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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 - Valve Covers ....re-visited

I think we might have "covered", (pun intended), this before.....
Valve Cover: TD VS TF...
Filler cap goes to front of engine.
TD: Breather pipe, vertical to accept air cleaner "on top" of engine and on left side of cover.
TF: Breather pipe, horizontal to accept air "on side" of engine and on right side of cover.
Am I right here? I know they will both fit the engine but were there actually two different ones made?
I only ask because I have one (as described above for TF),I believe to be my orginial, but my PO had it "chromed". It's not a "biggie", as I really like the "period finned aftermarket" one I run on the car...but have wanted to "collect" an orginial finish one just to have it if I can find one at a reasonable price. I see them come up on ebay from time to time. So, were there really two versions made...or was the one I have modified before it was chromed?
Does anyone know for sure?.....does anyone besides me care?
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Yes David there were at least two made.

My TF has the horizontal tub on the right for the pancake air filters. The TD owners have the vertical tube for the big canister filter.
Don Harmer

David
I am sending a photo of my "original" engine
John
John James

Picture # 3 for the TD
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtd/Pictures/UnRstr51/Thumbnails/mgtd_gallery_unrstrd51.htm

TF Valve Cover here:
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgtd/Pictures/Miscellaneous/ValveCover.jpg


The BIG controversy is what color to paint it. Ranging from silver to various forms of grey, greenish grey to silver-green.

Chris
Chris Couper

David, Have you ever compaired the tappet noise level of the cast aluminium cover compaired with the original steel cover? The theory is that the heavy aluminium cover should be quieter. A PO had my steel cover (and tappet side cover) chromed which I have left as is, as it does not look TOO bad. Our family car in the early 60's, a Vangard Sportsman had a polished aluminium valve cover and the motor (a detuned TR3) was inaudible when idling.
Peter Falconer

Peter,
A world of differance. It's easy to see why so many different aftermarket covers were sold...and why so many orginials were discarded! When I first purchased the car it was fitted with a "coffin type" alum cover.
The "breather pipe" on that one was "vertical" with a rubber tube bent in half held with a zip tie and a pcv valve stuck down it's throat. Although functional..it was rather offensive looking! The cover I feel was the orginial was jammed in the side curtain storage boot along with the black Volks air cleaners, but has been rather poorly chromed. I located a NOS period finned polished alum valve & tappet cover (no provision for the breather tube on Valve cover) I use that on the car along with chrome air cleaners with some KNH filters I modified to fit them. It looks good & I like it. I would just like to find a good example of the orginial to match up with correct air cleaners & tappet cover should I ever decide to go the "concourse" route it would be nice to have all the pieces to do so. It's one of the few pieces I do not have to return the car to "orginial & correct". There is one on ebay right now with a starting bid of $10.00 (vertical pipe)...needs blasted and painted...it's red!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

David, if you have a TF and this is the ebay item you are looking at, isn't it wrong for your car? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34202&item=2458086749
Regards,
Dennis
D F Sexton

Further, I don't know of any TD/xpag/xpeg which came with this style valve cover http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=34202&item=2457970209
Regards,
Dennis
D F Sexton

David - regarding your comment: "does anyone besides me care?". At least a couple of people do. I bought an original cover on ebay for my TF (with the horizontal pipe) last September and had a number of other bidders. (I wound up paying $34 plus shipping). Like you, I wanted one to be "complete", but I have no intention of every replacing the finned version that was on the car when I got it.

Terry
Terry Jacobs

Dennis, That was the one I looked at... but felt it was the wrong one. Seller on that one seems like a nice guy. I let him know I felt it was for a TD and he sent me a nice thank you for the info. That other one you gave link to looks more like an Austin cover to me. You would have a hell a of a time trying to get that one on an XPAG or XPEG due to where the mounting holes are! (Not "offset" like on our "T" cars!)
Cheers,
David
David Sheward


I believe the E-Bay item ending in .. 209 is in fact an early BMC 'A'-Series valve cover and Dave Sheward is right.

I am very cautious what I buy on E-Bay as I have been ripped-off twice - BigTime

First I bough a set of "sidescreens" for a TF. They turned out to be covers, and although new, were absolutely crappy as they would have to be tailored to fit and certainly not worth $250.

The second was worse. I paid $450 for a Panasonic Digital camera with Leica optics. Yeah it was that, but a European model - no english manual, no North American Guarantee, and a European power supply. I now want the latest firmware up-grade and I'm excluded, unless I pay the $175 fee to flash my CMOS.

From now on its Cavæt Emptor!

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A. Clark

I agree with Gord its caveat emptor on ebay. Can't say that I have been ripped off but have certainly been dissapointed more than once.EG bought a Radiomoible 50s radio a few years back for spare parts, the picture looked great but when I eventually got it the lettering on the dial was so faded as to be unreconizable and all the screws holding the body to the chassis were missing. Bait picture?
Besides T MG stuff I bid on old fishing tackle , mostly Hardy and from 1890 to 1965. Many of the vendors havn't a clue about it except that it is "old" and therefor valuable. If something is of interest I ask lots of questions get mostly straight answers and probably bid on 1 in 20 and succeed in 1 in 100.
The next time the item doesn't match the description or the answers to the questions I am going to utilize ebays system for redress and I will have it all in writing. Terry
Terry O'Brien

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2004 and 05/02/2004

MG TD TF 1500 index

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