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MG TD TF 1500 - Lathing skills are getting a bit better

So what do you do when there is not a replacement part being manufactured and you have a nice lathe? (Nice lathe, but not necessarily and experienced operator)

Make it yourself.

PO buggered up the threads and had an SAE stud sticking out.

I have not determined if these were welded on or soldered on. I will be grinding it off and then determine what I will do to fasten the new one on.



Bruce Cunha

Good work Bruce.
As a fellow lathe owner I can appreciate your achievements.

Not to detract from your work might I suggest an alternative approach.
I believe these “nuts” are spot welded to the tank.
I checked mine and there is a 1/4” (BSF?) stud threaded into it.
On the outside the stud is fixed with a chrome dome nut.

Replacing the “T-nut” might require grinding the old one off.
Then aligning a new one would be critical.

Perhaps there is enough room for a helicoil

You would need to get several taps. You would need to grind one flat on the tip to thread to the bottom of the well.

Just my thoughts.

Jim B
JA Benjamin

One option I was considering was to braze the old one, redrill it and retap it. I have not found flat head BSF 1/4 taps (but I have not put a lot of effort into looking for one).

Your point on the placement is a good one. I am planning to make a template of the tank end so that I get the position as close as I can.
Bruce Cunha

Hi Bruce. I'll look tomorrow if I have a bottoming tap.

Butch
R Taras

Hello Bruce. I have both plug and bottoming taps for 1/4-26 BSF. Contact me off board if you need to borrow them.

Butch
R Taras

I heated the old T nut today. It is not soldered on. I cleaned off all the paint and there are no weld marks around the T nut. I thought there might be small holes in the T nut like others have that may have been used to weld it on. I could not find any indication of this.
It also does not appear to be welded through the center. If it was, it was drilled and tapped after installation. I cant see MG taking the time to do that.

For anyone that has taken their fuel tank apart. Would you have any pictures of the inside of the side panel? I am starting to think they may have done a spot weld through the center of the T nut with the welding tip on the inside of the panel. If so, there should be a dimple on the inside.

Filling the old one and retapping it may be a better fix.
Bruce Cunha

Bruce,
I don't think these nuts will be under any real pressure or tension and possibly soldering with high temp solder would be adequate for holding on the tank side plates. Brazing or silver solder will required a lot more heat. But would be as good as any weld. Just need to think about the tank and possible any contents that could explode I guess.
As a contrast I used JB Weld to re-fix some studs that were loose in my Rad surround. That hold the slats - I did not want to discolor the chrome. Worked fine.

Rod
Rod Jones

I took another look at the damaged T nut on the fuel tank and decided I could drill it slightly larger and then fill it with brass, drill and tap it.

It worked well.

I did make another T nut as Bill Chasser said he needed a pair.

If anyone doing a restoration finds they need one, just drop me a line and I can lathe out another.




Bruce Cunha

This thread was discussed between 09/12/2020 and 19/12/2020

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