Boot catch

[regtubby]

Can anyone advise on a quick method for adjusting the parts so that my boot catch will work. I have tried trial and error (mostly error) to no avail. At the moment the catch doesn't hold at all, the boot lid is held closed by gravity!

The handle has a little play in it but otherwise all the parts are pretty sound with little wear showing. I now actually have a range of parts picked up from jumbles.

Thanks

Reg

[Willie]

You probably know that the lock section on the boot floor is adjustable?
If adjusting this doesn't cure the problem then perhaps your boot
lid is not closing tightly enough to actually latch on to the locking
plate. This is usually because you have a new boot seal rubber OR
you have fitted the wrong type!! If you have an early type boot lid
and have fitted the later sponge rubber seal,which is much thicker,
you will probably never be able to close the lid! The
early type seal was a THIN rubber moulding which fits over the flange
around the boot lid opening on the BODY. So, when you close the
boot does the lid go flush with the body or does it stand proud?

[regtubby]

Thanks for that, I'll check me rubbers.

However it did close properly when we got the car but couldn't lock the boot, so I got replacement parts which I haven't been able to adjust successfully. Obviously when the boot is closed I can't see which way I need to adjust the bits. I've even tried adjusting it from the inside (I'm a big chap and that boot is mighty cosy!)

I can't believe it is really this hard to do.

[Willie]

I don't really understand the problem? when you shut the lid and
turn the handle to 'closed,'i.e. horizontal, does the boot still open?
If yes then the latch is obviously not latching behind the lock plate
in which case you can adjust the lock plate. Only other thing I can
think of is that the rear section of the boot floor,including the mounting
area for the lock plate may have been replaced ( I had to do this on
my rebuild) and may have been fitted out of position. I suggest that
have a look at someone elses Minor to check the various measurements.

[Willie]

Further thoughts.....the rear seat back is designed to tip forward on
ALL Minor saloons so there is no need to climb in to the boot!! But you
will not be able to see the lock in action unless you have removed
the wooden shelf over the spare wheel.

[regtubby]

I did, indeed, remove the seat back and the shelf - it would be a mighty small person who fits in a Minor boot.

It looks like I will have to continue with trial and error in moving the lock plate.

[Pyoor_Kate]

I'd go for getting back in the boot and seeing what's actually going on.

Get some light on it and see if it's actually catching at all. If it is, it should be possible to see which way the catch-bit on the boot floor should go.

[regtubby]

That's easy for you to say, I'm 6' 4" and somewhat rounder than I'd like. Our nighbours have a small child, we could pop her in there with a digital camera. Come to think of it I could just put the camera on self timer and close the boot. Hurrah!