MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 - Inexperienced TF owner

I own a complete MG TF 1500 and many origional spares which I hope to drive in the next couple of years but the engine has not been started in over 7. Although I have many MG workshop books I have limited knowledge and experience of Engines and do not no how to get started. Could sombody offer me some advice as where to start as I fear a few more years sitting in the garage could cause serious damage. Clutch and engine are not seizeed and it still moves freely and only problem is some minor body rust.

Thanks.
Ian

Hi Ian - Congratulations on your TF.

A couple of things to start with - In order to make it go, you also need to make it stop. So not only do you need to get the engine going, but you need to make sure that brakes are working as well.


Brakes -
I reccomend that you do the following.
Change the brake fluid. As the car has been sitting for a while, any sediment will have settled out, the fluid will also have adsorbed moisture from the air.

Top up your master cylinder, bleed each wheel in turn, Start at the rear, finish with the front right. Pump the fluid through untill the new stuff shows at each bleed nipple. Best way to do this is to use a clear plastic tube running into a catch bottle. Keep topping up the brake master cylinder as the bleeding progresses. It is a two person job, one to operate the brake pedal, one to operate the bleed nipple.

Having done this, operate the brakes a few times, make sure they work when the car is pushed.

Next thing to do is to remove each wheel and brake drum in turn, check at each of the wheel cylinders for leaks. If any leaking, you will need to recondition or replace wheel cylinders. Also check brake master cylinder, same applies. Reason for doing things this way round is that the brake fluid needs replacing anyway, and in the process of doing so, you will be pressurising and working the seals in the system, and any leaks are likley to show up at this time.


The engine -

Take out the spark plugs, using the crank handle, ( if you still got one) make sure that the engine will turn over, and is not siezed up. If no crank handle, put in top gear and push back and forth. If the engine will not turn, a remove and strip down is strongly advised. Forcing a engine to turn over where the rings may have rusted in the bores may get it going, but rust is a very good abrasive, it will embed itself in the aluminium of the pistons, and make short work of the cylinder bores, and it will not do the rest of the engine any good at all.

Next step is to drain oil, & replace, also install a new engine oil filter.

Drain any petrol still in the tank, put a couple of gallons of fresh in.

Make sure that there is water in cooling system

Install battery, disconnect petrol pipe at carburettor, turn on ignition, and if all is well, the petrol pump will start ticking, and petrol and any crud in the line will flood out at the disconnected end. Catch petrol in a jar or tin or something. (no smoking)

Put half a dozen squirts of engine oil in through the spark plug holes, and with the ignition turned off, crank the engine over on the starter motor for about 15 seconds. During this period you may be able to see the oil pressure come up slightly on the guage. Give the starter a rest for 30 sec or so, and then crank over for another 15 - 20 seconds.

Install spark plugs, connect ignition wires, turn on ignition, pull choke, put foot on accelerator pedal - and start your engine.

If all goes well, and engine starts, dont be alarmed by the great clouds of oil smoke, this should clear as the oil you have put in on top of each piston burns away.

Put in gear, let out the clutch carefully ( it may grab), and drive off into the sunset!.

Ah - should it be that simple?

Problem areas
The petrol pump may not work.
The carburettors may be gummed up and not work properly.
The ignition system may need attention.

Although you could work through all of these first, and there is good reason to do so, its a bit beyond this message for me to take you through these, best come back if the car wont start (or stop)

Good Luck IanF






Ian Fraser

Doh !! Caught out by the old double posted thread trick !

I see others have answered you query the other thread, however I still emphasise that making sure that it will stop before you make it go is important.

