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MG TD TF 1500 - Grille Slats

Checking the archives for possible causes of warm running, I came across the subject of grille slats being open too little. Checked the archives for adjusting, but came up empty.

Below is a pic of my slats (yes the center two are loose at the top and will be addressed later). I'd like opinions as to whether my slats are closed too far for proper cooling or not. If they are, how does one bend them further open, with or without removing them first. Can it be done without removing the slats? If so, how. If the slats must be removed first, what is the method for bending open further?

If my slats are ok now, I won't bother. Just looking for opinions.

L Karpman

They are a bit on the narrow side, but so are mine and I don't have any cooling issues. Opening them a bit more will certainly help, but it won't cure an overheating problem.

If you want to bend them, gently bend one at a time at each end with some narrow pliers and padding to protect the paint. They bend easily. You can even do it by hand if you can get your fingers in there.
Steve Simmons

Yours look pretty good but if you want to get the gaps between them more uniform this can be done fairly easily. I took the time to make a bending tool out of ply using a small plane. This should be about 6" long & fit neatly into the rear of the slat. I also made a handle again about 6" long. I initially used vice grips & a pair of pliers with a rag but I found I had more control & no damage with the ply tool. Mine had been bent & mangled from tow bars & bird strikes. Took quite some time in front of the TV to get it right, with both sides matching each other. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Those look like original slats, which are thinner. Openings look fine to me. The problem with the gaps was with the repro slats which are 3/16" or so wider. They look great with the smaller gaps but no air flows. George
George Butz

Hello Larry. Glad to see you are working on the MG again. My slats are opened a bit wider compared to yours. My TD had heat problems even back in France where the temperatures never got close to those we see here in the St. Louis area. Everything I did to try to cure the problem never were really effective until I had my radiator recored from the two row type to one with three rows. By then, the slats were opened before they were plated so I left well enough alone for fear cracking the plating. The picture is a deceiving because the slats look like they are bent all the way back but that is due to the reflection by the chrome plate.
The block was boiled out and the pump is rebuilt factory type.
Now, cruising up a highway hill on a hot 95F day doesn't cause any concern or indication of a heat problem.



Jim Merz

Here is a photo from a side angle showing the slats. They look more normal than in a straight ahead view.

Jim Merz

Jim,

Off topic but it is sure a great looking car. Congrats on driving such a beauty.

Jim Haskins 1953 TD
J. M. Haskins

Slats look fine to me Larry. Regards, Tom
tm peterson

Thanks for the kind words, Jim.
Jim Merz

Here's a photo of mine.
Declan

D Burns

This thread was discussed between 14/09/2015 and 16/09/2015

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