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MG TD TF 1500 - MGTD 1957 Brake problems

I am having a problem with my 1957 MGTD. Started with having no brakes at all, then replaces master and all wheel cylinders. I then bled the brakes but the pedal still goes to the floor with the 1st pump, then becomes tight with the second pump of the pedal. The other wierdness is that the clutch pedal moves slightly with the brake pedal (and vis versa) Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated. This is the first time I've posted here, so I hope I did it right! Thanks
Gerhard Kiefer

Are you sure you have a 57 TD? TDs were through 53.
Maybe you have a MGA and your problems seem like A
problems. Sounds like you have air still in lines adn be aware of a air hole in the master cylinder that gets stopped up and causea problems. If you do have a TD then you still have air because of a leak in the line
Ellis Carlton

Gerhard - TD or MGA, your problem is probably that there is no brake fluid in the wheel cylinders. IF you look at the bleed fittings, you will see that they bleed the lines, but not the cylinders. If you assemble the system with no fluid in it, then fill the master cylinder and start bleeding, you fill the lines with fluid but not the cylinders. I have run into this on both my TD and Magnette. The solution is to get fluid into the wheel cylinders by whatever method woks. On the TD, I removed the banjo fittings and shot fluid into the cylinders with a syringe (sp?). On the Magnette, I removed the drums and brake shoes, dissasembled the cylinders and poured fluid into them and then reassembled them, holding everything together with rubber bands. The process is messy, but it works quite well. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Davids comments are spot on. It took me a long time to completely bleed the air from the wheel cylinders. If you want to do it on the car, make sure you start with the wheel cylinder furthest from the master cyl and end with the one closest. As for the pedals moving together this is due to a combination of friction between the pedals (via the spacer washer) and the fume excluder not being as flexible as it should and dragging the pedal. I have renewed every item in my braking system and lubed the pedals and the spacer and mine still move.
Phil Stafford

Check shoe adjustment- they can loosen a lot with the first pedal pushes. The first stroke then just pushes the shoes up to the drum. I have never personally had trouble bleeding T-series brakes-maybe just lucky. Silicone fluid is a little bit tricky however. The clutch pedal is clamped to its shaft, which rotates inside the brake pedal, causing it to move, and vice-versa. Really a mickey mouse arrangement, and absolutely awful to work on this pedal box. It does work more or less!
George Butz

Thanks so much for the responses that I received!! I did do a typo and it's a 1954 MGTD not 1957. I'll post again later after I get a chance to try some of your ideas. This is a great forum - thanks again.
Gerhard Kiefer

TDs stopped being made 52/53 so it cant be a 54 TD unless a dealer had one left over and only registered it in 54.
Bob Marshall

This thread was discussed between 19/02/2001 and 23/02/2001

MG TD TF 1500 index

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