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MG TD TF 1500 Items that Make No Sense on the TD/TF BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG TD TF 1500 - Items that Make No Sense on the TD/TF
| A recent thread on original battery cables had a question on why there was a little hole in the battery terminal helmet. Who knows?
Anyway this got me thinking about starting a thread for other items that seem to absolutely make no sense or have no purpose on the TD/TF, especially for the casual or new observer. Sure some of these are parts that are used on other cars and the TD/TF just inherited them, but it still begs the question. And a few are for items that are not standard. So a few examples: * The aforementioned battery helmet with the small additional hole. * the two bolts on the valve cover of the TD that hold down nothing. (This is for another car's air cleaner). * The single unconnected wire under the front splash pan (for an optional fog lamp) * The two "L" brackets on the sub dash at the glovebox. (used to hold the optional radio display). * The extra holes on the battery box sides below the ones that the battery "J" brackets are set in. (maybe for using a different size battery?). * The extra wiring hole in the back of the rear license lamp * The unused bracket on the side tappet cover * The two holes on the flat area at the rear sides of the oil sump. (These were actually for the older cars which had a cable clutch. One for LH or RH drive cars). * The two lift the dot studs on the lower seat back. (these are for straps for the original half tonneau cover). The big bolt/plug on the back of the radiator tank. (Later cars have a thermostat sensor here and probably different cars that used the same radiator had one too). Please add to the list and if you have some explanations I did not mention, post those too. I might add a page the TD site with these along with their pictures if I get bored. :-) |
| Christopher Couper |
| The pair of heavy brackets on the rear axle casing (shock absorber mounts?). The pattern of holes on the rear face of the tool box, seen in the foot well. Matthew. |
| M Magilton |
| Extra holes in the frame for the two different shocks. How about the small bolt near the ends of the axle housing. |
| L E D LaVerne |
| The hole in the firewall near the horn used by this owner to fit a P clip to secure the fuel line. Cheers Peter TD 5801  |
| P Hehir |
| Chris - the hole in the battery cable end is for a screw to firmly affix the helmet-style cable end to the battery terminal. I've seen screws in long-dormant cars with old batteries. Tom Lange MGT Repair |
| t lange |
| Tom I think Chris may be referring to the hole shown here. Cheers Peter TD 5801  |
| P Hehir |
| White felt in the tool box. Tim |
| Timothy Burchfield |
| Can't argue with that Tim. Put some protection under the jack! Cheers Peter TD 5801 |
| P Hehir |
| I've seen that second hole with a bolt holding a loop-terminal with another powered wire for an accessory defroster. Tom Lange MGT Repair |
| t lange |
| The holes in the engine block flange that have no matching connection to the sump. I tapped them for a 7/16" bolt to facilitate separating the sump from the engine should that be necessary. The lock nut is to hold the bolt in place without putting pressure on the sump. Mort  |
| Mort Resnicoff |
| The white felt in the tool box is a good one. I don't have much too add since alot has been mentioned. May not really apply to this thread but the TF wiper switch design makes you wonder, "what were they thinking?" Frank TF1414 |
| Frank Cronin |
| Frank I agree with you on the wiper switch. Fortunatly mine had very little use over the years being a California car originally and it is in excellant shape, but it is a dumb design! PJ |
| PJ Jennings |
| A radio. Dave H |
| Dave Hill |
| Mort. I asked about those holes and the answer that made the most sense is they were for attaching the block into the milling machine. It would have made it quick to mount the block and put each block in the exact same position for milling. My additions are the quarter moon cut out on the inner dash (found on all but the earliest TD's) , and the mysterious rubber bumper.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
These odd holes with stamped numbers on the dumb iron. I have documented 5 TD's with these holes. Still have no clue what they were for.
