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MG TD TF 1500 - Piston Removal?

I need some advice.

My 52 TD sucked a 1” long stud into the engine when the after market air filter fell apart. (Less then 3000 miles after a complete professional $$$$ frame up restoration). It has punched a small hole into 1 piston. Can I drop the sump and get the piston and rod out(per the workshop manual), repair or fit a new piston and then get the piston and rod back up while compressing the rings? Or do I just bite the bullet and pull the head?

Steve
Steve Averka

Steve

Pulling the head is really not that much more work. I would want to, just for piece of mind. You will get a better picture of if any more damage may have been done.

It is also a whole lot easier putting the piston and rings in from the top. This also allows you to gap the rings easier.
Bruce Cunha

Steve

Pull the head. I had this exact same thing happen on my XPEG 18 months ago. Besides destroying the piston it did a fair job of banging up the combustion chamber, which fortunately, cleaned up pretty well.

Pulling the head is the least you cando for peace of mind.

Mike Francks
TC8332
Mike Francks

Very likely the valves/seats are beat up. Off with the head. I thought the rod is too wide to come out the top? George
George Butz

Steve,

Agree with the rest that you should pull the head to check for additional damage - but the piston will have to be removed from the bottom. You can't get the rod up through the bore. When you replace the piston you can shove it thru the bore, out the top, and install the rings at that time.

Gene
Gene

XPAG engines will not allow the con rod to be taken out through the top. They must be taken out through the bottom.

XPEG engines with the larger bore will allow the con rod to be taken out through the top.

To reassemble XPAG engines you should put the piston and rod back through the bottom without the rings fitted, push the piston up out the top of the block, fit the rings and push the piston back down. If using 4 ring pistons the bottom ring will have to be installed through the bottom and the top 3 rings through the top.

Whatever engine you have the head will have to be removed as earlier postings suggest.

Cheers,

Paul.
Paul van Gool

In high school in the 70's I worked at a motorcylce shop that sold the breifly reincarnated "Indians". The 100 and 125cc bikes had a flat pancake aircleaner with a central cover/element retaining bolt. With some frequency this would come loose and get sucked into the motor. Maybe the same supplier? George
George Butz

Definitely pull the head - a 20-minute job for me. Definitely have a look at the combustion chamber. I would be surprised if there's not more damage than just a holed piston.

Steve - can you please post the results on this BB. I am curious to know the outcome.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.

Gordon A. Clark

Be sure that the valves of the cylinder in question are not bent ( still open and close smoothly). Good Luck, Bill
w.g cook

Thank you to all that replied. I hadn’t really thought much about the valves and head getting beat up because it only ran for a minute before I had the problem diagnosed. But, I will defiantly take a good look with a borescope to confirm the condition of the head/valves. I will post my findings. Seems like a design flaw if this is the second one in 18 months as Mike pointed out.

Steve
Steve Averka

I pulled the sump and piston in question. The piston has a very small hole punched in it and a couple of other marks on the top, the ring lands are cracked and they are pinching the two top rings. The intake valve shows signs of impact and the head has a couple of marks but not to bad.

I haven’t taken the head off as of yet. We are getting a major snow storm here in the northeast tomorrow so I’ll have all day to remove the head.


Steve
Steve Averka

This thread was discussed between 09/02/2006 and 12/02/2006

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