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MG TD TF 1500 - Nuts and Bolts

I am trying to reuse as much original hardware on my 52 TD. Some currently available replacement hardware differs quite a bit. Here is a photo comparing an original 5/16 fender washer with one from the Moss hardware set (fender & running boards to body, 321-758). The old is much thicker and a little larger in OD.

B Mooney

5/16 nuts. Original on left, nut from Moss set on right.

B Mooney

5/16 bolt (and screws!) British Tools and Fasteners on left, Moss in middle and original on right. It's hard to tell from the picture but the British has a slightly taller head than the Moss. The original is clearly thicker than either of the others.

B Mooney

It is always smart to save every piece you remove from your car, Original parts and pieces are always better than the replacements you buy today. When it comes to fasteners and washers, conserve enough to use where they are visible to keep the authentic look. Use the replacements where they are hidden. The original fasteners were cadmium plated, but the Eastwood tin/zinc plating system is cheap and gives good results. Plate, buff with a soft brass brush and coat with Eastwood clear. John
JR Mahone

I think you are taking the right approach. By carefully photographing and cataloging your hardware, you can easily resort the bunch after tumbling, plating or other operations to bring the hardware to a like new condition. In my case, I used Eastwood tumblers to clean up the hardware, and then chased each item in taps or dies. I was fortunate that silver cad plating was still available in my area. I would estimate that over 90% of my hardware is original, and in the correct places. The remainder would be moss replacements that while pretty good, don't seem to have the same 'heft' as the original pieces, as you pointed out.

Keep up the good work!

warmly,
dave

Dave Braun

You'll probably find that the originals were a much better quality steel as well. I completely agree with you about reusing as much of the original gear as possible. With a wire brush & a chemical blackening kit original nuts, bolts & washers can look like new. Good luck. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Cad plating is not that expensive. The cost is to have the hardware properly cleaned. You can bead blast your hardware and take it in or let the plater go at it. To plate all my original hardware was about $90. Basically what ever you can get I the basket plates for the same cost. Their baskets were equivalent to a five gallon bucket. I did buy new nuts, and washers from an eBay source. But I still have all the original nuts and washers that have t been played yet as I will clean, replate and stock them

Cheers

Bill Chasser
TD4834
Bill Chasser Jr

You might want to try some of the fasteners from British Tools and Fasteners and see if they are any better. http://www.britishfasteners.com/
E-mail me and I'll send you information on fasteners used in the TD/TF. You can also see a couple of the charts in the Other Tech Articles section of my Homepage at: http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/ Cheers - Dave
DW DuBois

I've been plating my own using these instructions and information from around the web:

http://www.southsandia.com/forum/website/zincplating.html

I've even plated some things that were originally painted (horrors!), like the engine steady bar, because it is more durable and easier to do. I have my own media blast setup, though, and I don't think it is practical without one.
David Littlefield

I'll tell you that you can spot a car with non original nuts/bolts a mile away. There was a car at a concours that won its class and it drove me up the wall because all the nuts and bolts were wrong.
Christopher Couper

I found that most of the nut, bolt and washers from B&G are very close to original. They had the only washers I could find as thick as the originals on my car. Plating is not cadmium naturally, but close in color, I guess using zink. PJ
Paul161

Many of the original bolts and nuts on my 52'TD appear to have been preserved with Black Oxide. Not plated.

Jim B.
JA Benjamin

Jim, On the TFs I believe they used plated nuts and bolts. I've seen a couple un-restored survivors and they had cadmium plated hardware, reason I used plated hardware on mine. I don't know anything about TDs. PJ
Paul161

I agree with Jim on the TD nuts & bolts. I used a blackening kit available locally that does a pretty good job. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Just a word of warning. If you have anything plated have the parts baked by the company doing the plating to prevent hydrogen embrittlement. Which is important on class 8 fasteners such as the bolts holding the shocks, etc. I had a friend that had his wire wheel spokes chrome plated but, not baked, he would drive along and hear ping, ping as the spokes broke.

Butch
R Taras

Yes, anything hardened over Rockwell C30 hardness level will be hydrogen embrittled during plating and prone to abrupt failure in service.
If you can cut a part easily with a hacksaw, it doesn't need to be baked. (Of course it's probably no good now anyway because it has a big cut mark in it!)
If the part can't be cut, it should be baked after plating at about 400F for at least 8 hours.
As noted, any grade 8 bolt should be baked if plated. I doubt if any of the external fasteners on a TD/TF are better than grade 5 but rod bolts, head studs, wrist pin bolts are possibly over the hardness limit.
It's a lot cheaper to just use a bigger diameter bolt than a hardened bolt if size and function don't require it. Cars aren't supposed to fly so $/pound ratio's were pretty high in the 50's.
T W Moore

This thread was discussed between 14/12/2015 and 16/12/2015

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