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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 - Give Me A T any day

Ok, Friend comes over today to do a oil change and a tuneup on his 97 Mercury Mystique. 4 cyl 2000 cc. Twin overhead cam.

Pretty routine, right. Well, this engine has the spark plugs in the center of the dual cam valve cover, and they are about 6 inches down. in removing one, the porcelain breaks off and falls into the engine. We did not notice it.

So now, we decide to do a compression check.Yep, we started hearing the bad sound when we turn the motor over.

At this point we don't know the damage, but the compression is only 50 in that cylinder. Hoping the piece of porcelain is holding a valve open, but it means that now the whole head has to come off.

God I had new cars.
Bruce Cunha

....water pump on a '98 Protege is a fun one as well....buried half way inside the engine. Hundreds of dollars to pull it all apart....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

The wifes Eldorado needed a new water pump, to get to one bolt, the power steering pump pulley had to be removed. It takes a special puller to remove it and another special tool to put it back on. I think they do this just so you'll take it to the dealer for repairs. With labor and all, it was around $400. The pump was $45. With todays engines, were lucky just to be able to change the oil. PJ
P S Jennings

Someone "else" is currently working on my Mit's 3000 GT!
I learned my lesson years ago:
$450 to change plugs ....no way was I going to pay that. After removing intake manifold, alternator, air cond compressor, power steering, most of the braking system, left front wheel, cd player, rear carpet, spare tyre, ect, ect ...only took me 16hrs to access the 3 rear plugs!
(the "book" says someone that knows what they are doing,and has propper "special tools" can do it in 10.)
Re-assembly was a snap ...untill I dropped the last bolt in there and got do it all again as it landed where no magnet could retrive it!
Never again! And yes ...my water pump in in there under the timming belt cover also.
"Give Me A T any day" for certain!


David Sheward

On my Benz 320 Wagon, there's no dipstick - I have to wait until there's a WARNING message come up on the dash [sorry, 'Command Center'] before I know to add a litre of oil.

Also, there are fuses in three places [firewall, side of the dash, and left rear tire well] - and the horn fuse blows after every two honks. There's no way I'm going to look for a bad ground in that rat's nest.

Oh my lord, does it run fast and silent - but I'll take the TD for smiles-per-mile any day.

Dave


Dave Jorgensen

While we are venting... used to own an '89 5 series.... there is a bulb behind the heater unit that a man at the start of the Assembly Line stands and holds...then the car is built around him and it.... And there is a sensor for 'every' electrical device to warn you when bulbs go out, etc, etc...the sensors break down before the device so the computer is beeping at you telling you to change stuff all the time.....!!!


gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

(It was my favourite car however)


gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

I agree that the new cars have more power, have a lot more nice gismo's, and may actually go for longer periods of time without routine maintenance. The engines also appear to last a lot longer. Used to be 100,000 miles was pretty much it for the regular engine. Now, 200,000 is about the norm.

But with all these changes, the repairs have become much more difficult, and as pointed out much more expensive.
Bruce Cunha

On a 2002 Jaguar 3.0 S-type I had a problem of bucking on long hills at highway speeds. I first thought it was the transmission mis-shifting so had it serviced (new fluid and filter). Of course the tranny is factory sealed with no dip stick and "to be dealer seviced at 100,000 miles" (of course). No difference. So I then went to a computer analyzer and found out that three coils were bad, and you guessed it, all three were on the side of the engine that requires removing half the car to access. Took it to a dealer and they wanted $900. (+-) to put in three new coils and 6 new plugs. I bought the parts on-line for under $150.00 and went to the local Firestone service center and they installed for $225. Total cost $375...lots better than $900. The car now drives like a dream.
A great car all around. I love working on my '54 TF!
SEAMUS
F. HEALY

My grandson, who works for a BMW dealer, told me that the most expensive BMW, now has a separate computer for every controlled action, such as there's a separate computer for each window in the car, plus many other things. He said the car is a nightmare to work on and extremely expensive to repair. He didn't say how many computers are in the car, but there's a bunch and they ain't cheap! But if you can afford 80 to 90 Gs for a car, what's money! (Grin).PJ
P S Jennings

Did anyone read the new Pop Mechanics? Big article about older Ford Modular v8s stripping and blowing plugs out of the head. Seems on many pick-ups you have to remove the truck body (or engine) to repair. Yikes!
George Butz

Can someone tell me how electronic modules (thinking heater) are cheaper then a knob with a cable attached hooked on to a lever that opens a valve?
Why the module at the switch and the module at the block....?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

This thread was discussed between 17/10/2010 and 20/10/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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