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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 - Original TF Water Pump Seal

Just back from a discussion with John Walton followed by a meeting with the washing machine water pump seal supplier. The correct replacement seal for the original TF pump can be purchased from Pump Seal Supplies in Sydney & is identified as follows; H68-127C-AXN-XX. The following part number, F-12L which is appended to the above, refers to the ceramic ring. This ring is not used in the restoration of the pump. The seal cost is $20 AU. The following information which was gleaned from Hao, the MD of Pump Seal Supplies was extremely useful.

Pumps utilize two types of seal, the first being the low speed variety which seals against the shaft or spindle. The seal used on the T Types is the high speed type & seals against both the pump body & the impeller. Hao's seal has a metal top hat that is pressed into the seat in the body. No modification is required other than a good clean ensuring that the seat is perfectly flat to prevent coolant finding its way between the hat & the seat & then into the bearings. It may be necessary to lightly dress this seat on a lathe. The face of the impeller boss DOES need to be machined on a lathe to a flat surface with a mirror like finish to ensure a good seal. The smoother the finish, the longer the seal will last. The T Type seal does NOT seal on the shaft. Coolant should never come in contact with the shaft & this will only occur if the seal between the carbon type ring & the impeller face is compromised.

I'm now confident that by using the readily available shielded bearings with the inner shields removed (or sealed bearings if you prefer not to grease), a new stainless shaft, the PSS seal & a couple of home made felt seals, that restoration of the original TF pump is now easily achievable. Dressing the seat & the face of the impeller boss are the only difficult bits & that's a doddle if you have access to a lathe. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I should add there is one other infuriating task & that is the removal of the front circlip. A search on the internet suggests that when this item is used it's not meant to be removed, however it's essential to be able to remove it to restore the pump. Attempting to use a couple of screwdrivers to prise it out of the groove is a good way to waste four hours. I finally succeeded in removing it by drilling into the circlip opposite the open ends. I was only able to effect a small hole before the drill bit died. This was enough to enable a tungsten nail to lever the circlip from the groove just far enough so I could then get a sharpened screwdriver to slip in behind it. A moment or two later & it was out. The inner circlip has two protrusions that enable easy removal with a pair of pliers. On reassembly I'm using two 37 mm internal circlips with eyes as they can be fitted & removed in seconds. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir


Yes Peter, I have had a couple of pump bodies that were drilled from the outside into the front circlip groove. At first, I didn't know what the hole was for but soon found out when I ran into one that didn't have the eyes in the circlip.
I may have previously mentioned that I preferred bearings with the inner seal removed so they could be greased because I found some sealed bearings I got didn't contain enough grease to last very long. I leave both seals out in the front bearing so pressure isn't trapped when they are greased using the fitting.

Please contact me at my email address-- I have something that may interest you off line.
Richard Cameron

Hi Richard. Second pump however was an an even bigger bitch! After much cursing I'd come up with doing exactly what you described & I'll attack it tomorrow. I also intend to continue to grease my bearings & have purchased the shielded as opposed to the sealed versions for that very purpose. See first post above. I'll email you as soon as I get a beer. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

I told you Peter that to take out the front circlip was no walk in the park and that you may need to take a cut lunch with you as it may take a few hours for you to extract it.
Think of the experience you have now gained.
John...Sydney
John Walton

Well John, as an "experienced" water pump circlip remover I strongly recommend drilling the hole Richard described as this, no doubt, will prove to be the quickest & least frustrating way to remove the circlip. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

But it is not original Peter.
John...Sydney
John Walton

It is if you can't see it John. A little bit of bog & whose to know? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Just drill a hole thru the clip itself not the body, then you can just break the clip to get it out. No holes to the outside of the body to plug. A small drill can reach. Some pumps will have one clip. some will have two clips.

Butch
R Taras

Hi Butch. I tried your suggestion but the hardened steel circlip is pretty hostile to drill bits. I went through three with barely an impression made. As indicated above I got back onto the second pump this morning & in about 3 minutes I had drilled the hole & the circlip was out. The hole I drilled is 1/8" & located 1/4" from the rim on the underside of the pump. This was precisely in the centre of the groove. I'm not going to even bother filling it as once the pulley is fitted it's impossible to see. Both pumps were TF's 24433 & had the cast letter W (Whitley?) beside the weep hole, however one shaft had two circlip grooves & a removable ring in lieu of the shoulder. The distance tube, recessed & felt washers & spacers were all the same. Both pumps had a circlip above & below the front bearing, the inner one with tails which made removal simple & both had similar seals. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Just had the three impellers from the TF 24433's glass bead blasted & noted that all three differ slightly as mentioned above. See pics. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

Pic 2

P Hehir

Peter

'W' could be for Whiteley Pumps. They operated out of a small factory in the Pennines between Halifax and Oldham. I actually stopped there once to get a new pump for my TF in the 1970s on my way home. Later taken over Partco and the factory closed down, but it's still there.

David

David Wardell

Yes David I thought so too. I think they may have been called Whitley rather than Whiteley & were reckoned to be an original supplier to Abingdon. They also supplied pump refurbishment kits. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, it's Whiteley according to Malcolm Bull's Calderdale Companion and he knows just about everything about Halifax.
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~calderdalecompanion/w.html#w1588
You may be right about them supplying Abingdon.

David
David Wardell

A bit of browsing turned up this - see attached picture
Michael

M R Calvert

Thanks guys. Whiteley it is. Cheers
Peter TD 5801.
P Hehir

Pics of three original TF pump bodies No's 24433 showing the letter W beside the weep hole, presumably standing for Whiteley. Cheers
Peter TD 5801

P Hehir

Pic 2 of 2

P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2016 and 18/02/2016

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