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MG TD TF 1500 - New brake cylinders

I am fitting new rear brake cylinders to my TF. From the BBS I know that they have to be relieved so they will fit. How much and how loose should they be?.
I have them fitted but take some effort to slide.

A Tip :- if you have your backplates powdercoated, make sure they mask off the spring section welded to the plate. If you don't then the paint goes under this spring section and prevents it working.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray. I think that if you can move them with your fingers they will be fine. When I fitted new cylinders I did nothing to them and they are working well.
Dave H
Dave Hill

They should move freely without binding, but not have any slack or slop in the movement. Should not take any appreciable effort. George
George Butz

I thought as much. I will remove the powdercoat where the cylinder slides and see what that does.I had a word with the powdercoater and he said he used hi-build because of pitting
My old cylinders wobbled so the MOT inspector was a bit concerned, mind you they have been on the car since I bought it in 1973 so they have not done bad.
Ray TF 2884
All I have ever done is the occasional re-rubber and renew the fluid every winter.
Ray Lee

I used the Moss kit of 6 cylinders, bit of a squueze to get them in but movement was fine, of course, not powder coated.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Removed powdercoat down to bare metal where the cylinders slide, still had to fettle the cylinders slightly.
I now have a set F/R brake plates with cylinders and shoes fitted ready for a complete change when I go off the road in the New Year. Earlier I posted about fitting a remote reservoir so flush and bleed should be easy.
Anybody fitting front brake plates should remember that they are handed L/R and if you get it wrong the banjo bolt gets trapped behind the steering lever.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

I'm just fitting a remote reservoir myself Ray. I'm using 3/16 Copper and am going into the lid with a banjo. Only decision left is where to put the reservoir. I don't want any new holes so am tempted to attach it to the battery box using the spare hole for the battery stay.
Dave H
Dave Hill

If you are using the original lid don't forget it has a vent hole that needs blocking. My reservoir is fitted to the toolbox, I have so many non standard holes that another one does not matter, I did not think of the spare hole in the battery box.
I intend next year to pipe it in copper as well as it would look nicer.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Hi Dave,

Why not fit the reservoir inside the tool box. No one apart from you will ever see it.

Re the powder coating of back-plates I am now changing my opinion. I have noted that a few of the parts I had powered are showing signs of rust and in fact I have painted a number of them with satin black paint. Of concern are my steel wheels which are showing rust stains where parts are rivetted together. I don't think powder coating flows into seams as well as fluid paint.

I have a Scheppach circular saw with blue powder coated legs and the coating is falling from them in sheets.

Jan T
J Targosz

Yes I will block the vent hole with epoxy. As a matter of fact I threaded the top of the lid 3/8 UNF, but its a bit thin so I want a nut on the inside as well. That needed me to machine out the inside of the cap and I will fix a nut in there with epoxy., which will also seal the vent. Your need to be able to tighten the cap on the mastercylinder, then tighten down the banjo in the correct orientation.
I also thought of putting the reservoir in the toolbox, but it means several new holes. Where did you take it out of the box - into the engine compartment or into the passenger compartment?
Dave H
Dave Hill

This thread was discussed between 24/11/2016 and 25/11/2016

MG TD TF 1500 index

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