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MG TD TF 1500 - Master Cylinder Plug Removal

There seems to be a large plug in the back end of the upper cylinder of the master cylinder. It doesn't show in Moss' catalog but it's in the SPL and A/S catalog as Part #8. Pulled the m/c off of 'the53'. It's a blob of mud and rust. Managed to drive the old piston out by forcing in a drift from the exit end. Cleaning would be greatly helped if I could remove this plug. Has anyone ever done this? Is it threaded in? Tnx. Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

From AKD 834:



Bud Krueger (TD10855)

Bud: If yours is a Lockheed Q348 Master Cylinder, then yes the nut is threaded and unscrews. You need to put it in a vise and use a big Cresent wrench to turn the nut loose. If it is round then I think you will need a pipe wrench. I have one of each and only open the one with the hex nut.
Louis
Louis Levin

Bud: I just check my other master cylinder and it is a Q111 Lockheed like the one in the diagram. Use a pipe wrench with a lot of force and it will unscrew.
Louis
Louis Levin

If it's just a plug, why remove it?? you can take the cap off and clean the res correct?
l rutt

If you could see the crud and rust in the cylinder you wouldn't ask that. There are no flats on the plug. It seems to say Q107 Lockheed. Here's a bit of a view in through the top:



Bud Krueger (TD10855)

Holy cow! You've been driving it? Glad you are fixing.

Tom
Tom Norby

No Tom, 'the53' is a salvation project that is becoming harder to justify. See http://www.ttalk.info/The53.htm for more on the subject. Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

Try soaking in acetone first ( to remove the brake fluid crud)
then in one of the rust solvents
Don Harmer TF8986

Thanks for the idea, Don. Copious use of brake cleaner seems to be helping. I have an excellent rust solvent, Evapo-Rust. Manged to work an .027" drill through the equalizer port. Honing comes next. Bud


Bud Krueger (TD10855)

You are right about the Evapo-rust. That stuff is amazing. Seems to work best if really warm. George
George Butz

You may find that honing isn't enough?... Looks like it might be 'sleeve' time?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Ever the optimist, Gordon. Sleeving is do darned expensive. I'm a long way from getting the53 on the road, but I can try out the honed version in Lazarus to see if it works.
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

Bud, Looks like she is well on her way to getting a "name" soon to me!
David Sheward

IMHO, sleeving might be expensive, but SS sleeves will not pit in the future. I did the same with wheel cylinders. My thought was they will never pit again, replacement cylinders could. So for LONG term reliability, everything got sleeved.
l rutt

While proper sleeving may be (is) expensive it is relative to the cost of a crash and bodywork or worse.

I have tried to use marginal cylinders for years before I finally gave up...they might last for awhile but sooner (than later) they leak and you are right back at it again. Best and safest solution is to get them properly sleeved. Never skimp on brakes.
BRIAN WARMUTH

Brian's last comment rang through, I've rebuilt on the cheap in the past and have always harbored the fear of a catastrophic brake failure, one of which I expereinced without any extreme flesh or metal damage. What is the approximate cost of a MC resleeve and I noticed that stainless and brass or often mentioned is there a price diffrence or benefit (other than stainless is for life)
Jon Levine

Bud,
While I agree with Brian, is there any place up there that does ultrasonic cleaning ???

SPW
Steve Wincze

A decent discussion on the merits and justification for sleeving merits a thread of its own. Let's not get into it here.
A night of soaking in Evapo-Rust has done wonders to clean up the cylinder. I don't have to pull the plug. Bud
Bud Krueger (TD10855)

I had the two done at John Stewart's Power Brake Repair in Stoney Creek, Ontario... they were stainless steel sleeved and were $265 each....that was with all seals, bead blasted, sleeved, painted, polished etc.... I had been quoted $225. but told that that was normal until they saw the condition.... I thought it a bit high considering it is a 1" bore however, I at least know the mc won't fail.....(knock on wood)...!!!
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Just to provide another price reference, I had my master cylinder and wheel cylinders resleeved in stainless steel by Mark Frappier. They came out great.

Mark Frappier
82 Mountainview Street
Agawam, MA 01001
1-800-528-5235

Master cylinder: $65
Wheel cylinder: $45
Shipping and Insurance: ~$10

Larry
Larry Shoer

....damn.....
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

This thread was discussed between 10/06/2010 and 12/06/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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