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MG TD TF 1500 - TF MC fill level

I'm going over my 1954 TF in preperation for the trip to Gatlinburg. My master cylinder is low so I checked the workshop manual for fill level and it says that you should not fill it more than to within 1/2" of the bottom of the filler neck. When I pulled the filler plug, I found instructions on top of the plug that say you should fill to the bottom of the filler neck. The manual suggests that overfilling will result in brake fluid leakage. Any suggestions on which is correct?

Thanks,
Charley Robinson
Charley Robinson

First buy a popsicle and eat it. Take the stick and measure 3 one half inch scribe lines on one end of the stick. Insert stick until the top line is flush with the top of the cylinder. Fluid level should be at the lowest scribe line. Fill or empty accordingly.
Colin Stafford

I'm amazed that someone can be accurate when filling the MC...or the transmission for that matter... Just burrowing into the foot well and feeling like a gopher diving in a hole, and trying to see down into opening while your head is hitting both the brake and clutch is just too much! Can't wait till the weekend when I change fluids in the trans and deal with the heater I installed...ahhhhhh! Now, should I get an orange popsicle or a root beer????
gordon lawson - TD 27667

Using small squirt bottles for the purposes of putting a pre-measured amount into these small capacity items works for me.

I do like grape popsicles though...

dave
Dave Braun

The cherry popsicle was delicious and it provided just the instrument to make checking the brake fluid level so much easier than trying to cram your head into the footwell to peer into the MC. Thanks for the tip, Colin.

While the opinions expressed between this list and the listings on autox.team were split about 50/50 on the correct fill level, Barney Gaylord offered some great guidance on the autox.team list for determining the correct fill level for the MC that matched up with your dipstick advice. His advice was "If the filler neck extends downward inside the reservoir with slots in the sides of the neck, then you can fill to touch the bottom of the neck, as the neck is gaging the fill level with allowed air space in the top and the slots are providing vent space.

If there is no downward extension of the filler neck inside the reservoir (or no vent slots), then leave the 1/2" of air space at the top."

Barney Gaylord

Thanks to all for the help.

Charley
Charley Robinson

This thread was discussed between 06/06/2006 and 07/06/2006

MG TD TF 1500 index

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