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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Original Bakelite Plug Caps & Suppressed Ignition

Original Bakelite Plug Caps & Suppressed Ignition Leads

If you’re lucky enough to find a set of original Champion HTC 2 Bakelite spark plug caps they can be modified for use with a modern 7mm suppressed ignition cable, in spite of assertions to the contrary. I used magnecores’ Electrosports 70 – Ignition Cable – SS25 – Metallic Inductance EMI Suppressed Conductor – All Silicone Construction. The use of suppressed cable is recommended with an Electronic Ignition such as the EI 123. All that is required is a drill press, an offcut of say 18mm ply, a set of drill bits & a steady nerve. The Champion HTC 2‘s, like all original Bakelite caps, are constructed with a screw that the HT lead screws into. When using the Magnacore cable it is necessary to remove this screw. Failure to do so will mean the cable will only last a very short time. I first tried a screwdriver which proved useless as it was difficult to both hold the cap & apply enough force to get the head of the screw to move. Obviously too much pressure on the Bakelite would break it. One of the four screws was loose & this proved the most difficult to remove. I then discovered it was molded into the cap during manufacture. By drilling a 7/16” hole in the ply offcut secured in the drill press vise, inserting the cable end of the cap into the ply & then carefully using a series of 7 bits from 7/32” to 5/16”, I was able to remove the screw, the metal spark plug sleeve & some of the Bakelite. See the setup in the pic. As a surprising amount of heat was generated I used cold water to cool things down. This has the added bonus of swelling the ply & making the cap more secure as the lead end has a slight taper. The key is sharp drill bits & plenty of patience as the wall thickness has to be reduced to ensure a snug internal fit of the cable connector. Remove too much & the cap will be loose on the lead. Too little & the wall thickness will be compromised. The swollen ply also helps keeps the wall intact. I found finishing @ 5/16” & constantly checking to ensure a concentric hole, ensured a pleasing result. By using some thinners the manufacturer’s branding can be removed. One of the Champion decals was missing from the opened set of caps. The pic of the unopened set is attached. I scanned two of the plug decals & printed them on glossy photograph paper & then carefully cut them out using a scalpel. It is very difficult to pick the copied decal. I purchased brass fittings from the cable supplier for both the distributor & the plug ends, both of which crimp over & into the cable. As my crimping tool wasn’t designed to secure this type of fitting, I cut the leads to the correct length, allowing a little extra for the core to be folded back under the fittings & took them to be crimped at the local auto electrician. I’ve attached a couple of pics. Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

Pic 2


P Hehir

Pic 3


P Hehir

Typo above. "Remove too much & the cap will be loose on the lead. Too little & the wall thickness will be compromised."

Should read "Remove too much & the cap will be loose on the lead & the wall thickness will be compromised."
P Hehir

The original Champion spark plug cap actually had the words "Champion Made in England" embossed into the flat area where the decal appears in the pics above. I have just received a pic courtesy of Chris Couper which shows a very rare original TD plug cap. The caps I found with the Champion decal, though almost identical, are not original & probably date from the 60's.
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Good reproduction Champion HTC2 plug caps are still available here:

http://holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=1&pgCode=030&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Ignition&agCode=0360&agName=Spark+Plug+Caps&pCode=HTC2

Go to home > electrical > ignition > spark plug caps


John
J Scragg

Thanks John . Great site!
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

These things are as rare as hens teeth. I only know of two sets, mine and TF9052 where this picture came from.

It might be worth looking into having a mold made. One of mine has a small chip in it and if it breaks, that's it.


Christopher Couper

Peter and Chris,

You are correct in saying that the original spark plug
connectors were Champion with the raised tiny lettering.

Our current TF("Aramis") has the full set of Champion originals however they came off a Wolseley 4/44 !
The heat around the TF motors assured embrittlement
led to the premature demise of these items.

Do we need to go to China to have these correct,rare connectors reproduced in a cost effective manner?
I feel IMHO the ones with the decal just don't look right on a T type.

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

G'day Rob. I've taken the paper Champion decals off my set so they look a bit more like the originals. In the absence of a source for the embossed Champions, these are the next best bet & so they will have to do! Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,

Have you found any of the regular MG suppliers that
may sell the correct original type connectors?

If not, China or Taiwan possibility may be worth a shot.
The costs of production in Australia I suspect would be
prohibitive.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
R GRANTHAM

Chris,
Here's one more. TD 23004 still has the original Champion plug caps.
Joe



Joe Olson

No Rob, no joy. Congratulations Joe, you're a member of a very select club!
P Hehir

TF9097 also has these. A few of the Melbourne cars still have them.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Good day all:

The sparking plug caps I have on the TC and TD are similar to those shown by Mr. Couper but they have a hole on one side. The caps have a fixed, internal brass piece into which the exposed lead wire end is fitted and then held in place with a set screw.

I have a few of the ones pictured by Mr. Couper, which are identical in appearance, sans the hole. They have an internal, fixed screw tip and to secure same they are twisted into the lead wire ends.

The more than defunct BMC part # I have, for those bits, is AEC 388 if anyone is interested.

Cheers for now then; respectfully:
Jack Emdall, TC6768/TD3191, Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Jack Emdall

Jack, I have been looking for a set of the caps with the embossed "Champion Made in England". I'm on pjbm AT bigpond DOT com if you are willing to part with 4. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Thank you Jack for your very kind offer. I can now boast membership of the original embossed Bakelite Champion Made in England plug cap club! Cheers!!
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

The pic below illustrates the difference between the original Bakelite spark plug caps with the tiny embossed "Champion Made in England" & the later HTC 2 version. The originals are on the left & the later HTC 2's are shown on the right. These are slightly larger in diameter, have a wider knurled ring, embossing replaced by the red printed trade mark on the paper ring, less taper @ the plug end & with a barely discernable taper @ the lead end. They are however both the same length. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 17/05/2014 and 05/06/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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