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MG TD TF 1500 - My Stop and Directional LED Install

After putting all of 40 miles on my 52’ TD, and even taking it to a BAE Retiree’s luncheon, I decided to do something about the dim-ish brake lights.
Abingdon Spares, has recently been carrying positive ground LED’s for both the tail lights and the running lights along with, according to them, the proper flasher.
(This is not a recommendation to by or solicitation of any particular product. It simply a record of my experience.)
I decided to start with the purchase two of the taillight LEDs. These are shown in the top left frame of the attachment. I have a 52 which has the rectangular Glass lenses. The “bulb” Installation was easy but one of my lenses was a Moss lens from China. Not an original Lucas lens. I had cracked the original by over-tightening it. The Moss lens is substantially less transparent and a different shade of red than the Lucas. While looking on eBay for a replacement Lucas I glued back together the broken lens and reinstalled it.
The old flasher still worked since I had incandescent lamps in the front running lights.

I then decided to go all the way and convert the front lights.
Things got complicated quickly. My TD had only one “original” Lucas bulb holder. When I got it, years ago, the right-side light had no holder and had had the bulb soldered to the wires. During restoration I ordered a new holder from the old AS. It was not as the original. Its shown in the top right frame of the attachment. It takes lamps with the staggered pins unlike the original which uses lamps with inline pins. I remember calling the Old AS about this, since the bulb that came with it was an inline pin bulb.
At any rate the only front configuration the New AS offers for the front lamps is with the bayonets in-line. So, in addition to the new front LED’s I had to buy one of the new sockets. (Left frame second from top.) Since I suspected that the old flasher would no longer work with an all LED configuration I also purchased a Solid State Flasher.
This task took some time. I first had to swap the lamp holder socket. If you have ever done this you know there is not much room. Removing the front wheel helps a bit but I was too lazy. I eventually got the old one out but the existing ground wire was too short and needed to have an extension grafted on. Its difficult to get the rear bolt to thread in. It helps if its longer than the ones supplied. I found that the “New AS” lamp holder fasteners were not BSF. I suspected metric. Perhaps 6 mm. Went to the hardware store to get one. Fortunately, I brought the short one with me. Not metric! It was UNF ¼-28. (I had a bunch home but never thought to check!) With the longer bolt, the socket was secured and the LED’s installed. I did brake my front right running lens reinstalling it and I did change the “O-ring” gaskets when putting the lenses back.


As I suspected the flasher did not work.
There is little work room in my garage. One side, where the TD is, is filled with a pair of large workbenches and to change the flasher I need to crawl into the car and stand on my head. I waited for a warmer day, one where the temperature reached into the 50’s.

First disconnect the battery ground wire.
So, there are three wires going to the old flasher. To terminals marked L, P, and X In my harness they are all shades of green. With my eyesight not as keen as in my youth, I decided it would be safer to swap one-at-a-time. The AS flasher also has three terminals. Also marked L, P, and X. In addition, since the case is plastic it has a forth lead, black with an open-ended lug which needs to be grounded. Further, while the old (Moss) flasher had a combination ground lug and support “L” shaped bracket the new AS flasher had no full mounting provision. There is a rubber slip on attachment which has a slotted boss. I believe it assumes that there is an L shaped bracket somewhere just sticking there on which to mount it. I decided to use the bracket on the old flasher. It was secured to the can with an aluminum rivet. I clamped the bracket in a vise and filed the rivet off. ( Left frame second from the top).
Also, the wires were secured to the old flasher with either 6-32 or 6BA (perhaps 5BA) screws and captive nuts. The tabs on the AS flasher are designed for push-on connectors.
(There is an AS note on the web site telling you about this and suggesting that one drill them out and tap BA.)
I decided to use the existing screws and captive nuts. (right frame second down from top). I held each of the tabs with locking pliers and drilled them out, first with a 7/64 and then with a 1/8 drill.
With the holes opened up I swapped the wires from the old to the new, standing my head an laying prone with the steering wheel pulled all the way out. (It would be better to remove it entirely.) It too most of an hour to get the three wires swapped.

Then I removed the L bracket from the old flasher and installed the bracket loosely on the TD, with a shake-prof washer between the bracket and the chassis to insure a good ground. I tightened the securing nut. The bolt was long enough for a second nut, I then slipped the open ground lug between the two nuts and tightened it.
The flasher installation is shown on the bottom frame.
Yes the flashers now work The AS front lamps Have white LEDs for the normal and amber LEDs for the directional.

It was however a bit more work than I anticipated.





JA Benjamin

Abingdon Spares now also carry my full LED inserts for the TD and TF. They have both the square inserts for the early TD and the small round ones for the late TD and TF.

Their comment: You inspired me to install them this afternoon. FANTASTIC!! They are super bright and much better than the single led bulb.

Or directly from me at www.brittrix.com
Lew Palmer

I believe that in Europe there are standards for the minimum wattage of bulbs used for headlamps, tail lamps and direction indicators. One of the advantages of LEDs is they are much brighter than tungsten bulbs and as such consume less watts. It is thus possible for the wattage of a LED to be below the minimum standard and thus be illegal. I suppose this could be noted at the yearly road worthiness test but wonder how many testers would actually check LEDs

Jan T
J Targosz

Nobody. That is one reason why I don't bother with such tests. LEDs are a huge improvement for brake and sidelights, though possibly not fully road legal, however nobody is going to check because they are an obvious improvement. They do have some quirks though - for example my sidelights show a faint glimmer when the brake lights are illuminated - too dim to be noticeable in broad daylight.
Dave H
Dave Hill

All of the lights on my 51 TD are LED's except the fog lights. Those weren't converted because I haven't got around to it. I purchased the headlight bulbs from CLASSIC DYNAMO & REGULATOR CONVERSIONS LTD. The rest of the bulbs I purchased from superbrightleds.com. I used the wiring harness from Moss that is for cars to be converted to a system with turn signals (356-150). I also used the controller from Moss. I did need to purchase a flasher specifically for LEDs. Everything worked the first time I tried it. I attempted to wire in a beeper that would sound when the turn signals were activated.
It worked but when the turn signal turned off the beeper slowly faded away for about 10 seconds to a pitiful whine. Never did sort that out. I'm very happy with the LEDs and the drain on the electrical system is much less than with conventional or halogen bulbs.

Tim
TD12524
TD26711
Tim Burchfield

The + earth electronic flashers I bought CF13APL-R-C (can’t remember where I ordered then from) do produce a clicking sound. Not sure if it’s loud enough to be heard over an XPAG as I have only bench tested parts of my home made loom so far. I needed two as the hazard light circuit I devised needed a second one. All LEDs (apart from the headlights) including the rear amber rings.
Chris


C I Twidle

This thread was discussed between 18/11/2017 and 19/11/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

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