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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 - Distributor Fine Adjustment

Does anyone know where one of these or similar can be obtained to adapt to an XPEG distributor? Sure would make fine-tuning the timing much more effortless. PJ




PJ Jennings

PJ,


Is your car RHD or LHD?

These are good for RHD cars but they won't fit on LHD because of interference from the steering column.
Also I think that XPEG engines has the later fitting which uses a cotter pin.


John
J Scragg

I stock CSI Lucas type 23 D distributors for T types with 16 adjustable advance curves :)!
https://csi-ignition.com/
Len
Len Fanelli

They are a TC part apparently.... so you may source one from TC part suppliers.
CR Tyrell

It will not work on a late TD or TF block. Firstly, there is no way to fix the clamp to the block. Secondly, the aforementioned blocks take a different length distributor, so if you use the TC micro-adjuster then the distributor gear won't mesh properly with the camshaft. It could be made to work, but not without machining work on the block.
Steve Simmons

Personally I'd go with the CSI fully electronic dissy, it's unintrusive and not like the old (top) ignitors or cheap electronic dissys.

It'll help with starting, tickover and through the whole rev range. Once set up it won't need adjusting again for itself. Just annual checking and cleaning of the rotor and cap.
Nigel Atkins

To be fair, the original distributor doesn't need anything more than an annual check / adjustment either, unless you drive a LOT of miles. Not that electronics can't make any improvement of course, but the difference isn't night and day, assuming both are new or rebuilt and set up correctly for the car.
Steve Simmons

No farting about with those nasty points, especially if you have to replace with poor quality modern made ones.

My understanding for the 1960s on cars is that the mechanical bottom part would be out of spec within a few years, I've no idea if the likes of the Dissy Doc can rebuilt them to stay in spec longer.

But if the standard dissy is good enough then fair enough, I've found my 123 to be very steady for the 13 years I've used it on my modern midget.
Nigel Atkins

You shouldn't have to do anything to the points other than check the adjustment once per year and give them a couple drops of oil. It's part of the fun of owning an old car, just like adjusting the valves and other things at each tune-up. If you drive 1000 miles per month then things will need attention more often, but most T owners don't drive more than 1000 miles per year, if that.

Distributor Doctor sells very high quality points. I have them in several cars including my daily driver that sees 80 miles round trips to work on a regular basis. I adjust the points once or twice per year at most.

Nothing wrong with electronic ignition (unless it fails), but in my opinion it's an expensive alternative to a minor maintenance item.
Steve Simmons

I am with Steve.

All the claims I see about 123, CSI, ABC or even XYZ frighten me, a 50% increase in HP breaks my cardinal rule of keeping the BHP less than the number of circumnavigations of the Sun that I have made.

Points, sports coil, .030” gap on decent plugs and away I go. I have adjusted points, but I have never,in 56 years of owning cars with points, ever changed a set.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

My TF has points and I have no intentions of going to electronic. Other than a mild Crane cam, the engine is stock, just tuned properly. Love it!
PJ Jennings

What idiots claim 50% increase in anything with anything especially a different dissy and what idiots believe or even consider such rubbish, this isn't Facebook or other such rubbish.

Peter that's a good point (forgive the pun) if you have old stock parts they may well be fine or very good but if you've bought the car in less than 56 years ago there might be new poorer quality points fitted. But you are taking things to extremes, no doubt there are some here with very many decades of ownership but otherwise there may some owners without.

If you can find anywhere on this whole BBS site where I've claimed any what so ever, even a nat's whisker, increase in hp from changing to a fully electronic dissy please bring it to my attention as I must have been under the influence of strong sherry.

I've no idea where you old chuffers get the idea anyone is forcing anything on you - or that only your way is the only way. There's more than one route to a destination.
Nigel Atkins

Blimey, sorry the last part of my previous post lost the intended light humour, some words got lost, edited or not typed, it was meant to be another way of putting - each to their own. The thought of 50% power increase put my head in a spin.
Nigel Atkins

As I said, my .02 worth, however there is a review for a certain distributor that claims a 50% increase in horsepower was obtained in a Mini. No attempt was made to examine the condition of the replaced knackerd distributor.

I suggest the advance springs were probably missing or the points plate was frozen in place, something I don’t have to worry about with a rebuilt/recurved distributor. Before it was overhauled the car ran like crap due to wear, I am sure if I shelled a pile of money on a “alphabet” dissie it would have produced lots more power.

I was being “tongue in cheek” about 50%, but never the less the test is published.

I do think a distributor rebuilt with the proper advance curve whether it runs points, pints, electronics or lasers is better than a worn unit, everyday. That said, every week I hear that if I fit a Petronix into my worn distributor my prayers will be answered. I am doubting that…

Again “tongue in cheek”….

P G Gilvarry

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2022 and 02/08/2022

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.