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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 - TD Trip Meter Reset

I know as this is unobtainuim & scarcer than the steam at the rear of the proverbial rocking horse so.. I'm seeking info on making one of these. I do know that the TF version is very different to that fitted to the TD. Does anyone have any pics, technical drawings or accurate dimensions of a TD original? Or any suggestions for bits & pieces that could be used to cobble one together? I'd like to end up with something that both functions & looks original. I've tried to get this info in the past with little success. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter
Back in May I was looking for reset stems for the Clock and Speedo for my YT which has similar instrumentation to the TC.

I found that Derek at FTFU sells TC stems, but as I was heading Overseas for a few months and Derek didn't have any in stock at the time, I didn't order them.

You could check with Derek.

cheers Stuart
Stuart Duncan

Peter,
Perhaps something like this might help. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Healey-100-Speedometer-Trip-reset-/311685279126?hash=item4891e3ed96:g:ticAAOSwMtxXwb83
Can you post up a photo of the rear of your speedo so we can see what would be required. It couldn't be that difficult to make up yourself.

Regards
Declan
Declan Burns

I've never actually seen an original Declan but I'm guessing it would be pretty close? Just copied this from your EBay link. Cheers
Peter


P Hehir

I just made my own, Small copper tube to fit the actuating rod from the speedo. Piece of flexible outer form a choke pull or starter cable. small split pin, and some heat shrink - small screw that fits the cable and tube, cut short to join then
The arm needs to be flexible so it will go down the hole in the dash and not jam up when you put the speedo back in.
Rod


Rod Jones

I have sent much of this to Peter by PM, but just for posterity;

I did this about 6 years ago.
While cleaning the instruments I found my trip indicator shaft was broken.

See PIC




JA Benjamin

Note that there appears to be a through hole in the shaft at the break.

I posted and a member sent me a picture of his.

See picture.

I imported it into a drafting program and scaled it.
JA Benjamin

Forgot to attach the picture.



JA Benjamin

From this I made a knob and a shaft and a coupling.

(See Picture)

As rod noted the shaft must be either detachable or flexible.

From the through hole at the break in mine, i believe it was detachable.
I made a sleeve that fits through the shell in the Speedo, and which can be pinned to the shaft.





JA Benjamin

The sleeve attaches to the broken shaft with either Locktite or superglue.

Unfortunately I did not make drawings of the shaft or sleeve. only the knob.

Now this allows the knob to be JUST below the dash. Probably on purpose so ones knee does not hit and brake it.

A bit longer might be better.

The cotter pin head was flattened to match an internal pin i found inside when I took the speedo apart to clean it.

Jim B.


JA Benjamin

From the Frame Up also lists the stem, no picture but likely same part, part #D023
George Butz

Thanks George. I'll make the inquiry. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hi George. Update from FTFU. Derek says he can no longer get these but he did provide a pic. I wonder how similar they were to the Austin Healey reset that Declan posted? Hugh has an original so I'll be buying that. When I get it I'll provide as many dimensions as I can using my digital vernier & post the results here. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Hi Peter, here is a picture of a reset stem that is the same as on my TC and early TD speedometers. It is about 7.3 cm long, has a bakelite knob and has a spring in place of the later types with a solid shaft. There is a black flexible woven fiber tube (not shown in the picture) that covers the spring .
Cheers, Hugh


H.D. Pite

Hugh I'll contact John Chadwick in England as his appears to be the same as the FTFU items. Nickle plated knob & sleeve over the flexible shaft. Is the Bakelite knob on the one in your pic firmly secured? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Just purchased the trip reset from John Chadwick as I'm pretty confident that it'll do the job even if I have to tweak it a little. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

And speaking about never having seen a trip reset how about these! Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Update on the trip reset. The one from John in England is too short however I have picked up an original here in Sydney. The 'black flexible woven fiber tube (not shown in the picture above) that covers the spring' that Hugh refers to above unfortunately is in a very poor state. See pic. Can anyone suggest a source of a replacement? It is as Hugh suggests made of what seems to be woven multi strand string covered with what seems to be black bitumen. The dimensions are approximately 0.325" OD and 0.225 ID and about 2.75" long. Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

Looks like the coating form; Knob and Tub wiring form an old homes electric wiring system.
G D

No luck with the usual suspects or anywhere on the internet. The closest I could find is woven poly which is available in 5 mm diameter, minimum length 10 metres @ $12 from Element 14. See pic. I'll cover the shaft with heat shrink to thicken it a bit then add the poly once I've given it a light spray with matte black. The poly expands when compressed then settles back to the 5 mm ID. This will then look very close to the original. The ends need to be heat sealed. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Here is a close up of an original trip reset installed in the body of a flat faced early speedo. This is identical to the one in the first pic Hugh sent. The FTFU reset, which is apparently now unavailable, had a metal knob. See pic from them above. A local spring manufacturer believes he could easily make the spring, a machinist could turn up the end that fits into the instrument, however the black plastic cap is the difficult bit. Does anyone know the size of the thread on the tiny screw that secures the trip reset? This would also be an issue. Cheers
Peter TD 5801



P Hehir

FTFU have advised that they can supply the small screw. Just ordered two. One will be for the spare speedo that I'm restoring. I will also modified it for the 4.3 conversion as I now have the method and calibration sorted. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter,

I have made trip resets for a couple of speedos before. I find that the outer sheath from an old choke or starter cable works perfectly. That is silver soldered or swaged into a small metal tube. I have replaced the setscrew with a small cotter pin (as it is not seen once the reset is in place. I have a 3D printer and have printed my own knob for that as well as the terminal nut on fuel pumps and petrol tank sending units. Contact me off list if you need me to print you a knob.
Lew Palmer

Hi Lew. You have mail. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 21/10/2017 and 05/06/2018

MG TD TF 1500 index

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