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MG TD TF 1500 - MG TD Axle Markings

Has anyone noticed yellow letters/numbers on their axle?

The car is a two owner from new. I just cleaned 67 years of grease, found some black paint and markings in yellow paint - "T D" and "8 . 3(maybe)".

Is this normal?





N Ross

Ross, there was a thread a couple of years ago about the yellow "TD" on the diff case. It seems some have it and some don't. We've just taken apart two rear axles, one from TD 10879 and one from TD 20878. The early axle has the "TD" but we haven't been able to uncover "TD" on the later axle. My TD 25009 does not have the "TD" on the diff case.

The diff cage and pinion shafts have lots of stamped and engraved numbers that we haven't deciphered. Interestingly, the early pinion uses a castellated BSF nut and the later pinion uses a nyloc SAE nut.

All just part of the TD manufacturing vagueries at Abingdon during the late '40s and '50s.

Jud
J K Chapin

Dear Jud - thank you for the reply.
N Ross

There is some speculation that when Model Y's were being produced at the same time they marked the rear differentials.

Note that some TF's had these too.

You can see a TF here:

https://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtf/Pictures/Unrestored/Thumbnails/mgtf_gallery_unrestored.htm

It's in white, which some TD's also had.
Christopher Couper

This is the rear end in my 52. Mark 2.
Found info on the mgexperience page.
Some cars had them, some didn’t.
The 8 39 designates gear ratio.
Dave


Dbr Ramsey

Now that’s the second differential I’ve seen that had paint marking the CWP tooth count.
W A Chasser

I guess technically one should find 8 41 for 5.125 (standard TD) Maybe this was implied if no ratio marks

and also maybe 8 26 for 4.555

but I have only seen the 8 39 for 4.875 on Mk II
Christopher Couper

Re the yellow/white paint, I'd wondered whether they were two different colours or that age/grease/oil had discoloured the original paint? Cheers
Peter
P Hehir

I imagine the 8/26 markings will be quite few on a “TD” as they were an option for the MK II. If someone with these CWP markings can take a straight-on view of their remnants with a measurement I would like to attempt making stencils. I’ll also have to look closely at my two unrestored cars but don’t recall seeing any. My understanding From previous thread was the paint marks likely occurred to quickly identify a pallet or rack of specific ratio differentials as they left the manufacturer for the assembly line floor.

Bill Chasser

TD-4834
W A Chasser

I am not sure any cars were actually produced with 8/26 as I thought it was just an option you could but to retrofit.

As far as the paint color of yellow. This seems pretty yellow to me of the pictures I have seen. But I would not read much into this as marking paint may just have been marking paint. Whatever was cheap and handy and had good contrast.
Christopher Couper

This thread was discussed between 28/04/2020 and 01/05/2020

MG TD TF 1500 index

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