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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Brakes

A second owner of a T series car has recently passed away and his widow, through a mutual friend, would like me to look at the car because, as she understands, "it has brake issues". I'm to see the car on Monday. Could someone give me a general description of the braking system and a heads up or two on any common pitfalls related. I have never worked on a T series car but am very familliar with early MGB's and a bit about MGA's. This car may even be a TC, but I'll know more in the near future. I have no workshop manuals on this car but a catalog from Moss is on the way.

Thanks for any insight. I'd like to be of as much help as possible to all concerned.

Paul Hanley
64 MGB
59 Twin Cam
Paul Hanley

You could pull up Abingdon Spares and Moss Motors online catalogs for the factory diagrams of parts. The T-series MCyl is under the floorboard, push-rod operated from the pedal, collect water, sand, etc. and leak/freeze up. The TD/TF wheel cylinders (four) are notorious for the pistons rusting/freezing in the cyl, causing a ring of corrosion damage right where the rubber cup seals. If the MC works and the car just won't stop well, cyls are frozen, leaking, or linings oiled. Rear seals can also leak hypoid oil into the drums. Search the archives in detail, as everything has been discussed- fluid types, sleeving, etc. Rear drums tend to come loose and hog out the splines, also axles twist off. If you get that far ask about rear axles. George
George Butz

My brother restores MGB's and A's... after looking and listening to me explain what i did with the brake lines/cylinders/etc and where everything was attached... he said it sounded identical to the A's he has done.
Don't know if the A's had twin wheel cylinders on the front, but everything else sounds pretty similar.
Mine had sat for 26 years and had no fluid left, but lots of crud...the wheel cylinders were seized and they all needed honing...however, didn't have to replace anything except the lines. Cleaned and blew out all the T connections and they were fine.
gordon.b.lawson '53TD

Well I saw the car. A 1952 with less than 37k original on the clock. Actually, its the widow's car and she bought it in 1957 for three hundred dollars! It's been resprayed but in very, very fine "driver" condition. By that I mean the engine compartment and components are not all painted perfectly and shined for show. "Just my second car", she said!

The brakes are in fact not operating and the husband's tools and the removed right rear hubcap lay where he left them five years ago. As it turns out, that's when he passed. Car has not been touched since. Luckily, there is zero rodent damage. The meeting yesterday was just that--an introduction. Her wishes are to get the car back on the road and it is certainly not for sale. Her husband was quite the MGer apparently and as such, I'm going to take on the project.

Here's my plan:

Drain the gas, engine and gearbox oil. Use fuel pump to purge fuel lines. Refill with two gallons of 93 and 20/50 for the engine. Hypoid 85/140 for the gearbox??

Battery is missing so archives tell me 24 or 24F depending on the wire positions.

Drain,flush and refill radiator.

Brakes--determine type of fluid used and hope for silicone. May need to get back to you if we need a switch. Inspect all brake cyinders for general condition. More than likely, I'll start with RR where husband left off, bleed system and give it a try. A new Lockheed rear wheel cylinder was found near the car still in the box. I got the MC cap off with a sparkplug wrench, by the way. If all goes well (now how often does that happen?) then I start on the process to refire this thing up.

Refire--pull plugs and clean. Use points file to clean up points. Check air filter. Remove carb pistons and domes and spray carb cleaner throughout. Clean bowls of old fuel and debris. Hook up battery. At this point, it should be ready to turn the key with pugs out to relube engine and perhaps see a little oil pressure before ignition. I don't see any reason not to start it up after the above list has been completed.

After the car can make the two mile journey to my garage, the engine and all other systems will be given a thourough going through and complete tune up. The current workspace is not electrified or lighted and very, very small: hence my meatball surgery approach to getting it running again.

Any help you fellows can give--any comments on my methods above, any tid bit of info that you think might help would be so sincerely appreciated in getting this Marine's widow's car back on the road. Guys--I'm not charging her anything. Just helping out a fellow enthusiast.

Safety Fast,

Paul














Paul Hanley

Paul,

It's great that you are putting this car back on the road. You will certainly increase your balance in life's good karma bank!

If you need a brake light switch, drop by NAPA and get a ECHLIN SL144. It would be worth changing anyway. Also, search the archives for bleeding TD brakes. There is good info there.

On the fuel lines, there are multiple screen filters you will want to check (and maybe clean). There is one in the tank soldered to the threaded fuel line adapter. There is another one in the fuel pump and should be one in each carb, inside/under the fuel line banjo bolts.

I'm sure others will have additional ideas. Good luck with the work! Keep use posted. (If you get too busy to drive the twin cam, I'll be happy to make room in my garage!)

Evan

Evan Ford - TD 27621

Sounds like a nice weekend project Paul. Great to have another TD back on the road.
Bruce Cunha

Paul, nice of you to help out.
A few thoughts:
If it is only two miles to your garage, could you trailer the car home and then begin the reawakening? I always find it easier working in my own space.
That said, if just for the two mile drive, I wouldn't bother changing the transmission oil, just check level, use new spark plugs, check/clean the rotor and distributor cap and consider greasing the water pump. The choke pulls out and locks with about a 90 degree turn to one side. There is a cap on the end of the starter which can be pulled off and using a wrench turn the starter to make certain it has not frozen.

Regards,
Dennis
D F Sexton

Holy moley...Ya mean I have to pull the front axle apart to get to the front shoes and cylinders! This is going to be a little more than a weekend project. Finally got into my first dose of T series mechanics tonight--much same ole, same ole. Much very different. Rear cylinders leaking and shoes glazed. Stopped when I realized the fronts were a little different than I'm used to. Archives provided much info esp LH thread on FT RT. Both front drums suffer paint damage indicating leaks and dot4...oh well. Will try pulling fronts in the am. Can the health of the MC be determined at this point? I can't think of any way with so much leaking at the wheels. Reason I ask is whether to pull it too for Whitepost rebuild/sleeving--that and it looks like a bitch to pull!

Dennis, wish I could have just grabbed it and shoved it on the trailer but lack of any brakes concerned me a bit and the owner is still, understandably, a little leary of anyone working on Bill's car since he did all the work over the decades.

Odd thing with this car is that it's infested with crickets! Dozens of them stay real still in the wheel arches, almost like they're taking notes while I work. Thanks all for the help so far.

Paul
Paul Hanley

Paul- five minutes to remove MC if you work slowly. Remove the brake line, the two bolts, and take it off. Replacing takes longer if bolts break off in the frame! Read archives about removing front inner bearing/seal if it stays on the stub axle. Most likely have to use puller to remove drum.
George Butz

BTW, it was LH thread on the front left wheel to remove drum. ie, clockwise to loosen.
Paul Hanley

Just pull all the brake backing plates with the cylinders attached...much easier then trying to get them off on the car.....
gordon.b.lawson '53TD

This thread was discussed between 27/08/2004 and 04/09/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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