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 - turn signals

I'm a daily visitor here, soaking up information like a sponge, but now I need some help on my restoration that I can't seam to find by searching. let me start by saying I have an October 1952 TD that I am restoring as close to original condition as possible. I'm in Colorado and the I'm the second owner of this virtually rust free car. I'm adding turnsignals as my car was built a couple of weeks too early to have them.

Things have been going very smoothly (relatively anyway)on the mechanical end, but today I streached out my British Wiring loom in the livingroom to start figuring things out. It is supposed to be correct according to British Wiring's catalog based on my serial number, but as I get into this, BW's catalog indicates cars in my car number (20498) have the relay mounted on the engine side of the firewall.

I've been under the illusion (maybe delusion) that the relay was inside on the back side of the battery box.

The loom has a fairly short pigtail of all the correct colored wires comming off just on the outside of the firewall grommet in the vicinity of the the mass of wires going to the regulator, fuse box and left horn.

Am I missing something, were the early cars with turnsignals made with the relay in the engine compartment? If so, where did it mount? It couldn't be too far away from the regulator/fuse box are though judging from the wire length in this loom.

I can't believe British Wiring made it this way and gave a serial number range in their catalog unless it was supposed to be this way, but I've just never noticed anything on this board showing this type of set up.

Thanks in advance for some guidance here!!
ACD Davis

ACD - To my knowledge, the turn signal relay for all TDs were mounted on the back side of the tool box. They weren't moved to the firewall, below the control box (regulator) on the TF. That said, unless your are planning to show your car in concours judging, the position below the control box is a much more convenient place to work on it (instead of trying to do everything while contorting yourself under the dash). Cheers - Dave

Note: According to the T Series Handbook, published by the New England MG 'T' Register, the turn signals were put on North American TDs only, starting Dec 4 1952 (Car #TD 22315). this is also stated in Clausager's book, Original MG T series, although he has TD 33413 being produced in Nov 1952. Nothing is said about where the relay was located at this time in either publication. Looking at British Wiring catalog listing of the cars, I have to definitely take issue with their information on when the relay was placed on the inside of the firewall. They show it as not happening until Car #29155. They also show the wrong car numbers for the dip switch being moved from the dash to the floor. Looking at the Car numbers, they seem to have things almost completely backwards from all other sources. I like British Wiring and the products that they put out, but I think they are out to lunch on the sequence of modifications to the TD.
David DuBois

Dave is as usual right on-think he left out and "until" before the TF. All TDs with factory installed turns I have ever seen or seen pictures of did have the relay under the dash. One way to look at it: your TD was not made with turn signals, so put the relay wherever you want- no relay or turns is the only "correct" orignal way. If the original type relay with the exposed contacts/coils it will need attention periodically. On the firewall is much more convienient. George
George Butz

Thanks for the comments. I considered the placement of the Lucas turn signal relay on the engine side of the firewall, but thought I'd just end up explaining that location to everyone who looked it. As it turned out, the previous owner had drilled a hole near where the large loom grommet is so I enlarged it and ran the turnsignal loom right back inside through another grommet I placed in the extra hole. Ended up with about 1/4 inch between the two grommets. I then mounted the turn signal relay on the tool box inside the car.

It ended up being a clean looking alternative. Quite frankly, unless you have a clear mental picture of the original firewall layout it looks like the factory did it.

After solving this problem and slipping the loom to the headlamps into the spring clip on top of the frame rail by the oil filter (I was so happy to have an the original clip still there), well, it broke off.
I started searching all the regular sources: Moss, Abdington Spares, Frome the Frame Up, and no one had it. I was told by one you have to make something to attach it with. A little more searching outside the regular suppliers I've found a clip that looks absolutely identical to my original one. I ordered some and won't be sure if it is absolutely the same till they get here. Maybe others here found these long ago. But for me, it appears to be a very lucky find. I think it may be the same clip that holds the loom on the tower just below the steering column also.


ACD Davis

ACD although this photo is a bit late, it reportedly shows the original factory location of the turn signal control box. I believe I received it from Bud Krueger but can't be sure. In any event, when I converted my Oct 52 TD to include turn signals, I decided to keep the box out of the heat, oil and dirt before I actually knew the factory location. Mine is mounted comparable to the factory position except rotated 90 degrees and a little lower.


Jim Merz

This thread was discussed between 06/11/2010 and 12/11/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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