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MG TD TF 1500 - Transmission paint

I am in agreement with others that the TD transmission was originally painted inside and out with Glyptol. I have seen a number of original transmissions and while they are a red color, it is not engine red.

I have an original transmission that has not been painted since it left the factory. Today, I got in a quart of Glyptol and painted it next to some of the original color on this transmission (after I cleaned the grease off).

I believe the colors match pretty well. Given the transmission is 70+ years old, I expect the paint has faded a bit.

Next week, I will paint the transmission for the restoration and take pictures.





Bruce Cunha

Possible Bruce but here are two gear boxes. One a 52 and the other from 54. I'm more inclined to believe they they got some paint and I'm also of the opinion that the maroonish engine paints we are sold today as being the correct color are not myself.




L E D LaVerne

Bruce,

Glyptal was discussed in a thread started by Jim Merz in Jan 2006 titled: Transmission Interior Paint. The inside of the gearbox was painted with Glyptal before milling. See bare spots where milled in the photo by Keith Meyer.

Glyptal is very close to MG engine color. If the outside was painted with Glyptal before milling, then it would have probably needed to be repainted after milling and assembly.

The British Pathe film "Magic in Metal 1969" may answer the question. It looks like the inside of the engine (and gearbox) were fully painted with Glyptal before milling. Don't know if the outside was fully painted with Glyptal or just overspray from painting the inside. The outside was painted engine color after the engine was assembled. Although the film was made after our XPAG / XPEG engines were built, the process was probably the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIz3bKpxc2c

4:49 Shows a completed block red inside and Morris engine gray outside.

20:09 Block red inside and outside. The outside is being painted with gray "Protective Paint" before milling.

20:23 Milling. Red inside. Gray outside.

21:01 Milled block. Red inside. Gray outside with red showing through in some places.

21:11 & 21:29 Closeup of inside. Red with bare metal where milled.

23:51 Head is red outside.

24:23 Gray overspray seen during testing

24:36 Looks to have been painted the final gray color outside.

24:40 Completed engines. The head is painted gray. Entire engine gray, red fan.

Lonnie
TF7211


LM Cook

Great information. I am unsure in transmission/engine use. But in electric motors, they are typically dipped in a Glyptal bath to coat everything. I could see the same use for blocks and transmissions.

I am assuming the engine was assembled in one area and then married to the transmission which came from another area/manufacturing plant.

No doubt, the engine was assembled and then painted. Factory pictures indicate even the oil filter was on when the engine was painted. If they married the transmission after painting the motor would be the question.

I believe even the generator was put on prior to painting. A sleeve was put over the generator during painting. This would explain the red fan pulley on at least the early TDs.

I have good documentation of a lighter color on the generator pulley that matches the engine color. I also have a photo of what appears to be over spray on the black generator paint.

This is Bills barn find that has been garaged since 1960/61. The gear box is the darker red that matches the original transmission I have.

I think they dipped the transmission case in Glyptal and the red was close enough that they did not bother painting it again. But that is just my speculating.


Bruce Cunha

Dipping the engine and gearbox makes more sense than spraying or brushing. Faster and full coverage in hidden passageways.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

For those that have not seen this shot. Here is a still I captured from Safety Fast. The generator pullet is clearly not black.

This appears to have changed when they went to the pressed fan as all these look black.

Here is the other factory picture with what looks like overspray on the generator. I could easily see this type of overspray if there was a tube over the generator and you were spraying from the front back.




Bruce Cunha

The purpose for the application of glyptol was to prevent sand cast material from dislodging from the castings. This loose material would then destroy bearings and internal moving parts in short order. I’ m reasonably certain that the castings were dipped prior to machining as this allow coverage of all the nooks and crannies that wouldn’t necessarily be covered with a spray gun. All of my original unestored transmissions were externally Glyptol coated. The color is not a match for the original engine color

Not to get off track but I also must agree with LaVerne regarding the XPAG red engine paint. I know there have been threads on the paint subject many times but my original barn find cars engines all have been a lighter red. Even factoring environmental factors and age. No amount of fading would take a deep dark red /maroon and turn it into a bright red. I was going to revisit the engine red topic again., but I’ve suddenly had to deal with life issues.
I don’t believe the maroon paints like that of Hirsch and Moss sell are or ever were correct. I have never seen an unaltered car with dark red engine paint.



W A Chasser

This thread was discussed between 03/11/2021 and 04/11/2021

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