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MG TD TF 1500 - Need piston ring(s)

Hi folks,

I am looking for a piston ring (compression) for my 1950 MG TD. The issue is that the engine has an older "big bore" kit, meaning that the piston is .120 oversize. While I can find piston ring sets that fit the bore, modern rings are too thick. I am in need of a set of rings (or even one compression ring) that is 1.66 mm thick. I have tried Deves, Moss, From the Frame Up, etc and their rings are too thick. If anyone has such a ring, I would like to purchase ASAP.

Thanks

Charlie Duffy
Charles Duffy

Correction to my post...it should be 1.66 mm in height
Charles Duffy

Suggest you try DEVES in Los Vegas. Simply the best: google them for contact 8nfo and give them a call. You will not be disappointed.
gl rombough

Are yours the 3 ring pistons
Brittish parts nw and english parts . com are both stocking the 1380 kits
Maybe one of them sells the rings

You'd have to check and make sure they were the 1/16" ring width though--as you would
William Revit

In extremis, could you grind the thicker rings down on a surface plate? Or failing that, on a piece of glass using grinding paste?
Peter Allen

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions. I ended up talking with Deves and they are making a set of rings to fit the pistons. Tuesday, I sent a piston to Las Vegas for vacation. The piston is stamped "18546" but does not resemble any images I could find on Google.

A little ptogress toward getting 581 back on the road.
Charles Duffy

Charles,

The 18546 is a Wellworthy casting number. Wellworthy was bought out many eons ago by the Automotive Group (AEG).

Its all academic anyway, since you have a solution.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Hi Charlie,

There is a Mitsubishi ring which is very narrow. (Too narrow for my 1366, 69.5 mm bores. I do not know if they will suit you and can not go into the shed now to check because I have just returned from a three day farm trip and it is getting late. I will check asap and get back to you. Might be too late for you but good for future use?

Bob
R L Schapel

Hi Charlie,
I have searched for the Mitsubishi rings which might suit your application. Unfortunately I can not find them. Perhaps I threw them out because they suited nothing I have. I think I bought the set just to use the oil rings. My engines are both 120 tho oversize (1366 cc. 69.5mm) so they are the same bore as yours. The Mitsubishi (Magna?) rings were too narrow for my pistons but could be just what you are after. Perhaps some research on Google, or contact with a Mitsubishi agent might reveal if they suit you.

Good luck with your engine.
Bob
R L Schapel

You've probably already thought of this, but if the ring problem can not be solved, a set of modern rings and pistons might be your answer. Costly yes, but what isn't on these engines. PJ
PJ Jennings

There is also the option of having the rings ground down to correct height. I have had that done a few times over the years as I had stock of old thick cast-iron rings. I needed them to replace the chrome rings which came with the pistons because I run hard-chrome (Laystall) cylinder liners which are incompatible with chrome rings. It was not an expensive process and was done by a company who made pistons, rings and lots of other bits.
Bob
R L Schapel

Gord,

Thanks for the bit of history...I Googled Wellworthy pistons and found some matching images. It seems that for decasde, Wellworthy was one of the major suppliers of pistons and rings to the Birtish auto industry. No one seems to really know when Wellworthy succumbed. Sometime in the early 1960s, they became part of Amalgamated Engineering,(pistons with an AEnnnnn number). Parts of AE were shuttered over the years and what was left was absorbed by Federal Mogul. FM went under becuase of asbestos law suits.

Bob,

I had heard that some Japanese ring may fit. The mechanic working on the car spent several hours going through catalogs with a machinist but could not find anything similar.

PJ,

I did consider new pistons and rings, even sleeving the block to get back to a stock size, which would have been quite an expensive proposition. Thankfully, Deves is making the needed rings.

Everyone stay safe and keep a car length clearance. We are, more or less, sheltering in place here in Northern California.
Charles Duffy

This thread was discussed between 06/03/2020 and 18/03/2020

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