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MG TD TF 1500 - Shop Manual and Service Bulletins

In many of the threads on this BBS there are often references made to "the Shop Manual" and to various "Service Bulletins". I have/used a knockoff manual titled "Workshop Manual for MG midget, TA-TF 1936-55" by Autopress for years and it's suitable but since most threads refer to "the Shop Manual" thought I should breakdown and get one. I mainly interested for the TD.
My archive searches turned up many references but didn't find good answers to my following questions.

By "Shop Manual" is the reference to the "Factory MG "TD/TF" Workshop Manual" or is it to "Original MG TD Midget Workshop manual" or some other?
I've also seen references to the "MG TD Illustrated list - Service Parts Manual". Is that part of one of the above or something else?

Question 1) Which is(are) the correct reference(s)? (Or are they all the same?)
Question 2) Is there a particular year or version of one that is "better" than another?
Question 3) Publisher?

Question 4) Where are these "Service Bulletins" found?
The TTypes web site at http://ttypes.org/publications (need free account registration to access) has Service Information Sheets for T-ABC (7) and 3 for the TD (#81,#82,#85) and 0 for TFs. Are there only those 3 for TDs?

Thanks!
Randy





R Biallas

This is considered the "Factory" manual: "MG Midget, Series TD and TF Workshop Manual" is the name on the cover of my mid-70s book. Inside, it says "issued by The British Motor Corp. Limited, etc. The date on the title page is "Issue 5 (H & E) 7/55. No clue who publishes the new version.


Parts: my reprint has "The MG Midget (series TD) Service parts list" on the cover, issued June '58. It is indeed the factory parts manual, and lists serial number changeovers, special factory order things, etc. This is also a reprint, original "issued by BMC"

There is also the MG TD "factory specifications book" which lists just that. Interesting, but not real useful. Think I got the Parts list from BritBooks. No idea on the service bulletins. George
George Butz

Randy,

The one bible I have is the,

MG
Midget
(Series "TD")
and
(Series "TF")
Workshop Manual

issued by
The British Motor Company Ltd
MG Car Division
Abingdon-on-Thames

It has on the spine AKD 580A after the title and is a hard back cover.
It does say on the last page,

Printed in England by the Nuffield Press Ltd Cowley Oxford 29/18 (39919) 10/61--1000

Cant speak to the rest.

If this helps.

Rod




R D Jones

Randy: Enjoy.

http://www.mg-cars.org.uk/mgtd/mgtd_manuals.htm
Chris Couper

Randy - ALL the factory shop manuals are pretty much the same, even the re-prints. The later ones include TF information, which doesn't seem to apply to you. The Service Bulletins are of little use, as the changes were incorporated into the manuals, and refer to relatively few cars.

Don't race right out and get the first one you see - bargains are to be had on eBay if you watch and keep your eyes open - I paid $15 for a complete original TD manual just a few weeks ago. I've also photocopied the entire things and have it in a loose-leaf binder in the shop. The original parts manual is scarcer than the original shop manual. MG Club swap meets are excellent sources.

Other non-factory manuals are pretty much re-hashings of the factory paper - even if you have one of these like the Autopress one, it's still good to have the factory manual. And also keep your eyes open for a parts book, which has great exploded drawings.

If you simply can't wait, Moss sells OK reprints, but for much more money.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

I have the 7/55 version and it is very tattered. Any good pdf versions that others might recommend.

PS. My cover is yellow.
Bruce Cunha

Randy,
Send me an email to:
hootersvilledavid "at" yahoo "dot" com

Trust me ...I'll get you covered!
David Sheward

If you do get a factory manual, do like Tom L did and copy it, or at least the pages you are using for the shop. That way it won't be a greasy tattered mess like mine is. BTW, British Motor Heritage Trust had the manual/parts book on CD a few years ago. Some are still floating around, but only work on XP machines, and are impossible to copy. George
George Butz

Thanks ALL! Very helpful.
Yes will make a "working" copy next time. My book is well "lubricated"!

