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 - Wiring the TF wiper motor

Gents, I am trying to install the wiper motor into the car. On one of the wheelboxes are 2 leads. Question 1 is "to what do these leads connect? Additionally there are 2 insulated wires coming out of the cover but there are also 2 receptacles with threaded brass setscrews. Question 2 is "which of these leads, setscrew terminals or the wires, should be used when connecting to the harness?

many thanks,
sp
S Parker

Hi SP,

See Archives for info. on TF wiper wiring. From your description of wires it seems you might have a later wiper with parking provision? Aluminium cover should have model no. CRT 12V with the last two digits of the year eg 54, and a serial no.75144A.

Cheers

John
J C Mitchell

This comment was in the Thread "TF Wiper Motor Ground" on Aug.22
Please see it.
The wiring of the TF wiper motor is the cause of a great deal of confusion, in part because of the unconventional location of the wiper switch and confounded by the lack of any correct indication on the wiring diagrams.

The switch is located in the wiper knob in the driver's glove compartment.
The wiring is: The ignition switched hot lead ( Green) goes to one terminal of the motor. From the other terminal of the motor a wire (black-green ??) goes to the switch above the glove box. The wire (Black) from the other side of the switch returns to the case of ia a lug the motor gearbox and is fastened to it via a lug under one of the screws on the cover.

NOTE: This wiring is not shown on any diagram!

The case was presumed to be grounded via the cable sheath to the chassis

The wiring to the switch is not shown on any diagram I have seen, including the Workshop Manual. (On some diagrams only a motor terminal to ground is shown, which would leave the motor running if the ignition was on)

So the Wiper Switch is in the ground return, rather than the hot lead as might be expected.
Don Harmer TF8986

My thanks to Don and John,

I think I have it. As an aside, the motor may be part of the issue as it is a CRT 75144B 12V, Dated 10-64. Do you guys think this will make any difference? I have photos if needed. The 2 insulated wires come out of the cover and there do not seem to be any other wires connecting the lugs on the cover to anything inside, that is unless the circuit is cast into the plastic cover when made.

Thanks for the help so far,

Sherwood

S Parker

Plastic cover??? The TF wiper motor is all metal and the gearbox cover is a flat aluminium plate. The only electrical cpnnections are two grub screws at the base o the motor.
Don Harmer TF8986

With a date of 10/64 doesn't that move it up to midget/MGB/etc...did they have any plastic?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

It's not plastic. It's bakelite on the end of the motor housing. The Sprite/Midget motor is similar but different...and just about as effective.


LED DOWNEY

(There we go, another cheap shot way to post a photo of a Supercharger....arrgghhh)
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

If it's any conselation Gordon I lost the compression in 2 an 3. Hoping it's just the head gasket. Problem is on the TF I have to remove all the body work to get the blower and the head off. Feel better now?
LED DOWNEY

...all kidding aside...sorry about that....!!!
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Hi Sherwood,

As an aside, Lucas carried on making old parts with the original serial no.on much of their equipment, so the 1964 date is not surprising. I think I previously misunderstood your wiring description - sorry! It would appear you have the correct wiper, made much later, in 1964. Archives have lots of info. on TF wipers - Don Harmer sets it out well above.

Cheers

John
J C Mitchell

If I am reading this correctly, as stated by Don Harmer, there are three wires to the wiper motor. The green (hot lead) to one of the grub screws, a wire from the other grub screw to the switch, and a wire from the switch to the casing of the wiper. That correct? My wiper has only two wires to it, one to one of the grub screws and the other to the casing. Both of these wires come from the harness. The wipers do not work. Should there be another wire from the harness or is the return from the switch outside the harness and missing on my car?
Ron Coates

Ron you need two more wires. One from the grub screw to the drivers side wipre switch and one from the switch to the ground on the wiper casing. At some point I'm going to wire in one of my toggle switchs to turn the wipers on and off instead of the cheesy factory knob switch.
LED DOWNEY

Ron if yours is wired as you said, the motor should run all the time.

Where is the wiper switch in your circuit?

You should have power to the "hot" lead if the ignition is on.

If not then the switch may be in the hot side instead of the ground or you have have burned out the motor due to being on all the time
Don Harmer TF8986

Don, since there is only one wire to one grub screw, I don't think there is current through the motor. I will have to check whether the wire to the one grub screw is live or not when I put it back together. I am guessing that the wire from the other grub screw to the switch is missing. Should all three wires be coming from the harness?
Ron Coates

The wires going to and from the switch are a separate pair, not in the harness.
The wire from the second grub screw is one of the pair and does not go into the harness.

Suggest you look at the switch on the driver's wheelbox and trace wires from there.
It sounds like this is missing.
Don Harmer TF8986

Looked at My TF. For the wiper motor looks like original 2 wire harness with one brown, one black wire from/to the wiper switch (knob). The brown wire goes to one grub screw, The black to a casing screw. From the main harness one green wire to the other grub screw and the black also to the casing screw.

Dan H.
D.E. Hanson

This thread was discussed between 30/08/2010 and 15/09/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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