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MG TD TF 1500 - Major setback

Greetings from Columbus Ohio. I posted several times a few months ago about my frustrations with getting the engine to prime after a rebuild. I finally got the car back on the road a week ago after its bare frame restoration. A local machine shop did the engine work for me, but I did everything else. Of course, it's the motor that is giving me fits.

It appears that the shop totally screwed up. Not only was the engine extremely difficult to prime, it turns out that both the rear and front main seals are leaking like sieves. Fewer than 20 miles on the rebuild, and the car already is off the road.

The rebuild was far from cheap (~$4,000 USD), but it looks like they were idiots who were in way over their heads. No option now but to pull the engine and start over -- unless someone has a magical way to access the rear seal with the engine in place (not happening). It's not worth tearing out the interior to pull the tranny without the engine, which still might leave a job that can't be done.

Not looking for a solution, just venting at this point. waiting to see what accommodations the shop will make. Ever onward...

Thanks again to all of you who helped with my previous issues.

Scott
SM Scott

$4000 is a very, very inexpensive engine rebuild,,,
SPW Wincze

A leaking rear main seal is not uncommon. Even when the rebuild is properly done. I have read that about 50% of the rebuilds leak.

You may want to consider fabricating, or purchase from Declain drip catcher. A low profile tank that bolts to the rear of the housing and catches the oil.

Many of us have them. I fabbed up my own.

I now get a few tablespoons after a run.


You may be able to address the front seal without pulling the engine. Look into the archives.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

Scott,
It is not as bad a job that you think to remove the transmission from the inside of the car. I know it is annoying and a lot of work has been done. One of the things with these MG's is that so much of the car has to come apart to get to things like clutches etc.

I know it is upsetting, but you should really "bite the bullet" and remove the transmission, and drop the pan. On my YT the "rear main" was leaking like someone shot it, so I was prepared to re-do the main seal. Once the trans was out, and the pan dropped, and the flywheel removed, I found the real source of the leak...... rear cam core plug had fallen out.

Your engine rebuilder may have used one of the ill fitting "frost plugs" and not installed it properly. Most likely the rear seal may be ok. I re-did the rear seal, pan gasket, clutch disc and other checks on my car.... now it leaves a quarter sized spot of oil after shut down which is caught by a small drip pan I install after all the work was done.

I call that a win!

Unfortunately, you will not know until you look.

... CR
CR Tyrell

Even though I no longer have a T Series I did have exactly the same problems as you a few years ago. Unfortunately virtually all EXPAGs leak from the rear seal and there is little that can be done to cure this. A catcher tank is a solution and is easy to fit. There are a couple of issues with the front leak. Most engines have now been converted to a lip seal and even though this does work it needs to be fitted with silicone sealant and this is an engineering compromise. It is important to turn the engine over whilst the sealant is still wet to centralise the seal. The issues are the shaft on the pulley and the size of the seal. It is not unknown for the shaft to crack along the key way and this will quickly destroy the lip on the seal. Also some of the seals sold by T Series suppliers are too large. This is especially so if the pulley shaft has been polished. It is best to measure your pulley and then buy a seal from a bearing supplier.
Re the priming of your engine. Fill it with oil, vasalene in the pump gears, seal off all the breathers and give a few blasts of compressed air down the dip stick tube. This forces oil into the galleries and does work.

Good luck

Jan T
J Targosz

CR has a point. I have seen a number of cars with this issue and it almost always shows up immediately or with a few hundreds miles of a rebuild.

I would suggest you get one of those cheap fiber optic camera attachments for a mobile phone and start the car up and direct the camera to the area of the core plug. If it is leaking there it will be easy to spot.
Christopher Couper

Jim,
I don't want to hijack the thread, but what is the braided line running underneath your brake box. Off the top of my head, I can't place it.

Thanks,
Jim S
JV Smith TD17744

Looks like a remote brake reservoir from Declan Burns

Peter
P G Gilvarry

In defense of the mechanics:

First off, the engine can be problematic to prime and it has nothing to do with the quality of a rebuild.

Secondly, there is no rear main seal. What good will it do to remove the trans and pan?

Is the rear leak drain out the hole in the bottom of the oil pan or down the outside? If the leaks are as bad as you say, I'd wonder if the pan gasket isn't the issue. Maybe you can retighten the pan screws- that won't cost anything to investigate.

JIM N

This thread was discussed between 24/09/2021 and 26/09/2021

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