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MG TD TF 1500 - Oil, oil everywhere

After a serious rebuild in 2006, I have been "passing oil", to put it mildly. I am "consuming" a quart every 1,000 miles, and its time to do something about it; if for no other reason than its environmental effects.

The engine is still tight and its all due to leaks ... everywhere. All I know is my garage floor is a mess. As soon a warmer weather arrives, I plan to attack!

I would like to know what nooks and crannies are the most likely culprits.

Any suggestions ??

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

4 major ones off the top of my head Gord. Front and rear of the crank, side tappet cover and lastly the valve cover. The front seal has been the major leaker in my limited experience.
LaVerne

I had a leak coming from behind the left side of the engine bearing plate, do to an improperly installed cam shaft plug, which has been corrected thank goodness. PJ
P Jennings

Is the front of the engine all slimed up behind the crank pulley? Now that our one TD is out of the garage for the winter, I'm sweeping oil dry all over... dogs love to run through the oil and track it into the house.

Oil pump, banjo fittings and oil filter can be a pain. They are annoying enough to deal with in a TD, let alone a TF.

You might want to borrow or invest in a cheapo "inspection camera" (poor man's borescope) like Harbor Freight sells for less that $100 (mine was $66 with discount coupon).

Drive it down here to Michigan and we'll put it up on the hoist and look around.
Jim Northrup

I have a mechanic who really knows these cars, and every time I go in for an oil change he tightens up the housing that the oil filter attaches to. It seems to loosen up. The last couple of oil changes I haven't had to add any oil, and leakage is dramatically reduced.

Larry Ayres
L Ayres

I'd think a good set of those silicone roadster gaskets for tappet cover and valve cover would do wonders, did for me. Best $50 spent.
l rutt

Have you considered the fit of the gasket between the sump and the block at the rear end?

The small "ears" of the gasket have to be positioned carefully in relation to the semi-circular cork seal around the rear main bearing cap.
G.E. Love

All excellent suggestions. The front seal is OK but the rear is definitely leaking. Another problem point is/are, as Jim Northrop poits out, the banjo joints. Those copper gaskets should be used only once, and I'm guilty of not replacing them.

Another that I am suspicous of, is the point where the distributor meets the block. I realize that changing the geometry of the distributor is probably not advised, but what are your thoughts about putting a VERY thin gasket in that gap?

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Hi Gordon, et al,
IIRC from my motorcycling days, we would reuse aluminum and copper gaskets after heating them with a propane torch to anneal them. Most copper and aluminum alloys will work harden. That is, if stressed by bending or compressing, the surface, at least, becomes hardened. Heating to just below the "glowing" point will relieve those stresses & soften the metal. If I remember my metallurgy, a re-crystallization takes place.
. Anyhow, copper banjo washers could be re-used that way if they're not badly scored or nicked.
A W Parker

Hi Gordon, et al,
IIRC from my motorcycling days, we would reuse aluminum and copper gaskets after heating them with a propane torch to anneal them. Most copper and aluminum alloys will work harden. That is, if stressed by bending or compressing, the surface, at least, becomes hardened. Heating to just below the "glowing" point will relieve those stresses & soften the metal. If I remember my metallurgy, a re-crystallization takes place.
. Anyhow, copper banjo washers could be re-used if they're not badly scored or nicked.
A W Parker

Gordon..
You could anneal those copper gaskets. Just use your trusty torch and heat them red hot. Quench them in water or oil and they will be soft and pliable once more. Some distributers had a groove on the neck that an "o"ring could be installed in.
If you were pulling the engine I would suggest Moss rear seal kit. The upper aluminum 1/2 seal needs to fit as close to the crank as possible. You must remove the small locator pins to bring it down close to the seal area on the crank.
Sandy
ss sanders

I agree that checking all the external oil fittings is a must. That is where I normally find my leaks. I am meticulous with my timing cover, pan and front/rear seals and both of the TD engines I have had did not leak more than what I call a very small amount (no floor drips after parking, but there is a slight coating on the pan.

Putting the pan and timing cover on a machinist flat bench and sanding them perfectly flat has helped me.
Bruce Cunha

Gordon

I have an early car so some changes but the places I have encountered are the front crank seal, rear seal, side cover gasket, rocker cover and a weeping oil line from filter to block. A little time pulling covers and re sealing has done wonders, I silver soldered a new pipe between the two banjos for the oil line to block, built a small pan that bolts to the lower tranny and catches any drips from the rear seal and have just completed installing a new front seal and pully so I am hoping that the drip will stop from the front of engine. I have always marveled at those who don't have any drips as I have had my engine apart twice and no matter how carefully I have installed and sealed it there has always been a small leak.

Good luck, let us know how you make out (if these were trailer queens rather than drivers we could just leave the oil out!! but what fun would that be?)

Brian
Brian Smith (1950 TD3376)

Gordon, you can buy those copper washers at most auto supply's. Advance auto has them in small packs and their not expensive. They come in different sizes and I've found that most packs have the sizes we need. I throw the old ones away. I never use one twice. PJ
P Jennings

I have one of the gaskets from Roadster Gaskets on my car both the valve cover and tappet cover. No leaks. That said, Roadster Gaskets are out of business as far as I know. To bad as they made a great product.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

This thread was discussed between 25/01/2011 and 26/01/2011

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