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Rear bumper removal.

37K views 44 replies 25 participants last post by  will dig 
#1 · (Edited)
As it was fairly nice today (wind below 60 knots and no sleet) I decided to crack on with prepping for the removal of the engine/gearbox/subframe.

This give me the opportunity to do a how to for removing the rear bumper so that I can have a matching pair of bumper removal how to's.

The first thing I did was to get the car off the ground to make access a bit easier (not necessary for bumper removal).



There are a total of 9 screws, bolts and nuts holding the bumper on.



There are 2 cross headed screws on the rear of each wheel arch. One is right at the bottom, holding the plastic liner



And one towards the top of the bumper wheel arch section.



It is in a recess out of view and took me a while to realise they were there.



It is easily removed with a screwdriver.



Once these screws are out, the sides of the bumper are free to move.



Next you should disconnect the 2 electrical connectors that go through the rear of the boot to the number plate lights. You can push the grommets through the holes with a screwdriver.



Next, remove the 2 Torx bolts (T-50), one above each exhaust finsher.



I found it easier to remove the exhaust finishers as I have the superior quad setup. If you have the inferior single finishers then you might not have to. :bgrin2:



This just leaves the 3 x 13mm nuts inside the boot.

There is one each side, under the rear light clusters.



And one central one under the boot lock.



The middle one is recessed and a pain to get to with a spanner. Best bet is a deep socket and a ratchet with an extension.



Once the last nut is removed it is just a case of sliding the bumber rearwards. You might want to put a blanket on the ground in case you drop it. This should stop it getting scratched.

Congrats, you are now minus a bumper.

 
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#10 ·
Just bored really. It's so that I can makeloads of how to's :naughty:

Seriously though, lots of jobs to do, such as timing bels, head gasket, clutch, modified clutch arm. I am also going to modify the bulkhead to give more room in the engine bay between the engine and seats.
 
#23 ·
Oy! CJJ, Im sure I spotted your car at the metro center last week!!!

do you park in the debenhams carpark sometimes?!

yip was deffo you, blue 160 TF.
Sorry mate, car hasn't been off the drive this year. We can maybe meet up when it's back on the road though. Your F looks quite nice.

I bet Jack was involved with that ;)
Yep, good old jack. Didn't want to start the engine as I know that there is a about a litre of coolant in the sump.

I was just going to put it on axle stands at the rear, but, afte the car fell off the jack I had to buy the other ramps. Jacked up a bit at a time and fed each ramp under at a time. If you jack up one wheel high off the ground it lifts at least another wheel and the car becomes unstable.
 
#24 ·
Went out to take the bumper off today in hope to replace the mesh grill, but I got stuck with these damn torx screws, they are well rusted and after some persuasion the right one was out but couldn't get the left to budge for the life of me. I tried again and then a big bang noise and now the screw turns (not loosly tho) but wont unscrew.............I think I've broken the mount or smth any ideas what now? :dunno: I was thinking if I won't be able to get it out, I'll try and cut it off with dremel tool.

I'm having some bad luck with my MG lately.

 
#25 · (Edited)
Went out to take the bumper off today in hope to replace the mesh grill, but I got stuck with these damn torx screws, they are well rusted and after some persuasion the right one was out but couldn't get the left to budge for the life of me. I tried again and then a big bang noise and now the screw turns (not loosly tho) but wont unscrew.............I think I've broken the mount or smth any ideas what now? :dunno: I was thinking if I won't be able to get it out, I'll try and cut it off with dremel tool.

I'm having some bad luck with my MG lately.

You will probably find that you have snapped off the mounting bracket from the crush box. You shoulld be able to take the bumper off now and work with it off the car to get the broken and rusted part removed.

you will probable need a new one of these. Will cost about £40ish. There are 2 crush boxes fitted under the bumper, they are handed so be sure and buy the right one that you need.
 
#27 ·
Excellent as always CJJ, thanks. I reckon t'would be a bit easier with the wheels off to get them self tappers. Torx and bolts were lightly rusted but came out ok: new nyloc nuts and spring washers fitted, Torx wire brush and respray with new chunky washers fitted. Self tappers kurusted.
Our TF is one of the Poverty Street models without rear mesh, so I'm going down the Halfrauds Boy Racer mesh route to fill the 'ole.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Good write up, reminds me of the one i did in, err, 1998 or so for the F, now long since removed from the web sadly...

Only thing i would add is to do with the Torx bolts that secure the bumper to the crush boxes. On an F, these are hex bolts and can rust into the crush boxes - not sure if the TF has the same issue, but given the location of the bolts it is very hard to get any WD40 in there and what tends to happen is that when force is applied, instead of the bolt releasing from the captive nut, the metal angle with the captive nut in it tends to shear off resulting in the need to replace the crush boxes too.

I covered this issue on the SOS site in 2003, extracts below:


Crush box with torn off captive nut bracket


Torn off captive nut bracket still attached to bumper


Crush boxes insitu on car
 
#40 · (Edited)
yes, and if the outside bolts wont budge.. the inside nuts in the boot will, but you need long fingers and the right spanners, to stop the head of the fixings turning inside the crash cans... and they are not easy to see with the bumper in place, but its possible.... once you get those fixings free, the bumper and crash can will come away together..

given that your likely to want to make good the crash cans anyway, it might be better to leave the crash cans attached to the bumper when you take it off, since you wont damage them without need.. and then its easier to see how to free those bumper/ crash can bolts if they are seized..

there is no easy answer.. other than trying to get new crash cans... or do without..

a damaged crash can, - can be repaired if you can weld, or bend steel.. or can make brackets etc etc.. and have bolts and fixings...

mine were completely sheared, when i got the car.. no bolts.. no fixings on the bumper..

i fabricated new brackets.. nothing really strong.. since i wanted to keep the "crush if hit" ability.. i want to save the bumper, and boot, if hit, not the crash can.. and when i refitted them.. smothered everything in grease... lots of it..
 
#37 ·
Have you tried spraying proper release oil on the screws and leaving for a while?

To be honest, if they were really stuck. it might be worth drilling the heads off and buying new bolts and crush cans. The damage you can do to your bumper trying to get the bolts out just isn't worth it.
 
#41 ·
I didn't get mine to move Paul, let alone twist so far..... I'd imagine that at seeing them move, and then encountering them stooping halfway(ish) must've been very frustrating? I will be expecting to encounter that problem now and will be seeking spare cans in the meantime.
 
#43 ·
I have encountered this problem as well... I undid my bumper earlier this year and both the brackets just sheared off of the cans.

The solution I found was to do away with the bracket and nuts completely. Using a long bolt with two nuts on it I put the bolts in place before the bumper was even on. With some jiggling these bolts pop through holes in the bumper and then I forced some washers on which slits cut out of them so that the bolt head cant pop back through the bumper.

Its OK as a bodge, but next time my bumper comes off I will replace the crash cans with these ones which I modified slightly in the hope that it cures the problem occurring again.

 
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