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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 - MG TF supercharger

TF owners

Which of you have a supercharger in a TF? If so, what brand of blower? Of course, the bonnet is lower than the TD. I wonder what type can fit with the bonet in place.

Tom
Tom Norby

I have an Eaton. It does fit under the bonnet with some modifications. This is not the old Moss kit. I'm not positive but I believe the Judson was the only model that would fit without modifications.


LED DOWNEY

Bone stock motor with new Moss crank at 4600ft. Making 6 lbs boost. Seat of the pants says about another 20 hp or so at Road America (500 ft) last fall.


LED DOWNEY

LED, I notice the carburettor does not have an air filter attached. Obviously there is little room to fit one but how do you feel about sucking in unfiltered air? I have the same quandary on my blown TD.
G.E. Love

Expect to pay around $ 3500 for something like this.

LaVerne


LED DOWNEY

I have a K & N filter with a radiused MGB filter plate inside the housing. Required me to move the starter bracket inside the firewall.

LaVerne


LED DOWNEY

I'd like something bigger but can't find a location for it, I wouldn't feel very comfortable running without one.


LED DOWNEY

I'm also using a K&N filter on my TC - there's not a lot of room so I had to go with one like this.

Gene



E F Gillam

G. Love, I had the same problem as you are facing now with my M-N supercharger. The horn was the problem. I made a bracket to fit between the horn and its original mounting bracket on the firewall. It is made of the same thinckness steel as the front bracket on the supercharger. It tucks nicely next to the fuel pump now with a little clearance for my TF type carb air filter.


Jim Merz

Tom - I was interested in the same question -

I don't see myself ever adding one to my TF 1500, but I have always wondered which ones would fit.

I imagine the new Moss one doesn't fit - as they don't list it as an option for the kit.

LaVerne mentions Judson - but I read somewhere that the Judson was an inefficient supercharger when compared to some others.

On the Eaton - is that still available - what other modifications are required - or is repositioning the starter solenoid the only needed change

Is it a given that the Marshall-Nordec will not fit in the TF?

One of our club members is fitting the new Moss unit to a TF - but they are having to cut side panels and I think I heard that they were also altering the top hood panel.

I'll be interested to see what others offer. I would also be interested in knowing what brands of supercharger are still being made for the T Series - Is the Moss kit the only current offering?
J. W. Delk

Here is some info from the BBS Archive on this topic


Terry Peddicord, Santa Barbara, CA.

Gentlemen,

As the original designer of the Moss T-series supercharger system, I can say that it can be made to fit the MG TF. It will require removing the right, forward latch mechanism, but the exterior push button can remain. Probably the best way to make the Moss system fit the TF is to cut the carb to blower manifold and weld in a "S" shaped Dog-leg to lower the carb. Or you can cut a hole in the hood for the dashpot to protrude. I helped a buddy with this installation. http://www.sendpix.com/albums/08031714/b79adswdje/?p=1
We remade the hood top pannels with louvers and a hole for the dashpot ala K3. Being a 1500 with a 5 speed (Skyhook) it FLIES!!! With all the new found speed we thought it prudent to fit MGB discs as well.
I hope this helps.
Terry P.

Don Harmer - a member of our club has been involved in an install of the Moss unit on a TF - he will most likely comment on this thread and give some real world insight on what to expect in the way of required modifications. Also it would be good to go to the archive and read the thread - TF Supercharging
J. W. Delk

As the prior owner of a Judson, I can say that the Judson MG 29 was designed specifically for the T series. It is a good supercharger and will fit on the TF with one small mod to the hood hinge area on a TF. Mine ran like a charm but my engine was old and at the time I did not have the billet crank that is in mine now nor custom pistons. Supercharging can put a hole in the piston if you are running to lean. Saw one two years ago at GOF Central in Indiana that blew out a piston for that very reason. I like LaVerns system when I saw it last year and made me want to go back to a supercharger but alas the 4000.00 engine rebuild made me have to sell mine. A memeber of the forum bought it, but have not heard if he has put it one. If I was to put one on a T type today I would reccomend that you have a Moss or billet crank, custom pistons and maybe rods. The stress on the crank is huge and those 50 year old cranks dont do well with supercharging IMHO.
TRM Maine

The Eaton blower is much more efficent then the Judson, Marshall or Shrock. In addition it doesn't require the oil feed. Basically maintinence free.

Unless Moss has come out with a new unit in the last month, then I'm guessing that they are trying to install one of the older units on that TF. They haven't had any in about 4 or 5 years. The Moss unit was a side entry similar to the Marshall unit. The blower I have is a rear entry and has been superceded by a new unit which is also a side entry. Moss may very well be building or testing a new unit as Kelvin mentioned that they had the TD pickup down at the speed shop testing out some stuff?

