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MG TD TF 1500 - 52 TD generator and tach gear box

I read thru a bunch of posts today about the reduction gear box. I have tried to repair mine but it is not going to happen so I will order one.
I was reading about the belts being too tight and causing some issues. So when I got home I checked mine. Well it was a new belt from napa and the fit was so bad the last owner did not put the front bracket bolt in. Good news he did not drive the car very much...
Anyway I read it is important to have the right length and size of belt to save the water pump and the generator. Is the larger belt that moss sells a good fit?
Also is their gearbox a decent one?
When taking off the gen the last person had three washers to space the gen a little more forward. Is this common?
The gen appears to be an original one. But maybe not... It is a Lucas one and the numbers on the side were 227534. 10. 7 and a C401 was on it.
I also have a question about the oiler for the back bushing. It looked like there was a plate in that hole. It does have threads but not the oiler pad. Maybe rebuilt? The shaft seems centered is not wobbling when I spin it so I think it is good.
Not sure what else to ask about it... I need to get a belt and a gearbox to get everything hooked up and see how it goes.
TLW Wright

What looks like a plate in the hole might be the side of a new bushing. New bushings are soaked in oil over night and then pressed in. When done installing, the oiler is merely for looks. The new bushing is permanently oiled. (Or so they say)! When I did mine, I drilled the bushing to allow the original oilers felt to touch the shaft making it operable again. Just in case! PJ
Paul sr

TLW - Can you post a picture of your generator? It sounds like it is the later, C40 used on the MG midgets. If it has spade terminals for the two wires that attache to it, it is the later generator. It is actually a better generator that puts out about 3 amps more than the original one.

"Is the larger belt that moss sells a good fit? "
Yes, the belt is a bus/truck belt and quite wide. It has to have a segmented inner portion - with the segmentation the belt is too stiff and will cause the same damage that running the belt too tight does.

"When taking off the gen the last person had three washers to space the gen a little more forward. Is this common?"
Yes, there was originally a thick spacer in there, but the washers will work fine (the main purpose of the spacer/washers is to line the pulley up with the water pump and crankshaft pulleys).

"Also is their (Moss') gearbox a decent one?"
It is about the only game in town other than Abingdon Spares and an outfit in England (which is probably where Moss and Abingdon get the boxes from.

PJ - New bushings are soaked in oil over night..."
Actually you can do it in about 5 seconds. Just set one open end on your upturned thumb, fill with oil until it brims over the top, place your other thumb on the top (helps to be double jointed here) and press your thumbs together. As soon as you see to oil oozing out through the sides of the bushings (about 5 seconds) you have completed the 24 hour soak :-) Cheers - Dave

David DuBois

Thanks for the info. I will try to post a pic of the generator tonight. it does not have spade terminals on it though. they are bolts and nuts. but it does have a C401 on it.
I probably did not read your post well on the belt but I am thinking the Moss belt is a segmented one. So I will order one from them. I am guessing the longer one allows the generator to swing out far enough for the reduction gear box to easily clear everything.
TLW Wright

one more question:
is there a specific spacer that goes on the generator to get it lined up properly? or do you just eye it?
since this set up did not even have a front bolt in it I am not sure I trust that 3 washers is the right spacing.
I did not see a spacer in the moss pages.
TLW Wright

I have tried a few replacement tach drives in the past,,, from both Moss and AS,, they all failed after a few thou miles,,,,
.
I have since decided not to purchase another one until someone makes a drive that will last...


.
SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Try www.barrywalker.com Listed at 135.00 quid with steel gears and made in UK by descendants of the original manufactures.
W Routley

I think I read somewhere that for a few years the gears in the replacement drives were fiber and failed readily, but now are brass or metal. Maybe call Moss or Abingdon and inquire? George
George Butz

Try Richmond-speedograph in the UK, internet price £95.
They are manufacturers not just suppliers, I think UK suppliers buy from them and mark up.You would have to let them know what car as there are 2 ratios
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

TLW - "is there a specific spacer that goes on the generator to get it lined up properly? or do you just eye it?"

