blower & came across some replacement air con knobs for a Ford Focus which I used initially as an experiment & “that’ll do until something better comes along “. Well they’ve bedded in nicely & although I doubt they’ll last the distance I feel they enhance the drabness, to a point where I’ve bought some more in preparation for the first failure.
I’m out & about just now but I’ll post pointers to my initial post, cost & supplier when I’m home.

Thanks John, yes, I am aware that they aren't completely bomb proof but it was the romance that hooked me not the reliability!