PS: Dave you have mail.
Randy
R Biallas

If anybody has the rare factory specifications book (Is that what its called?) on the TF then please contact me.
mbmagilton@
msn.com

Matthew.
M Magilton

Matthew, you have mail. Bud
Bud Krueger

Good day Randy, etal:

The printings by the Nuffield Press Limited, Cowley, England are quite mysterious.

For instance, what do all those coded numbers, sometimes found in the frontispiece or on the end pages, actually mean ? Date printed, number of copies printed, etc. ?

As for Nuffield Publications:

I have an original, dealer, soft copy, 1950 TD, Workshop Manual, the instructional data contained stops at the 1950 cars. It is numbered as Part # AKD 580.

Also an original, soft cover, TD, dealer manual, dated 1953. It seems to single out the later year car but retains most of the 1950 issue drawings. No part number was offered for this manual.


I later acquired two, original, soft covered, dealer issued, TD/TF Workshop Manuals, both dated 1955. One being numbered as Part # AKD 580 (?) and the second as # AKD 580 A (?)

Of the four, I suspect, # AKD 580 A likely to be the most informative. However; the general data within, to me, seems to vary very little in respect to the TD.

As for Parts Lists, I have an original, soft cover, dealer copy, entitled: Illustrated List of Service Parts, Issue 1, 1950. The only values for this publication, as I see it, are as a keepsake and an early part number reference. It has part numbers prefixed such as A, MG, MB, plus various others and five and six digit numbers.

The last Nuffield publication is an original, soft cover, dealer copy, Service Parts List dated: June, 1958. It has the part number # AKD 834 and includes later part number prefixes, ie: 7 H, 17 H, 27 H, SA, QA, RA, five and six digit numbers and many of the X series. There are no AAA supersession numbers listed.

Both parts list are far out of date. And if any British Car dealers still exist, most firms will not have, and in some cases never stocked, BMC or BLM parts.

I know this is old hat and boring,to many, but I fit into the old classification. Thought I'd post my rantings anyway.

Cheers all:
Jack Emdall





kernow

I guess as Morris became part of BMC all their part numbers were reallocated BMC part numbers. The publications would have been upgraded to reflect this with each new edition, but retaining the earlier drawings.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Jack:

Can you tell me what this is? Is it a workshop manual?

Also an original, soft cover, TD, dealer manual, dated 1953.
Chris Couper

Good day all:

With respect to Mr.Magilton's enquiry regarding BMC to BLM Part Numbers, I reckon they stayed as they were when BMC amalgamated with BLM.

I have several parts books for assorted earlier Morris
Models, as well as Riley and Wolseley: All contain identical part numbers for certain parts such as spring washers (ie; LWZ). which are also noted in the later M.G. parts books.

I have a dealer copy of a BMC Service Tool Catalogue, Issue 2 # 30549 dated, if my decoding of the odd Nuffield Press number code is accurate, 1/61 or 1961.

The catalogue, besides showing what a complete work shop tool wall would look like, also includes tool identity tags (with descriptions and part numbers) and tool Board, tool supporting hooks given Part numbers 18 G 528 and 18 G 529 (with drawings and dimensions).

The vehicles covered, by the tool catalogue, using universal part numbers are as follows: Austin, Morris, Austin-Healey, M.G., Riley, Wolseley, Vanden Plas and Nuffield Universal Tractor.

All tools are classified with the prefix code of 18 G.

As there are a variety of makes which were incorporated into BLM there appears to be a, at least, a standardization of tool parts numbers.

I can only surmise that Austin would have carried its numbers forward, into the new conglomerate, as well as those of the assorted BMC models. Trying to unify the varied vehicles into a one part number system would be very trying indeed. In my opinion, the task would be especially difficult as neither "Micro-fish" nor the computer were readily available tools. The latter for sure.

This rattling on is only my thinking upon the retaining versus changing of parts numbers subject. It is not to be taken as authoritative.

Respectfully submitted:
Jack Emdall

kernow

Jack, I was not referring to BMC becoming BLM (which was much later if you are referring to British Leyland) I was referring to Morris becoming BMC through its merger with Austin. Many of the part numbers changed between the TF Service Parts Lists editions of May 1954 and March 1958 which I am guessing is due to the merger.

Matthew.
M Magilton

This thread was discussed between 13/09/2013 and 17/09/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

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