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MG TD TF 1500 - Oil Filler Cap Brass or Cad?

I recently picked up two original oil filler caps, one brass and the other plated. I have seen at least one brass cap in the gallery on Chris's site, and there's a pic of one on a recently posted thread; so were there two versions provided originally? Both have the list of oil manufacturers and are identical in every other respect. I found I also had to remove the hardened gasket material under both of the caps as neither would close on the spare rocker cover. I cut a split washer shaped cork gasket from an old breastplate and pushed it under the rim with a toothpick, thus securing both the knob and the attached finger plate and preventing either of them from moving up. The fingers now engage inside the cover and the cap is firm and secure. Be great to know whether both brass or cad/nickel were supplied originally? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Anyone have any idea about this? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

M just tossing out guesses here. I don’t have a definitive answer but would lean toward a nickel finish was the intended finish appearance. Perhaps the nickel had been been polished / worn away over time? IIDK Could also be there was a nickel shortage during production from the supplier or the cap was supplied was from a different manufacturer. There could have been a manpower work shortage/stoppage that interfered with production causing a momentary change in production methods.
W A Chasser

Thanks Bill. It's been suggested that the TC may have had a brass cap and that this carried over onto the early TD. The brass cap that I have is pretty pristine and shows no sign of wear or of any previous plating. It appears to have only ever been finished in brass. When I bring it back from the garage I'll take a pic of both caps side by side and post them here. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Nickle plated. The only ones I have seen that are brass are ones the chrome was stripped off of or the Moss replacements. I have plated some of the brass reproductions that Moss sells.

Here is one of the Moss caps replated.

It is actually pretty easy to do nickel plating. Something anyone can do. No seriously hazardous chemicals and very low voltage (3 to 4v)

The more challenging part was getting the black paint into the lettering. A squeegee works well, but even with that, I had to use a tiny brush to get them consistently filled with black paint.



Bruce Cunha

Here are a couple of pictures from "Safety Fast" dated 1948, so it should be pictures of the early TD's





Bruce Cunha

An off-the-topic bit of trivia caught my eye in Bruce's first picture. The hose clamp visible is a strap type, not the wire type I thought was found on all TDs.
Joe


Joe Olson

Bruce the Pathe film is dated 1948 but the TD didn't begin production until the last quarter of 1949. Although it isn't clear it may also be a LHD car. It carries a hoop so it can't be very early. My guess is that the 1948 date is an error. The top hose clip is curious Joe and may be one of the 'use what's available items'. The Jubilee clip was actually invented very early in the 20th century and preceded the T Types. What I did also notice is that the oil filler cap chain is fixed to the front bolt on the rocker cover exactly as it is shown in the WSM. The cap certainly does appear to be more silver looking than brass. The ongoing lament though is that there are no colour pics of the TD production line. If they did exist so many questions in relation to finishes could be definitively answered. Does anyone know when the brass Moss caps first appeared? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I have stripped down nine(9) TF Rocker Covers and all had a steel Rocker Cover Cap. Cadmium plated body with a nickel plated release knob.

The reproduction chains are notoriously incorrect in that the the links are way smaller compared to the original type.

The TD had two(2) Jubilee 'O' size clips affixed to the rubber pipe to the air claener. The TF originally had four(4) Jubilee 'O ' size clips joining the two(2) rubber hoses connecting the metal tube from the rocker cover outlet to the Vokes air cleaner.

I suspect the brass Rocker Cover Caps were originally used on TCs and perhaps early TDs.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"), TF9177("Athos").
Rob Grantham

I've had a mix here...can't say whats correct but I'll start with this TD car number 1250. The cap is quite shiney seems to much so to be just nickel. Chrome would be my guess. My best guess is that it is the way it came originally. I have found chrome on the headlight supports and the grille slats as well and I haven't seen any indication a that any chrome work was done to anything on the car. The cap is steel. Notice it is fixed to the cover by the bolt. The rubber covering on the chain I added.


L E D LaVerne

The 52 TD I had used a rivet to fix the chain to the cover on the carb side of the cover and the finish was much duller which would have suggested that it was indeed nickel plated. I can't say what the material was. I'm afraid I do not have any better images and I have doubts about it's originality. The face is stamped with some wording about oil that I can't make out but it is not the oil brands I have seen on others.


L E D LaVerne

The TF came to me with this cap. The valve cover had been chromed but you can see that the chain was fixed with a rivet now on the other side of the cover. The cover is now gone but I believe I may still have the cap out in the shop and I may have a closer look.





L E D LaVerne

The original cap on TD10835 has been brass since the car was purchased in the 70's. No trace of plating. There was no trace of plating on any of the ID plates either, which we are pretty sure were nickel plated. I think the repro caps have been around 20 years or so? George
George Butz III

This may not be relevant but it is my understanding that there was a nickel shortage during the Korean War that resulted in a reduction of chrome plating thus some headlight buckets are chrome and some are painted. Could this have also been a factor in the finish of the oil caps? Just wondering.

Jud
J K Chapin

Jud, it was something like that. It was brass. In 1951 I was working for the Radiart Corp. in Cleveland in their plant that made antennas for OEM customers. Originally the antennas were made from brass tubing, coated with nickle followed by chrome. When the Korean War got going there was a shortage of brass. The solution was to use steel tubing with an undercoat of copper. Bud
Bud Krueger

Further update.... the 50 TD cap is chrome over steel. The fingers are nickel over copper.





L E D LaVerne

The cap I had in the bin I had removed from my 52 TD and I put the cap from my TF on the TD. It's aluminium with copper fingers. I may have yet another cap in the bins I think someplace.





L E D LaVerne

that could be a reservoir cap off an Enots hydraulic jack.They are still in business as part of IMI making hydraulic/pneumatic fittings.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Peter. I believe you are correct on the date of the Safety Fast video. In my enlargement and evaluations of the pictures from the video, I see later TD's and Early TD's.

I also have a Safety Fast video with a 1950 date on it with the same pictures.

As for the hose clamps. I have found a number of pictures of Jubilee clamps on the TD. I have also found pictures of the two-wire clamps in the factory pictures. This is a later early TD.per the wheels and hoop.


I suspect they started as Jubilee and moved to the wire clamps sometime during production. We know that MG made manufacturer changes for parts periodically during production.

As for the caps. Fingers are brass for sure. Cap is steel in that a magnet sticks to it.






Bruce Cunha

In the 60s,70s, and 80s T type owners delighted in chrome plating their Rocker Covers .(ugh) Unfortunately the Rocker Cover Cap was also erroneously chromeplated at the same time !

Cheers
Rob Grantham
Rob Grantham

"In the 60s,70s, and 80s T type owners delighted in chrome plating their Rocker Covers .(ugh) Unfortunately the Rocker Cover Cap was also erroneously chromeplated at the same time !"

Been there, done that. :-)




Christopher Couper

This is the brass cap. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

The one on my TF is steel and cad plated with brass spring clip inside. PJ
PJ Jennings

This thread was discussed between 19/06/2020 and 30/06/2020

MG TD TF 1500 index

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