Gene and I both have the same blower but because of space restrictions I was unable to use the pretty cast intake between the carb and the blower. Other modifications were removing the front latch hardware, the panel cross brace and the front bonnet brace because the bonnet brace rested on the pulley. Keep in mind this is not the Moss kit so I can't vouch for what it would require. The Eaton blower is only part of the equation. In addition you need an intake manifold between the blower and the head, an intake between the blower and the carb, the bracket for the nose to the block with idler, a double crank pulley, a 1 1/2" SU carb with a few special bits (from Joe Curto) and a flat plane float bowl from an early Heale, Jag. There was a lot of back and forth between me and the fellow I bought this from to get it to fit. I was his test mule for TF fitment.
LED DOWNEY

LaVerne, I agree that the Eaton is much more efficent than the old blowers, that given how much compresion do you run on your car. My compression is now over 8:1 due to the shaving of the head and being .080 over bored. That is the main reason I got rid of the Judson as it was designed for low compression as the original TD was about 7 something. The supercharging still is a dream with me on my car.
TRM Maine

I'm just guessing Tom, maybe 7.5 to 1. I think I could get a lot more scoot if I went up to 8 1/2 or 9 but then I might start having issues with head gaskets.
LED DOWNEY

"flat plane float bowl" is one of those subtle details not often mentioned. I didn't see any readily available on ebay, so took a standard TD float bowl and slowly heated and twisted it until it tweaked straight up & down for a Marshall setup.

It doesn't bother me that my wife fills up with regular in the TD with the Magnacharger since the low compression and today's gas has never generated a hint of knock. I also keep a close eye on plug color. Sometimes I debate on whether to throw on a knock sensor and O2 sensor. Maybe someday.

What does bother me is she winds it out and buries the tach past 6000 before shifting. She says I drive 'em like an old lady- there's a good reason for that!

Of course the Magnacharger has a new 1 1/2" SU, but I'm using a 1 1/4" SU on the Marshall for her other toy to keep top end power down. With the MGB 3.92 gearing, I'll see how it cruises and see if she really needs more horsepower.

jrn Northrup

The chief reason I asked is that there is a Judson MG- 26 blower on eBay right now. It looks low profile, looks like it would fit in my TF. Only problem is, after buying a rebuilt rear axle 4.3 ratio that I have not even installed yet, I am SURE my wife would kick me out if I started bidding on that Judson.
Today, I casually asked my boss if he would buy me a supercharger for my MG rather than give me a raise, and he said "whahhhh???".....
Anyone else interested, check out ebay....
Tom Norby

Tom the only one I see on ebay is for an MGA. It's not going to work on a TF and it needs rebuilt as well/ Here is a link to give you something to ponder.

http://www.mg-tabc.org/supercharger/supercharger.htm
LED DOWNEY

The Judson Supercharger that was built for the T series car is the MG 29 not the 26. The 29 will fit but you have to cut out a piece of the hood at the hinge to make it fit. Judsons go for about 3-4 thousand in running cond. LaVerne, Hussey copper out of PA makes custom solid copper gaskets for a reasonable price. I had two made for my banana head TD after blowing out the Moss gaskets a couple of times when I installed the supercharger. I sold my Judson and sent along a new gasket to the new owner. My Moss gaskets kept blowing between 3 and 4 where there is not much space between the cyl. My research into the compression ratio was that if it got up to 8.0 or higher, you could not safely run a supercharger without the chance of blowing gaskets and eating holes in pistons, not to mention the stress on the crank. The new cranks are much better than the old original crank in any event and should hold up with supercharging with no problem. My engine builder said the problem with the supercharger addition is that the 3 main crank wobbles a tiny bit and breakage is almost always due to the stress of the belt on the front and they break right behind the oil seal at the front. I will take a photo of mine and post it later... I still have the old crank, anyone want it......
TRM Maine

I had chronic head gasket issues with an unblown engine, between 2 & 3 where there's plenty of meat. Machine shop surface ground the head instead of machined,(precisely what I told them I did not want), on the first gasket replacement. Blew another stock head gasket, and then a copper one I made. Someday, that block will get machined and maybe head again.
Have maybe 2000-4000 miles on stock engine with Magnacharger and no issues whatsoever, knock-on-wood. It is slated for mothballs when other TD hits the road with Marshall.
jrn Northrup

Wow 3-4K for a Jusdon! If I could get anything like that for mine I would be tempted to sell it. Quite frankly, I could use the funds to finance the rest of the rebuild. Tough call either way.

Tony Cove
M A Cove

I think TRM has it backwards the MG 26 is for the T-series and the MG 29 is for the MGA. I have a set of original installation instructions clearly marked MG 26 for a T-series installation.
M FRANCKS

Might have it backwards been a while since I sold Mine for around the figure I indicated earlier. George Folchi is the guru on Judsons. He is in Conn. Hussey copper makes gaskets to order of solid copper and any thickness you want. I have the information and contact if anyone is interested. The one on ebay is diffently not the correct one for a t type. Price is now over 2 grand for that one and going up.
TRM Maine

LaVerne - I am confused by your earlier post. Is that Eaton unit still offered? Are you saying that Moss used to supply the Eaton unit - but it is no longer offered?

