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MG TD TF 1500 - TF Gearbox to early TD Engine

I have almost completed restoration of a 1954 TF which has an early TD engine with TD (7-1/4") clutch. It is coupled to the original TF transmission with a 3/4" clutch shaft. In a short test drive it worked most of the time but at times I get a noise from the clutch area and the clutch does not fully disengage so gears cannot be selected without grinding.
Is this caused my my mis-matched transmission and engine? Is the solution to source an early bell-housing but retain the TF gearbox?
I purchased the car disassembled but was assured that it used to run just fine with this engine and transmission combination.
Thanks for any advice.
A G Gillies

Hi, please send me an email message if you decide to change the bellhousing. I have an early one for $100 Cdn.
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

Hugh,
I would like to follow up with you but I don't know how to send you an email.
Thanks
A G Gillies

Hi, you haven’t had many replies so I will demonstrate my minimal knowledge of the situation!
Is your clutch operating setup in optimum condition with the sump lever rotating about a vertical line? Do you know about the O’Connor modification? I seem to remember that it was sometimes necessary to do a little fettling to the inside of the bellhousing when fitting an 8” clutch plate. I have an 8” plate with a 5/8 shaft (apparently unusual on a TF) and the operation was greatly improved when the setup was tweaked according to the manual.
Chris
C I Twidle

Chris,
I have the opposite to you, an early engine with the 7-1/2" clutch and a TF bell housing and gearbox. The Workshop Manual in Section E.9 states that neither the engine unit nor the gearbox unit separately is interchangeable with previous engines because the clutch thrust race is in a different position relative to the engine bell housing, and the clutch shaft and thrust face position is also different in the gearbox bell housing.
Therefore I am unsure if the fix is as simple as using the TF gearbox, the early TD (5/8' diam. clutch fork shaft) bell housing, and coupling to the early TD engine with the small clutch plate. Will they all bolt together and give me a working solution?
Thanks,
Tony
A G Gillies

Hi, here is my email address: jenntoo@shaw.ca
H.D. Pite

This thread was discussed between 03/08/2020 and 04/08/2020

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