MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

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 - identify distributor/ oil level carburetor

TD 7191 - ordered new rotor, received red rotor. attempted to install, rotor would not slide on shaft. old rotor is brown, appears-a bit more robust then the red rotor. measured id of red rotor at arm, 13.34mm, measured id of old rotor13.99. contacted vendor, suggested that distributor might not be standard as the red rotors have had wide acceptance. could not see any id markings on distributor body. is there any standard id for distributor?

A second query, suggested dash pot oil level is 1/2 inch from top. Is the 'top' the measured from the bottom thread of the oil cap nut or lower oil dashpot chamber?
R W Hinton

R W Hinton,
if you put up a couple of good quality photos of your dissy, one with the cap removed taken from above showing the plate and other bits someone may recognise which dissy you have.

Unless other TD owners that actually drive the car on a reasonably frequent basis say differently then generally the exact level doesn't matter as long as when you lift the damper rod up you can feel resistance there's enough. How regularly you need to top up and to what level your car settles on you learn by use of the car, different publications may give different measurements. As with the radiator and engine oil the car will have an optimum level that it settles at and overfill from this is a waste. Topping up to this level will be learnt with use and may vary with the type of use, again you learn with use, what's correct for another person's TD may not be the same for yours.
Nigel Atkins

This is not an H4 but near enough. As stated above if you feel resistance there is enough oil.

I understand the new red rotors are better quality than the new black ones?. I have used both - the original black and a new red one. They look identical though.




Rod Jones

The oil level in the carburetor only needs to be high enough that you feel instant resistance when you lift the piston. Putting in more makes no difference to the operation of the carburetor. Roughly 3/8" from the top is about right. More than that and it may spill some during use. You should never need to top them up again, as there is no way for it to leak and it doesn't evaporate.
Steve Simmons

Rod,
over here the modern made black rotor arms had problem(s) (rivet), along with other poorly made "cheap" (expensive in reality) ignition (condensers, points, caps) and other electric parts, and some rotors, like other classic car parts available, were abysmal.

The Distributor Doctor over here decided to get some decent rotor arms made, in red to distinguish them. As savvy owners started to buy them other suppliers copied the idea of the name and colour but not necessarily the quality.

I have bought red coloured rotor arms from two main classic car ignition retailers over here and they're a good price and work fine but the finish reflects the price.

I haven't brought an original Distributor Doctor Red Rotor Arm as he doesn't do them for my dissy but others who have find them good and have had them in use for years.

(UK) Distributor Doctor Red rotor arms - http://www.distributordoctor.com/red-rotor-arms.html

(UK) Moss Europe sell the Distributor Doctor Red rotor arms as "ROTOR ARM, high quality" - https://www.moss-europe.co.uk/rotor-arm-25d4-high-quality-gra2101hq.html?assoc=133585

(UK) Simon BBC Powerspark Ignition Ltd. Powermax (red in colour) - https://simonbbc.com/Lucas-23D-25D-Rotor-Arm-with-Powermax-Technology

(UK) AccuSpark Rotor Arms (which the same as the Powermax to me) - http://www.accuspark.co.uk/rotors.html
Nigel Atkins

poor picture of distributor in question, will not accept 'red rotor'.

oil appears to be weeping up distributor shaft.

shaft od 10.11 mm. (I am not a machinist).

cannot see any id numbers or letters.


R W Hinton

poor picture w/o brown rotor.

thought I added this on previous post

R W Hinton

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

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now