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MG TD TF 1500 - Dash Board Removal

I am about to replace the ignition switch on my late TDII (thank you Peter H for a fine looking replacement).

I have begun by removing the retaining screws and can pull the dash a short way forward, but then it is held back by the many connectors. Space is restricted and my joints are now very creaky, making scrabbling around under the dash an uncomfortable exercise.

Rather than blindly detach every one of the connections, can anyone indicate the best order of attack to minimise the rebuild sequence, and still give sufficient space to pull forward the dash, then access and remove the old switch followed by replace and reconnect the fiddly wires.
Ian Bowers

Thanks Ian. This isn't going to help you but at moments like this don't you wish you had one of these... Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Ian, the real hang ups are the choke cable and the starter cable. The electrical connections have a good bit of give to themselves. Bud
Bud Krueger

Thanks, Peter, I have a modern multi-wire connector but first it all has to come apart. I screwed it all together at the end of the 1970's and have now forgotten all the wrinkles.
Ian Bowers

Can you just mount the new switch somewhere under the dash out of sight? Life is short!
Hope life is treating you well aside from this switch!
Ed
efh Haskell

Hi Peter
What is one of these??
How many cables will it take,do you need more than one?
You can probably guess i am going to remove my own dashboard in the near future and I was looking for a way to tidy things up and make it more accessible for the future
Regards John
J A Davies

It's a bit of redundant aircraft technology John rescued from a rubbish bin in the 60's during my time in the RAAF. It actually came from a Meteor. A 24 V plug used in trucks is available on the web. A 20 pin plug is all that's needed. The answer to your question Ed is no as the ignition/lighting switch takes pride of place in the dash. See pic. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

The center plate should be able to angle a bit and push back into the center hole of the dash.
Mine is able to drop down a bit under the dash and I am able to look at the back side and the wire and cable connections.
This way you might not have to disconnect anything else.
If you can - snap a pic any way you can
( cell phone or ?? )
Now you have a copy of the connections.

M Grogan

But before you try this. - REMOVE power - disconnect battery.
Just saying.. have a good day.

M Grogan

It is not clear if you are pulling the dash or the plate holding the gauges. Once you have the dash out a bit, you might be able to get to the nuts that hold the gauge plate.

As mentioned, with the choke and starter cables disconnected from the carb and starter switch, you should have enough room to move the plate out enough to get to the switch.
Bruce Cunha

Thanks to all. I have pulled the front dashboard section, the bit which comes away when the fascia screws are removed. Access to the bolts which hold the centre panel are as inaccessible as the ignition switch wiring until I can ease the whole panel. The dash undertray is also in place making access more complex.

I will detach the choke cable and starter cable and that should give more working space.

(ED H) For now I try to keep the visual aspects of the car as 'original' whatever that means, the hidden stuff (like the cc and the clutch mechanism) gets 'improved. So I will struggle on.
Ian Bowers

Hi Ian,
I wonder if this is helpful; I remove the steering wheel. Then the screws that hold the dash under-tray to the dash and the small screws that hold the glove box to the dash. I unscrew both the speedo and rev counter cables. Then the long retaining screws that hold the dash to the frame.
I can then pull the dash complete away from the frame. To prevent it putting too much stress on the wiring loom I have a ’check strap’ screwed to the back of the dash and onto the steering column support bracket.
All of this allows the dash to swing down at 90 degrees to the frame and all of the connections to the instruments are very accessible.
There should be no need to disconnect the choke cable or the starter cable.

Mike

Mike Christie

I am in the process of tidying up/restoring TD3042. After years of amateurish wiring with non-descript colors, adding 4 way flashers, and a socket for cell phone, the wiring was becoming a nightmare. I tried going the route that Peter did by adding a multi-connector plug and socket between the main harness and the dash. However, I have tried two different plugs without success. The first was an automotive plug with 24 connectors. That was a poor design that made it difficult to press the pins into the plug, especially with the size of some of the wires. The second was a circular 24 pin connector. There was simply not enough room to fit all the wires into the plug. I considered using a military style connector, but the price of the larger ones are ridiculously priced (over $100 each half).
I finally gave up and just this morning did the connections with plain old bullet and sleeves.
Not the convenience I wanted, but I could at least disconnect the whole dash when needed and replace with ease, as I was careful to use matching colored wires.
Lew Palmer

Mike has the way I do it with one exception. I do not remove steering wheel but the cross bolt holding the steering columb. Then remove dash board mounting screws and lay the dash down on the columb.
THIS IS AFTER YOU HAVE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY.
i JUST LAY A TOWEL ON COLUMB TO ELIMINATE ANY SCRATCHES.
sANDY
Sanders

Hi Ian,

Look at the web pages for Vehicle Wiring Products or better still ask them for one of their catalogues. They sell suitable plugs and sockets and the cost is minimal. I made my dash wiring removable but left the heavy cable to the ammeter continuous albeit with enough slack to pull the facia forwards to get to the terminals on the gauge.

Jan T
J Targosz

This thread was discussed between 13/11/2017 and 24/11/2017

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