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MG TD TF 1500 - 'V' Brake Line

The brake line from the 4-way union near the master cylinder to 3-way union on the front cross member had a "V" when I removed it. I believe that it was original to the car. (LHD TF)

My new brake line from Ab Sp that I purchased a couple of years ago isn't long enough to make the "V" bend.

> What's the purpose of the "V" bend?
> Will the new straight brake line cause a problem?
> Should I cut the fittings from the new brake line and use them on a new brake line that is long enough to bend the "V"?

Thanks,

Lonnie
TF7211






LM Cook

I have no idea from a break perspective why it would make any difference.

Interesting that the V occurs right at a place the frame sides are cut out (dished). Is there anything on the engine that needs to clear that area?

If not my guess is that the frame and the corresponding brake line must be used on a different application that needs to avoid the top part of that area.

I wait with baited breath to discover what that might be.
Christopher Couper

The curved cut out in the frame was to clear the vertical earlier TD oil filter. It would hit the edge of the frame if not cut out. I just looked at my TD- the "V" would move the brake line down below the end of the filter canister. On my car, the repro line is straight for likely the same reason- too short- and could indeed rub on the canister. Likely this was just never changed for the later horizontal filters. So no problem at all for your filter, unless you want to go super original. No one except the three of us would ever know...George
George Butz III

Four of us LOL. The was simply a means to make the connections at both ends with the length of tubing used. Likely they were pre gabbed from an outside source prior to the assembly the assembly line.
W A Chasser

We're talking TF here so it's interesting (and expected) that MG never bothered to cease a set of un-needed steps and features over a number of model changes.

It's one thing if the item is used on another car, but totally different when a part or process was negated years earlier but the line was never changed.

I guess it's the old "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" model. Nowadays some accountant would stay up all night looking for that wasted step in cutting the frame and the extra 6" of tubing they were paying for. :-)
Christopher Couper

Just looked at the service parts list for the TF.
There is a diagram of the brake system. It accurately shows the clearance bends on the rear axle but no signs of a "V" bend at the front. I have never seen it on a TF,very few cars will have the original piping.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Thanks everyone for your comments and assurance that my "straight" brake line is OK.

Ray: Good idea about checking the TF Service Parts List. I looked at the TD SPL and the TF SPL. Both illustrations on Plate "E" show a straight line from the 4-way to the front 3-way. However, Section "E" in both lists say that the line is 46" long.

I measured my "V" line. It is 46" long. I also measured my straight line. It is about 3-4" shorter.

So, I guess everyone is correct ... the Works added a "V" bend if they had a 46" line, and made the line straight if they had a 43" line.

Lonnie
TF7211






LM Cook

The more we look the more we find.

We now know that the bend is to clear the early oil filter, now we only need to know why the other chassis rail has the same cutouts.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

The cutouts look like they are done by hand. So at the frame shop they had someone with a template and a cutting torch cutting out that bit of both sides of the frame for 5 year?

The owners relative?
Bruce Cunha

For the record TF1500 chassis number 8958
engine XPEG /2280 build date 20/01/1955 has the cut out & v shaped in the brake line.
Also curious as to why such an early engine number when all numbers match up to original documents?
Cheers John
J.K. Chester-Freeman

My TF1500 is TF9181,engine No xpeg 2975 and it has the v shaped brake line.( build date 30/1/55).
John,when the 1500 was introduced, the engine numbers for the 1500 started at xpeg 501( they didn't carry on with the xpag numbers), so 2280 is not such an early number for TF 1500's.Also engines were taken of the line in no particular order,so numbers are not sequential.Cheers.
R E J Stewart

TF9503 has XPEG3345 so they kind of kept pace.

Mine was built 22/2/1955, but the black batch were behind later numbers. If you look at Tom Lange’s records they came off the line in color batches. At the time mine was produced there were days where no cars were manufactured, some weeks only 3 days showed production.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

Thanks REJ Stewart for the heads up.
Peter for the record mine was HDP26 Ivory
Cheers John
J.K. Chester-Freeman

Mine was HDA, now HDC according the DMV, previous owner got it changed.

Peter
P G Gilvarry

I should have done this first.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

This thread was discussed between 07/01/2022 and 06/02/2022

MG TD TF 1500 index

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