Its been a long week here!

Thanks for any clarification,

Jeff
J. W. Delk

Link for the Judson...price is still reasonable:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/JUDSON-SUPERCHARGER-MG-TC-TD-TF_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ca9de9bb1QQitemZ260547976113QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
E F Gillam

Thanks for the link Gene. I didn't see that one. I searched for Judson and the only thing that came back was for an MGA. That one looks to in much better shape and complete. Interesting, I didn't know that they used the stock intake manifold.

Jeff, I don't know if the Moss blower was from Eaton or not. Moss hasn't had any superchargers for the TD/TC for about 4 or 5 years. Eaton still makes a sutible sized blower for our cars. The problem is the intake manifold that it takes to bolt one up to the head along with a proper nose bracket, idler, pulley, and manifold between the carb and blower. It can and is being done as we speak, but not by Moss that I'm aware of. I may have a picture of the new unit but I'll have to do a search later.

LaVerne

LED DOWNEY

Gene, I am like Laverne, the first one on ebay is for a A or something. the one in your like is just like the one I had. The reason I went with a Judson originallyis that they are a direct bolt on for TC or TD with no mods to make and nothing to cut,excpet on the TD you have to loosen the horn and tilt it upward to clear the carb. I just put it on and ran it. There is nothing like the sound of a whining supercharger when you put your foot into it. PS. if anyone on this board gets the Judson, I have a gallon of Marvel Mystery Oil for the oiler....for sale cheap, just drive up and get it...
TRM Maine

TRM,
"I still have the old crank, anyone want it......"

If you want to get rid of it, I wouldn't mind storing it. If there's a spare laying around, then I won't need it. No spare in stock, I'll need it sometime in the future. I often save stuff and pass it along later, like an Arnolt heater motor shipping out tomorrow.

I bought a Keith Black hemi crank off of ebay and it just sits on dispaly in my shop lobby tucked between a 354 Hemi and 427 Chevy engine. Used to have an Allison V12 crank on display, but sold that to Jack Roush.

I can appreciate the extra sideload on the crank snout can lead failure up front. Y'know, driving the blower with a shaft off the crank is not a bad idea- you can eliminate the fuel pump also. My belts are tensioned to bare minimum. The water pumps and blowers appreciate that, too. After very close scrutiny, I turned a new crank pulley down on the lathe because the fan belt was riding on the flat bottom instead of the V sides.

Tidbit of information, the V provides 3.33 times the friction over a flat belt of the same tension.

JIM
jrn Northrup

I'm also looking for a crank for my side table....
gblawson(gordon)

Gordon,
For your side table, it'll have to be the forged steel crank. Can't take any chances.
jrn Northrup

Just collecting parts....will get that running someday.
gblawson(gordon)

Over 4K for the judson on ebay! I had no idea prices had reached that level.

M A Cove

I have an MG 26 Judson for my TF. It is definitely the only original era supercharger that I have found will work on TF due to tight space - and you still have to remove guts from front hood latch and cut out bonnet side lip in most cases.

I just restored the car and will break in before I put it on. I had the original crank looked at and engined completely rebuil and plan to run it. Think that is safe or does it have to have a new crank?

Yes, one just went for $4300 on ebay. I guess that makes mine for $2700 rebuilt and like new, look like a bargain! I searched for 4 years and advertised to get mine. The one on ebay is the only other one with all attachments that I have seen available.

Keith
K E MURPHY

Kieth, I had a strong engine on my TD and put the Judson on it and it only lasted about 1800 miles before the crank broke. My crank had been magnafluxed and showed no signs of cracks and had run 8000 miles before putting the Judson on it. that said, the belts have to be run loose as the strain on the front of the crank is huge. It was explained to me that the crank on a TD/TF wobbles a bit and to much tension on the belt can cause the crank to break right behind the front bearing which is where mine broke.
TRM Maine

"High cycle fatigue testing" is a term for determining how well a material will stand up to stress cycles. One such common test is to take a bar and exert a sideload on one end and then spin it. The force creates tensile stress on one side of the bar and compressive stress on the other. Every revolution, the material undergoes a shift from tension to compression.
This is the same set of conditions cranks with a pulley have to endure.
There's something to be said about driving a supercharger off the crank via a shaft ala 1930s MGs. We don't have that advanced technology.
I like the idea of gravity feed to the low mounted carb and eliminate the fuel pump, but I have nightmares about dripping gas in the garage and waking up to a house engulfed in flames, or maybe not waking up in a house engulfed in flames.
jrn Northrup

I did not buy that eBay Judson. Too rich for me.

Tom
Tom Norby

This thread was discussed between 04/02/2010 and 12/02/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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