 |
| Bruce Cunha |
| The extra bracket on the differential of later TD's. Was told it was the same differential used on another car and the bracket was for that car. I see this was already posted, but here is a picture  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Hi Tom,
You are half right saying the hole in the battery terminal helmet is for a screw. It is not for a screw but rather a tapered, lead plug which takes the live feed wire from the battery. Some cars connect this feed to the starter switch or solenoid so the hole is redundant. I clearly remember one of these lead plugs on my long since gone Austin A35. What makes no sense to me is the design of the pedal box, master cylinder and clutch actuating mechanism. This is a prime example of engineering in complication rather than simplicity. Jan T |
| J Targosz |
| While not a commone feature (mine is the only one that I have so far documented) The factory installed gas filtering rag inside the sealed gas tank.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| The hole in the bottom of the brake/clutch pedal box. I do not have one in my 1950 TD, so it must have been added for a reason (Picture of Paul Sr. TD)  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Bruce, regarding that hole in the pedal box: Declan Burns suggests that one cuts the hole to make installing his clutch linkage kit. Perhaps that was done to the cars you have seen to make access to the pedal linkage easier. Were the holes in the bottom of the pedal box you have seen all the same size? Tim |
| Timothy Burchfield |
| Bruce, just checked, There is a hole in the bottom of the pedal box on my 53 TD but not on the 51. Rather than being something that makes no sense I'd say the hole in the bottom of the pedal box makes perfect sense. I wonder if there was a large rubber grommet for the hole originally from the factory. Tim |
| Timothy Burchfield |
| I purchased a new 1950 Morris Minor. It had the helmet battery connectors Each of them had a self tapping screw to hold them in position. I bet that my food processor today has more horse power than that little flat head 800/850 CC engine,Still it gave me about 55 MPG. Sandy |
| Sanders |
| That settles it. I am making a web page with this stuff and using some of these pictures too. :-) |
| Christopher Couper |
| The fact that the body is wider than the top, causing rain to pour inside the doors when it rains and the side screens are not installed. |
| D. Sander |
| That hole in the floor of the pedal box is just one of the non-documented factory changes. It makes it MUCH easier to assemble the components in side of the pedal box. BTDT. Lazarus, Car #10855 did not have the hole. 'The53', Car #23816, did have it. Bud |
| Bud Krueger |
| Chris. I would recommend you include the undocumented changes. Such as the hole in the pedal box. The early TD without the metal support bracket on the back of the underdash, and the change from the long bracket to the short bracket. Long Bracket (TD 4139)  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Short Bracket. (don't know the ID number this came from but it was a later TD). Note also the screws are round head. Can't say that was original, but I think it is. I do not see tapered screw holes. PS. On another thead, someone was talking about phillips. The rubber bumper on the short bracket TD is phillips. I also do not have a copy of the early TD with no bracket or half moon cutout.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Another factory change that I found (I have not seen it listed anywhere). Is the hinge on the tool box. Early TD's had "fingers" under the hinge that keeps it from folding down. Later TD's had a plain piano hinge.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
Later Hinge
 |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Re the hole in the underside of the pedal box, I found mine attracted gravel on dirt roads, so covered it with speed tape. Never had a problem with the rocks affecting the brake pedal, but you only need one..... David |
| D A Provan |
| Does that rubber plug that fits the footwell for access to the brake master filler fit the hole in the bottom of the pedal box? |
| Christopher Couper |
| Did all TD's have the access hole to the Master Cylinder? My TD does not. It has the flat floor, but the florboards may have been replaced. |
| Bruce Cunha |
| I found a new oddity today. It does make some sense. On the lower edge of the windscreen side plate there is a quasi raggad cutout. On mine it looks like someone used a fine drill to make multiple holes and then remove a tiny amount of the brass. This appears to have been added to allow the rubber bottom to attach to the windscreen. I thought this may have been done by a PO, but I saw another picture of one today with a similar cutout.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Does that rubber plug that fits the footwell for access to the brake master filler fit the hole in the bottom of the pedal box? No, the hole in the bottom of the box is much larger than the access plug. |
| L E D LaVerne |
| "Does that rubber plug that fits the footwell for access to the brake master filler fit the hole in the bottom of the pedal box?" Yes!...It Does. A little loose, but stays there and keeps the crap out. Mike TF-8257 |
| M Brand |
| The up and down steering wheel adjustment bracket under the dash when the column is fixed in position on the the other side of the firewall. Early owners manuals actually had instructions for raising and lowering the column. Tim |
| Timothy Burchfield |
| Tim: Interesting with the steering column adjustment. I would never have caught this. |
| Christopher Couper |
This thread was discussed between 28/04/2019 and 15/07/2019
MG TD TF 1500 index
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