You need to use a straight edge placed across the front of the generator pulley and the front edge of the crankshaft pulley. The straight should rest flat across both pulleys when the generator is spaced out properly. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

not sure how good this pic is but this is the generator. I read the side wrong. the marks say C40T not C401.


TLW Wright

Dave
you mentioned above that the larger belt that Moss carries is fine. I should probably have said the longer belt. their longer belt is also a little more narrow and I wondered about it bottoming on the pulley. also want to make sure the tach drive clears the distributor. which one were you thinking?
TLW Wright

Paul Sr.,

I don't think you need to drill through the bushing after you have soaked it in oil and fitted it to the genny.

Depending on SHMBO you could also put the bushing in a tin can with oil and heat it gently on the stove. To remove all the air in the bushing and fill it with oil.
Dave's method sounds like a winner as well. :)

The oil in the oiler with the felt pad is designed to keep the bushing wet. Kind of a "not so fast" drip feed.

Oil will slowly soak through the bushing as it is sintered bronze and lubricate the bearing surface all round.

Mine has been that way since 1964 (first MG TD)

Refilling the oiler every 3000 miles or annually has worked for me.

Rod.
R D Jones

TLW,


The DAYCO Top Cog belt #22385 has served me well 40,000 plus miles. You can buy it from a auto supply or Grainger Industrial supply 4HKX6

Whatever you do do not make it to tight!

Ed
ECS Stanfield

TLW, I put this in the wrong thread:

Jud,go to Abingdon Spares website and look at the image for page 3, Engine External. Locate Part #156, Distance Washer. It's in the price list at $2.28. Bud
A/S is at www.abingdonsparesllc.com 800-225-0251

Bud
Bud Krueger

Dave
forget my question about the belt from Moss. I read some other info and found that the Gates TR22392 is the same length as the longer Moss belt and the same width as the shorter one. it is also toothed so it should work well for flexibility.
TLW Wright

Bud
Thanks for the info on the washer spacers, I did see that on the other thread. I stopped by the local hardware store and bought a couple of 5/16x1/4 bushings to use. they are very close to the 3 washers that were there. I will test that and see how it lines up with the straight-edge tip from above. Thanks to all.
TLW Wright

You can sight and align the belt visually- make sure it is in a triangular flat plane with the crank and water pump pulleys. While this method or the straight edge corrects fore and aft, the lower front mount hole tends to hog out in the aluminum front bracket/housing and/or in the bearer plate. If this is the case, the pulley will be canted inward. That requires in the aluminum and re-drilled, etc. George
George Butz

George
I will check that. in my case they did not even have a bolt in the front. their belt was too tight so they left it out I guess. or they could not use the belt and get the tach drive on... not sure. either way I ordered a new belt that was suggested and I will check the holes and bolt sizes.
TLW Wright

Well I got my belt in today and popped it on the car so I could check out the tach. worked great... well the tach that is.
this gates belt TR22392 is 17mm x 995mm from the info I got. my problem is the belt is too big. I mean it works... right now... but it is very lose. I know we want these belts lose but this is more than 1" of play between the gen and the water pump. and I have it adjusted all the way out. it worked but I would worry if it stretches at all, it will throw the belt. I am sure Napa or AutoZone must have a similar belt. what do you all run on your car?
Oh, and I looked in the book but did not see.. but what should the idle speed be at. right now the tach shows about 1400. I will check that with my dwell meter but if it is close, what should it be set to?
TLW Wright

ok, I have read thru the archives and I guess I will run this belt. it is extremely lose but everyone seems to work ok with it. maybe my pulley is not as large as it is supposed to be.
also found the idle speed at 800RPM so I got everything.
Thanks to all..
TLW Wright

NAPA 25-22392 is what I've been running for quite a few years. Bud
Bud Krueger

i ended up leaving the belt as is. i was thinking of making an extension for the belt adjuster. but then it was too tight if i went past the end of the bracket. sure is loose right now though. i would think a belt about a 1/2" shorter would be better... if they make one.

TLW Wright

Someone had longer adjuster links on ebay for a long time, not sure if there anymore or not. George
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 21/08/2013 and 27/08/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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