MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

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 - Start up woo's

When starting my TD after setting a few weeks, it back-fires and misses and is really a pain to get it worked out. This goes on for about 2 or 3 miles and then it evens out and runs great. Until it works it self out, I have to run about half pull rich on the jets. Not sure if it's the crappy gas we have now or what's going on. It use to do this when the engine was hot and shut down a short time and re-started. I suspect that was vapor lock. I have installed a heat shield and that is no longer a problem. Any ideas on the cold start up problems?

thanks in advance for the ideas,

Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

I'd suspect that the fuel evaporates out of one of the float bowls and the float needle is sticking closed. After a bit of vibration ( the two to three miles) its works itself free and things smooth out. Just a guess.
L E D LaVerne

I know I am getting obsessed with valve stem oil seals but must ask if yours are OK. I just couldn't get my TF's engine to run properly. On start up it miss fired and blew back through the carbs. Out on the road it was fine apart from a smelly exhaust. No amount of fiddling with the carbs solved the problem. After upgrading the the stem seals I was able to set the carbs using the lifting pins - something I have never been able to do before. One flick of the starter and the engine starts and immediately runs smoothly. It is also very quiet. I am certain the oil trickling down the guides was affecting the mixture. This could be your problem since oil will collect behind the valve heads when the engine is left turned off for a period. As a check lift the rocker cover after running the engine and you will see small pools of oil in the recesses in the collet retaining rings. If this disappears over a time it is running down your valve stems.

Good luck

Jan T
J Targosz

Same issue here. What I found was the spring did not immediately return the jets to run from choke position. I have to "hard quick push" on the choke return. Seems to un-jam what ever interferes with the return springs. I might have to dry lube the choke cable.
Peter Dahlquist

LED could be right. After sitting for a couple weeks or more, my front float needle sticks shut. It cranks fine, then that carb runs out of gas and I have to rap the float chamber to unstick. You could try doing that- tap on it with a screwdriver handle, etc. This started after switching to no ethanol gas, go figure.
George Butz

Jan, My TD starts easy and when I attempt to bring the RPM's up, it begins to backfire through the exhaust. It is possible it could be the valve seals but I suspect it isn't. I am going the plugs and see what they look like and to see if there is signs of oil. The engine was rebuild about 1,500 mile ago and driven that over 4 years.

Bill
TD24570

Bill Brown

Next time you let it sit...turn the key on... and when the fuel pump quits ticking away...turn it off and pull the lids off the float bowls and see if they are both full of fuel. Only takes a minute and if they are you can eliminate that possibility. If on the other had you see one bowl is empty, you will have found the problem. I had that issue with the TD I had and did not drive much. The float needles would stick closed and a tap on the side of the bowl would usually free them up. I finally put some groose jets ( ya I know) in them and the problem was resolved.
L E D LaVerne

Good thought LED, I'll give that a try. Groose jets???

thanks,
Bill
TD24570
Bill Brown

Grose.... I'm not if I like Moss's new web site or not...



VIEW LARGER
GROSE-JET
$10.99
PART # APPLICATION
386-390 TC, TD, TF
L E D LaVerne

This thread was discussed between 27/09/2017 and 28/09/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.