IanF
Ian Fraser

Ian Frazer has said it all. We bought a TF that had not been run for many years and did exactly what he did with the exception that I had a borescope and could look inside the engine. Car had only 27000 miles on ODO and was still clean and oil covered.
However the first pull of the starter saw the engine fire up in about 5 secs. We have 60psi oil pressure, 20 lbs of Vacumn and runs without oil useage. You should replace the lubricant in gearbox and axle. Go for it.
colin stafford

Ian (and Colin)
I did forget something that was touched on in the other thread.
While you have each wheel off (one at a time is a must), press very carefully on the brake pedal, and check each of the wheel cylinders for movement. I emphasise great care here, not that it is dangerous, but just a bloody great nuisance if you pop out a piston. Just press the brake pedal enough to see if the piston is moving, a slight movement of the piston is enough to confirm that it is probably ok. If the piston does not move, and wont move unless you press hard on the pedal, it is probable that the piston is siezed in the wheel cylinder and a repair is indicated.

Ian F
Ian Fraser

Clarification to my previous post.

Check the pistons in the wheel cylinders for movement when the brake drum has been removed, (as well as the wheel)

Checking only the wheel for drag on the front when the brakes are applied may mean that only one of the wheel cylinders is working.

Ian F
Ian Fraser

I concur with all the advise so far given.
For my 2p (2cents) worth I would also take the radiator out and have it boiled, cleaned, and redone. After sitting for more than three years it is bound to be pretty cruddy in the bottom and no amount of back flushing will clean it out like a professional rad man can do. This lack of coolant flow will not become evident until you are driving for more than a few miles at highway speed. In other words you can drive around town for a long time and not know that your flow is restricted, but on the highway the demand for cool water to the engine will show in the temp gauge going out the roof.
ttbaum

I am somewhat more pessamistic about the condition of the brake cylinders and seals. (from my own & others experience). If the car has sat for 7 years the brake fluid has absorbed a lot of moisture, invariably leading to corossion of the cylinders. Even if the seals are still OK now, the corrosion will invariably lead to seal failure after a bit of driving and brake usage and you will loose your brakes ( Murphy's Law says at the most inconvient time).
Don't take a chance on brakes! I agree with those above, 1st priority- be sure brakes are in first class condition.
I would flush as above, then remove all cylinders and examine them for pits, corrosion, etc. In most cases you will find some after sitting for this long.
The rear cylinders are not too expensive (since they are used on other British cars). Buy new ones!
The master and front cylinders are outrageous! Have them resleeved by White Post ( about $40 per). White Post's workmanship in this is outstanding and with a short turn around time. They resleeve with brass, which is much less sensitive to corrosion overn time from the absorbed moisture.
Then fit new seal kits to those resleeved.
Be sure in any case the evaluate the condition of the brake linings.
In other words, do a complete brake job now, or you will have to do one later! ( hopefully, not after a disaster caused by the brakes failing on the road!)
As I said, I am a pessimist about any short cuts here.
Don Harmer


I agree with Don-Change/rebuild all brake cylinders. Cars sitting for only a year will have marginal cylinders -either partially frozen or leaking. A set of soaked linings will cost what one cylinder does. Change hub/axle oil/grease seals while drums off as well. I have been horrified to see the rust and gunge inside a perfectly fine looking cylinder. A T-car feels like power brakes after doing a good brake job. Go ahead and pull the back axles (you are 4 bolts away with the brakes off) and inspect the inner ends. The splines should be straight-I have seen some grossly twisted- replace the axle if any doubt. This saves removing/disassembling the rear end to remove the broken end and metal fragments after they break. Also, change all 3 rubber flex hoses, and all the copper washers. The hoses are cheap, and most certainly rotten. New washers are soft and will make leak-free fittings the first time. Doing all of this at once is a ton cheaper in the long run, as 90% of the labor for all of the above jobs is already done by just accessing and removing the cylinders. How do I know all of the above? I have been there/done that on several T-types over the years. Do it all at once and you will have miles and years of trouble free stopping!
George Butz

I also agree with all the comments re: brakes. I have almost completed rebuilding a TD that sat for approx. 10 years and found that as well as renewing and resleeving all of the cylinders and replacing the flex lines and copper washers I had to replace all of the metal lines as well, as the car had been stored with brake fluid in the system and it had absorbed so much water that the lines were full of rust. totally blocked.

enjoy!!!
Phil Stafford

This thread was discussed between 03/12/1999 and 15/12/1999

MG TD TF 1500 index

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