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MG TD TF 1500 I'm Back! ~Start-up advise?~ BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG TD TF 1500 - I'm Back! ~Start-up advise?~
| Izzy WILL rise again this year! Parked 2 years ago due to health & personal problems I won't go into...TF 1500 #7427 is being readied for the road again. The "FAX" : Engine was rebuilt and run just under 500miles before she was parked & ignored for 2 years. MY PLAN 4 re-start 2009: Pulled plugs and put some Marvell Mystery Oil in each cyc. For couple of days have been turnning engine slowly with hand crank. (Turning very smoothly) Drained old gas and will refill with fresh high-test. Going to pull carb float bowel's and drain old gas from them as well. Will install new fuel filter @ fuel pump before purging lines and re-connecting to carbs. AS far as oil...car was parked with fresh oil, my plan right now is to start with this oil and run till up to good temp, then drain and re-fill with fresh and new filter. (My hope here is that and condensation has formed in engine it will flush out with this first start and then put in fresh for her first drive. Have checked obvious as far as brakes & lube before heading out. First start will hand crank, then "dry" run starter till oil pressure is seen before engaging ignition. So does anybody have any other thoughts or helpful hints to be looked into before my lil angel rises again? Cheers & Best Regards David & Izzy 55 TF 1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| Hi David, sounds about right for the engine. I would expect the clutch plate to be stuck to the flywheel after this amount of time, also a couple of the brake wheel cylinders may be seized up so this will need checking. Good luck, Paul. |
| Paul van Gool |
| Thanks Paul.... Wheels and brakes OK ...she has been rolled around a few times by my neigbor who was keeping her in his garage for me. We rolled her out of the garage and across the steeet yesterday so I could wash her. Poor neglected baby ...she was filthy! First time I turned her engine with hand crank she was in gear and nocked me on my ar*e. (No doubt her way of getting even for letting her sit for so long!) Any ideas on what I could/should do for clutch plates prior to start-up? After waiting this long I don't want to rush anything but dying to hear her little engine purrrr again! Spent most of the just cleanning and of course hoisting a few OSH to celabrate. The mood @ "Abingdon Hootersville North" is once again happpy. Izzy has her spot back and the TR7 has been banished to the driveway! Feel like a kid with a nue toy again. David 55 TF1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| David, one suggestion is to clean the float bowl valve needles and seats with a squirt of carburettor cleaner, especially if you have the Grose ball type. Mine have had a tendency to be stick after sitting for even a few months. Dallas |
| D C Congleton |
| Dave It will be good to see the TF and you again. Tom |
| T. L. Manion Thomas |
| David, To check for a stuck clutch, have someone sit in the car, put it in 4th gear and push in the clutch while you try hand cranking the engine. If you can crank it the clutch isn't stuck. The rest of your process sounds good although I doubt you'll be finding any gas in your float bowls after two years off the raod. Also, if you don't get oil pressure within 15 seconds of 'dry starting' your engine, you should stop trying and go through the pump priming routine. Good luck and here's to a successful restart! Gene |
| Gene Gillam |
| David, Good to hear from you again! I've got my fingers crossed that all goes well on the restart! Gene |
| Gene Burgess |
| Day 2 update: Float bowels were dry as a bone...cleaned valve needles & seats. Disconnected fuel feed to get the last gallon out that my syphon hose could not reach. Cleaned the screen installed new fuel filter @ pump. (Izzy has the newer small box type pump near rear axle) 5 gallons of fresh hi-test and "purged' line before re-attachment to carb's. At some point guess my trickle charger got unpluged so batt was real week. My new charger supposedly has a 75amp "start" setting and starter turned over but charger keep shutting down. New charger also has a re-condition setting so will try again tomorrow ...but I think the old girl wants a new battery. I'll try that with the 4th gear and depress clutch tomorrow ...thanks Gene. Thanks Tom I'm just real happy the right foot didn't have to be amputated ...it now a nice flesh color again instead of that nasty dark blue! I can handle driving her with no left ....but for a while it looked like I was going to need all hand controls.. Our dog is going nuts... he's ready to fold down the windscreen and get some bugs in our teeth! LOL. Thanks to all ...we will ride again! David 55 TF1500 #7427  |
| David Sheward |
| David, My motor sat for 33 years in my garage, after a full rebuild. I turned it over several times a year with light oil in the cylinders. When I finally put it back in the car, my major concern was oil pressure. Priming the oil pump has been discussed at great length on the BBS, and if you look in the archives, you will find several methods. I consider this to be the most important function, in starting a new or rebuilt engine. Be sure to remove the spark plugs when you are turning the motor over on the starter. It also is easier on the battery if the fan belt is removed. I go through this ritual every spring, and it still gives me great pleasure to hear that little engine come back to life, after a winter's sleep. Good luck. George Raham TD 4224 |
| G. L. Raham |
| Thanks George... Had plugs out and cranking by hand seems to be building oil presure so I think oil pump is well primed. (primming on an xpeg fairly easy to do.) Running ...ah er...make that "hopping" back and forth from handle to gage in time has been a bit hard...but I will make sure I have presure before engaging the "LUCAS" end of things! One other thing I failed to mention that I did have in the garage that I did "refill" today. Lucky for me I had an ample supply on hand! (sse image) Cheers, David 55 TF1500 #7427  |
