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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 - MGT Repair and Moss Blowers

Our knowledge of the Moss blower is largely conjecture, because - as far as I know - nobody has actually seen it, beyond the one photo on their web page. They have a total of ONE kit done right now, and that is on their mule - the pick-up. The installation instructions aren't even written yet, according to Moss! I think it is human nature that I will be a bit defensive about the system I sell, and that I will believe that mine is better. But I'm trying to look at it logically and with balance, so this is a first approach. The main similarity is that both use the 4thGen Eaton blower.

From the one photo I can see some differences between mine and theirs - nothing major since theirs appears to be largely a knock-off of our design, which we have been successfully selling for a few years now. (They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” but I do not think flattery is what Moss had in mind.) The first difference is appearance - not perhaps the most important, but worth noting first since Moss makes a big deal of it - theirs seems to be a General Motors spec silver paint, not a natural aluminum case. That will make a difference to owners who wish to retain some semblance of period-correct finish. The painted finish is the only finish available from Moss. The blower I sell has a much more convincing natural aluminum finish, with a brightly polished option for show cars also available from me at extra cost (do you have any idea how difficult and expensive it is to get such an intricate casting polished?).

More important and revealing are the fasteners used. The Moss fasteners seem to be hardware-store zinc-plated and black-oxide finish parts, while I use the highest quality polished stainless fasteners from ARP. As those who have bought my ARP rod bolts and head studs can attest, quality matters in such critical parts. Another example of difference - Moss appears to be using Dorman-sourced, Chinese made rod ends for their throttle linkage. We use proper German made ball-and-socket rod ends that, while more expensive, are better made and look more authentic on a vintage car. The devil is truly in the details on parts like these, and we have striven to make them as correct and of as high quality materials as possible.

It is harder to see, but the nose used on the Moss blower appears longer than the blower I sell, which might cause some installation issues. And I'm not at all sure what the purpose of the brace on the lower front support bracket is doing. Most critically of all, it looks like the housing may be shifted off-center from the intake manifold center-line. The blower would then be unevenly supplying mixture to the front and rear pairs of cylinders. IF this is the case, the mixture will be weak/strong, and not evenly balanced, and will cause poor driveability, tunability, and reduced road performance. But that is far from clear in the Moss photo.

The final question has to do with the 1-3/8" carb they advertise - I really don't know what they have. Yes, I know that the inlet and outlet of an SU differs, but ONLY a 1-1/2" carb will work on that size street blower, not a 1-3/8". (We find that a 1-3/4" carb provides only a very small advantage over a 1-1/2, and then only at the top end.) IF it truly is a 1-3/8", then it is an odd-ball carb and I would trust the wisdom of Joe Curto and other blower experts on whether is it appropriate. I can't imagine it is. But really, only installing this un-tried blower, running it and getting it on a dyno will demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages.

Perhaps the important thng to consider is the difference between the Moss business model and my own. Moss is out there to sell as many products as possible, for as large a profit as possible. We see businesses every day that chose to out-source manufacturing to the least expensive country of origin, with less and less care and concern for quality. How can one in good conscience sell a cam bearing that comes with instructions necessary to modify it before it will fit right? How can one in good conscience sell a Chinese-made aluminum thermostat housing that will almost immediately start to corrode to a white powder, due to dissimilar metals used? Only if the bottom dollar is king.

I wonder who will be their guinea pigs to test this blower? As far as I know, they have none available right now, and no long-term testing of it. There are more than 50 of our blowers out there right now all across Europe and the US, in Australia and even further away, running fast and hard, and causing grins - I call that a successful sales history of a solid product, one I stand behind 100% and genuinely believe is the best one out there. In fact, I feel that way about ALL my products at MGT Repair.

