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 - Oil filter warning

This same filter is sold for the horizontal containers of the XPAG. Just beware!

http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/engine/of100f.htm
L E D LaVerne

WoW, I'm glad I use Wix filters. Thanks for showing that LaVerne. That's a real mess and could be very expensive. PJ
Paul Jennings

The old filters had to be wool felt. It would not break down to the congealed mess on the pickup as pictured. I doubt anyone still uses wool. I just washed ours out with gasoline and reinstalled it (and I have a hydraulics business). American car engines didn't even have filters at this period (the old bypass filters don't count). The switch has been made to cheaper, synthetic fibers for "felt." Possibly something in the oil broke down the plastic. You can't imagine they'd use material with a low melting temp.

I referenced the Moss catalog for MGA engine internals and don't see any mechanism for "filter bypass" as incorporated into the XPAG & XPEG. That could've provided normal lubrication despite disintegrating filter element and not forced the crap though the engine.

JIM N

I doubt that the felt used for this application is made specifically for it and nothing else, as the volume demand is tiny. Somebody in the distant past probably tested a few off the shelf products and found one that worked. The felt manufacturer almost certainly has no idea what it is being used for in this case and changed the product deeming it still suitable for stuffing armchairs or whatever the main application is.
Dave H
Dave Hill

It seems like this happened back in 2011, at least that is the date of the incident.
I would assume that it was a one time occur ancestors

Steve
SPW Wincze

Go to the next couple of pages on Barneys site. Happened again recently which is why I posted this
L E D LaVerne

Type correction doesn't know what I want to say
Should have been a "one time occurance"

SPW Wincze

Occurrence. But we know what you meant.
Dave H
Dave Hill

I use this type filter on a new rebuild. From MOSS.
Should I change away from it and get the adaptor for a spin on?
Do we know it was the filter or high pressure that caused this problem yet?
I just do not want to go thru another engine so soon.

M Grogan

Jim N I just had to follow up on your comment that nobody today is using felt today to filter oil.

All Mercedes filters still use felt. Mercedes engines use a large quantity of oil. On average 8 to 10 quarts of 0-40 Mobil one.

Joe

JWP Policastro

For the first few years I ran my TD (in the early 1980s) I have the distinct impression that the Moss filters had a perforated metal screen surrounding the filter element. Inside of that was a sock-like material. Then, inside was the felt element.

These two outer layers prevented the felt from being sucked into the engine. Once, when I noticed an oil pressure issue, I found the metal screen had slipped allowing the sock material to get sucked partially into the outlet pipe. Luckily it was caught quickly and no damage resulted.

Was there no screen surrounding the filter element on the subject filter? Has the construction changed since I last used a felt filter?
Lew3

My point was you won't find "wool" anymore. "Fleece" filters use synthetic polyester fibers, not real "wool." Someone likely elected a cheaper synthetic fiber for the MG replacement cartridges. Mercedes specified a polyester fiber construction that holds up better/ longer/finer/lower resistance than paper/cellulose filter media with modern oils.

I'm driving an '84 Mercedes 300SD turbodiesel and it still started today at 11F with 15W40 and paper filter!
JIM N

Jim I really meant to type "felt like" and really I guess I was really thinking cartridge type filter like in the T and MGA as was pictured in the first entry. As you can see in the picture below what is old is actually new. Mercedes uses the old style cartridge filter even today. Not sure what is in your car.

If I remember correctly I paid about $10 for the filter when I buy them in bulk. Twelve to a package.

On the two Mercedes roadsters, I only change the oil every two years since they only get driven about 500 miles a season. When I do change it appears to be almost like new. The same is true of the filter. On the wife's daily driver I do it once a year because she drives about 5000 to 6000 miles a year.

I once asked the Mecedes service department why they use 0-40 when most cars use 5-30 synthetic. Like many things Mercedes, it was probably over engineered for the worst case or Mobil pays them a fee.They said 0 weight for cold weather starts and 40 weight for summer and hIghway driving. Mercedes believes in have a lot of oil in their engines.

I guess that goes along theIr C and S switch that changes the acceleration from summer to winter driving mode. Every Fall I change this on her car. She is kind of a lead foot.

Joe







JWP Policastro

So no more issues of this filter blowing out from anyone ?
As I still have 2 more filters, I will use them up before I buy into the spin on type and adaptor.
What is a good source for the adaptor anyway?

I will keep a keen eye on the oil till then.

thx

M Grogan

Mine is from Bob Grunau (http://www.ttalk.info/Oil_filter.htm ) but I'd be perfectly happy to get one from Butch Taras. Bud
Bud Krueger

I've always run Wix cartridges since my term of stewardship. When I got it from grandfather, it had the felt type in it.
Alex Waugh

Lew,

You are describing the filter that went into Moss' aluminum filter cartridge conversion. AFAIK, it was unique to that setup and entirely different from the element that goes into the stock cartridge. The conversion elements are only available from Moss for about $60 apiece the last time I checked.
David Littlefield

Guess I will have to buy and install the newer oil filter setup. I need to change oil again and the wife states that I will not get the money to rebuild the engine if it blows because of the felt filter problem.

When the silent partner speaks, I have to listen.

Any more problem with the felt type?
M Grogan

felt type


M Grogan

Vaseline and oil filters should not mix. The whole prime oil pump with vaseline from back in the days before oil filters. So easy to prime using the pump itself.
S Cole

It was to give the pump some suction to be able to pull oil from the sump to the engine on start up.
M Grogan

This thread was discussed between 15/12/2016 and 05/01/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

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