| David Sheward |
| Hi David, I would turn it over with the starter without plugs or ignition until the oil pressure builds up when you get the new battery. You can run the starter for periods up to 30 seconds without doing damage to it. You can also test the clutch this way. Put it in gear with the clutch depressed and hit the starter. If the car moves the clutch is stuck. Hope this helps, Paul. |
| Paul van Gool |
| Paul I have always started by turning over without ignition until oil presure builds up. (just made sense for a car I do not drive daily) ..but never pulled plugs. Makes good sense that the pressure will build quicker with less stress on starter if plugs are pulled! Thanks for the "wet slap @ the end of a cold fist" about putting in gear and hitting starter with clutch depressed. (why didn't I figure that out?!) You would think as many threads we have had on this BBS about first start-ups over the years I would have known all this...but thanks to all and no doubt not a bad thing to re-cap this time of year for some of our non-member readers. Off to "AHN" to see if my batt lives or dies! Cheers & Best Regards to all, David 55 TF1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| Welcome back stranger. |
| LED DOWNEY |
| David, Paul suggests that you put the car in gear, depress the clutch pedal and hit the starter...and if the car moves forward the clutch is stuck. While it's simpler than doing it with the hand crank it's also a bit more dangerous. It's amazing how far forward a car can jump on a small pull of the starter. If you do it that way make sure there's nothing in front of you. And how do I know? Well, it wasn't me but I have a good friend with a damaged grill and bonnet. Gene |
| Gene Gillam |
| Yes, definitely do this with the garage door open. The sudden jolt usually will disengage the stuck clutch. Cheers, Paul. |
| Paul van Gool |
| The new Med's are working! I did use Paul's advise checking for stuck plates ...except I tried it in reverse first with garage door open! ON TO THE UPDATE: Izzy got her new battery today. Turned her over for about 2 minutes with hand crank...put plugs back in. Dry cranked (no ignition) for about 5 seconds and saw oil pressure. Turned on the key, pulled starter and she fired instaneously. I wish I would have videoed it I swear I don't even think the engine made a full revolution...it was that quick! Heard a gawd awful noise from front of engine and thought "crap...my water pump must be trashed." I had pulled hand crank back from engine but left it sticking out of the front bumper....vibrating against it made a nasty sound! Ran her for about 15 minutes and all is well. On shut down a small drop of oil (less than a dime) from the thrower on shut down and that was it. It was pouring rain and cold so no drive today. Nothing left to do but run again change oil & lube fittings! TF 1500 #7427 is ready to go! It actually took me longer to get my kerosene heater fired up today than to get the car going! Happy Cheers & Joy-ass Regards, David & Izzy |
| David Sheward |
| Well done David and welcome back.... |
| gblawson(gordon) |
| Super-Duper! I'm glad that you and Izzy are an item again. warmly, dave |
| Dave Braun |
| Hi David, Oh Yes ! The TF and you live again.Top stuff. Great to see you re appreciating these magnificent little cars all over again. Cheers for now. Rob.Grantham TF 3719 ("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos"). |
| Rob Grantham |
| Only a drop of oil? Sump must be empty. Are we thinking clutch mods again? |
| LED DOWNEY |
| Thanks all feels good to be back! Yep ...will be thinking clutch mods very soon! My forecast for today according to weatherman "Groppling" ...not snow, not sleet, that's a new one on me! Whatever the H~~L you call it, it's nasty out there! Good day to hit the old "honey-do" ...I have the bathroom torn to pieces for re-model maybe I best work on that today. They say 80's this weekend so back to TF then! Regards, David 55 TF1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| Dave, Greetings from Wales. Welcome back, lets hope that you are coping with whatever ails you and all the best to you and yours. There is a whole new season in front of us so lets hope that 7427 is also on the road and ready to go. Be careful with that kerosene heater in your garage!!!! All the best, David |
| David Tinker |
| Don't forget to put in some fresh Lucas smoke. It won't run long on the old stuff! Gord Clark Rockburn, Qué. |
| Gordon A. Clark |
| Gord: See "image" about 10 post back: From: David Sheward Ohio USA on 20 April 2009 at 05:06:58 (UK time) It's the good orange label stuff too ...none of that cheap green repro crap! Cheers, David 55 TF1500 #7427 |
| David Sheward |
| Welcome back to you and Izzy! The problem with the green label smoke is it has to be changed every season... Cheers, Evan |
| Evan Ford TD27621 EXL/NA |
| Dave, You're right - sorry abt. that. gac |
| Gordon A. Clark |
| I have 47 packets of orange label SMOKE REFILLS. Please send $00.00 and I will forward all to Gord Clark. He lives in the cold cold north and needs that to start his MG/TF Sandy said that. |
| conrad sanders |
| Good to have you and Izzy back, Dave. We've missed your sense of humor. That's not to mention your cleverness with Izzy. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Welcome back Dave. Although I'm more of a reader than a contributer to this site. I've always apppreciated your input. Dan H. |
| Dan Hanson |
| David.....Welcome back to the open road and the TF. Its been a long and arduous experience for you. Prediction in Ohio and in MI, is 80+ degrees, so I expect you to be out and about. Safety Fast Colin Stafford TF 6688 |
| colin stafford |
| Dave, Welcome back! After a long absence (family, health, school, job) I'm also returning to car activities. Ira Spector 53 TD MkII 60 MGA coupe 77 MGB 69 e-Type 2+2 |
| Ira Spector (PA) |
This thread was discussed between 19/04/2009 and 29/04/2009
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