Here's my business model: one recent purchaser neglected to Locktite a bolt on his blower air filter (bought from the usual supplier...) and his NEW blower swallowed it, locking up solid. Although we did everything we could to repair the damage it was too severe, and we ended up replacing the entire blower for him at very close to our cost (the owner completely agreed that it was his fault). A final example - I recently re-ordered a supply of cap screws to replace the gudgeon bolts, and found - to my horror - that the country of origin was now Taiwan. Back they went, and my order is now coming from Germany - at considerable expense. I know I can get them at Fastenall, but since I stand behind my products I insist on the best - as does Doug Pelton and many other suppliers of specialty products for T-series cars.

I'll look forward to hearing how the installation goes, how the manual is, how the set-up is, and how performance is improved. I have dyno tests to verify that my blower puts out an almost 45% gain in wheel HP at sea level, and will look forward to hearing how the Moss blower compares.

I'd be happy to talk to anyone about our blower.

Tom Lange
mgtrepair.net
Bar Harbor, Maine


t lange

Tom, I personally like your way of thinking! You have a time tested proven product and explanation of the materials used in your blower certainly provides us with knowledge of it's quality. Thanks for the article. JMHO. PJ
P. Jennings

Well, Moss must read this Forum! The listing for their blower has been corrected to read that the carb is ibndeed a 1-1/2" carb, not the 1-3/8 they had listed before.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tom,

As you probably know, the inlet diameter (front side) of a 1-1/2" carburetor is 1-3/8", while the rated diameter at the throttle disk (rear side) is 1-1/2".

Someone 'unknowledgeable' at Moss was evidently tasked with writing the marketing stuff and no one caught the error. But it does make you wonder.

If I didn't have that minor crack in the journal of my crank, I would be very interested in your blower set-up.

warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

As EVERY purcahser has reported, our blower is a mighty sweet set-up, installs in a quick weekend, and has all the right stuff.

Tom Lange
mgtrepair.net
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

With due respect, it seems a bit rude to say that Moss copied your blower design when they have been manufacturing and selling blowers for T-Series cars for the past 25 years. It's pretty obvious that any modern blower for a T-Series car is going to look very similar since we are designing a unit to fit a specific engine in a very tight space, and using the same internal parts. I'm not taking sides, and I'm quite sure that your kit is all that you claim it is. But in the interest of fairness I'm just pointing out some missing facts.
Steve S

Um... With all due respect, let's remember Tom's system was designed, engineered, perfected and on the market well before this newest Moss system.
-David
D. Sander

Gentleman - Even more to the point is the fact that the blower I sell has been designed, enmgineered, machined and assembled by the very selfsame person who designed and engineered the original Moss blower sold "for the past 25 years". He continues to be one of the best behind-the-scenes MG engineers around, and my MGT Repair business would be nothing without him, I am proud to say.

The current Moss blower was NOT designed by him, and so any relationship to the blower I sell can only be derivative of his work.

I have no intention of this becoming a pi**ing contest, but I insaist that due credit for the high quality, reliability and engineering be given to he who has earned it, namely Terry Peddicord.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

I'm not here to defend Moss any more than I'm here to attack Tom so please don't take it that way. Just pointing out that I don't feel anyone copied anyone else.

Incidentally, some facts presented are incorrect. Moss has offered at least three different blower kit designs since the 1980's. And as I recall, the one offered in the 90's looked very similar to the one they offer now, and the one Tom is selling. And the reason for that, in my opinion, is what I stated above - that it is a specific design for a specific system, using perhaps the only suitable internal unit available today. So they are obviously going to look similar in shape and design.

In fact since Tom has pointed out that the same person designed the 1990's Moss system, and his own new system, then you could say that Tom's is a copy of the Moss system, but I wouldn't say that since there is only one configuration that will fit a T-Series car. They HAVE to look similar to one another unless you forgo giving them a traditional period appearance.

I don't feel that Tom copied the second generation Moss unit any more than Moss copied Tom's newer one. But that's just my opinion, so no need for anyone to get upset about anything.
Steve S

This thread was discussed between 09/03/2012 and 14/03/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

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