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MG TD TF 1500 - Engine rebuild started

Please wish me luck,
I have started the rebuild of my engine. The only under spec items are two of the lobs on the cam. So new cam, tappets, bearings and gaskets, rings and such. Also refresh the head. The PO had installed the Moss rear and front modern oil seals.

And I now know how working on our cars gets out of hand and never get finished.
Wanted to pull the engine and trans, so you start by removing the radiator.
But you can’t get to the two bolts on the bottom of the radiator, so you need to remove the sheet metal in front of the radiator, but to get that off you need to remove the bumper, and then into the interior to remove the seats, carpet, toe kick on the passenger side, floor boards, etc…. Before you know it there are parts with tape and notes of what / where and sequence everywhere.

You look at the water pump and start to wonder if it should be rebuilt and then you look at ……..No I need to stop before this gets so out of hand. It’s been several years since I’ve gotten to drive my car. It’s time to get it back on the road. Sorry I’ve never named my car, or I guess it’s name is “My Car”

I thank everyone for all their questions and the answers to how. I’ve been reading and printing stuff for several years in prep for today.





G D

Been there, done that. I think you'll find the journey very rewarding. Jud

J K Chapin

Be thankful you don't have a TF! Aside from everything else, the front fenders and side panels should come off a TF to pull the engine! Not fun for sure! PJ
PJ Jennings

If the water pump has no wiggle on the blades, and no water running out the bleed hole, it should be fine. Butch Taras does such terrific rebuilds that I never worry. Keep the fan blades looser than you think!

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Tom. Fan blades? Don’t you mean fan belt?
W A Chasser

Hey Jud.
How long did it take for you to have a lightbulb moment and see your crank in back to front-
I did that on a little ford once, even got the bearing caps on and tensioned up then saw my boo boo--grrrrrr
Cheers
willy
William Revit

Hello, I notice no rubber boots over the main bearing studs, this is an invitation to getting a scatch in the crank journals. You can buy these at any automotive store, they push down over the stud and no worries about nick.

Kim
W K herford

Bill - no, I do mean fan blades. The length of the blades better reveals any play, than trying to move the pulley does.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Willy, you gotta be kidding. Do you mean that I need to pull the motor again and reverse the crank? :-)
J K Chapin

Just going by your mischievous pic. Jud, with the timing chain sprocket in the rear and the flywheel flange at the front---It wouldn't have gone together like that---So I thought that with the pic you were checking to see if anyone picked it, and couldn't help responding.
Cheers
willy
William Revit

Yeah, Jud knew you'd bite, didn't he Willy! Good humour guys. John
J P Hall

G D Hello from NORWAY.
I see you have the same small space as i had when I
rebuilt my MG I know about the pia,
excuse the language.
I learned and made lots of new bad words.see my
modification of the radiator bracket in the archiveive.

Thoralf NORWAY td4490
Thoralf Sorensen (TD4490)

Yes the space is a little tight.
I bought a refrigerated cargo shipping container.
The refrigerator unit was damaged beyond repair so no refrigeration.
The container is insulated, air and rodent tight. Ran electric to the unit.
It’s on concrete footings so level. It’s a great garage for parking and storing the car.
I have 12’ ramps to drive In and out with and can level the ramps to push the car out side to work on in good weather. It’s really has worked out great and keeps the car secure.
G D

G D Me again. I had also a tight garage when working
on my MG.I had the car on wheels and pushedthe car outside ain to one side so i could work on the other side.

Thoralf NORWAY td4490
Thoralf Sorensen (TD4490)

Hi John, we won't tell Jud we noticed his special camshaft hiding in there--
lol willy
William Revit

That must be what they call reverse engineering, Jud?? Well played.
Willy, even you would struggle to set the timing on that one.
Sorry GD, we digress!
John.
J P Hall

Willy & John Jud has one of my Abingdon Performance Ltd. Roller Cam kits! Many happy customers worldwide
Len Fanelli
914 420 8699
Abingdon Performance.com
Len Fanelli

Thought it might have been Len, it looked to have it's fair share of lift---
William Revit

Yes, Welcome to the wonderful world of working on a TD. Few things are quick, but most are simple.
Bruce Cunha

Yes Willy all of my MG T type Roller cams have a net valve lift of .414" including my stock replacement cam.
Also Roller cam has a much wider power band than a flat lifter cam.
Len

Len Fanelli

our late GURU Bpb Figenska never put those two bottom bolts back on the radiator. That radiator aint going nowhere with or without those two bolts restored my car in 1999 and the radiator is still on the car, no bolts
TRM Maine

Age 22, I decided to rebuild the engine in my TC. I didn’t know W-T-F I was doing, but I managed to reverse the centre main bearing. Couldn’t understand why it was so difficult to turn (by hand).

Engine started OK, but two weeks later, I found out why it was so difficult to turn. Expensive mistake! Crank broke in two!

Did my 4th and most recent rebuild on TF4592 in 2003. Still runs well.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

This thread was discussed between 03/10/2022 and 18/10/2022

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