Questions

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Questions

Overheating
Michel Fritsch of Nancy, France owns TF #4892. He reports that after replacing piston rings the engine overheats "not in traffic jams only on road if speed is over 100 km.hr." He has checked radiator, water pump, timing. If you have an idea as to his overheating problem, please contact Michel at mfritsch@free.fr

Within the past three years two TFs listed in the TF Record have been sold. The sellers sold their cars to dealers who did not inform them who the new owners were. So, not wanting to loose track of TFs I once knew, I'll pose the question: Do you know the whereabouts of TF HDB46/3601 which was red when sold and TF HDA46/4090 which was black when sold.

Thanks for your help, Art

Engine-in-laws

Greg Haas of Greensboro NC asks the following question: "I was hoping you might know approximately when my engine was built. I have a 1952 MG TD #10501 with a TF engine. It is XPAG/TF 35186. I purchased the car in 1970. The engine had been switched by the previous owner."

After Mike Walsh helped him out he wrote: "I think all MG "T" sites should have a special section called 'Have you seen my ENGINE?' It would be a place where you could list the engine # that should be in your car and if someone had it they could let you know how it was doing and what part of the country it wound up in. Everyone could keep in touch. They would be your Engine-in-laws."

License Plate Holder

Q. My MG TD came to me with a license plate holder that works great. It is designed with a bracket that bolts to the holes in the bumper that are apparently made for the long English plates. A second piece of metal the size of a U.S. plate is connected to the bracket with a long piano hinge. My Wisconsin plate bolts to this. I would like to get one of these for my TF, but have not seen one anywhere, even in the Moss catalog. Does anyone know a source?

John Gunnell

Refresh Paint

I know it is best to take a MG T-series car completely apart to paint it properly. I have a BRG 54 TF (that I am going to register and send pictures) that needs a refresh on the paint (on the exterior of the car only). I am not going to change the color. What is the minimum I am going to have to tear it down to get a presentable result? What have others done?..........Jim mccror_j@bellsouth.net

TF Shocks

My TF had a very hard "lumber wagon" ride in the rear. To determine whether the problems is shocks or springs, I was told to loosen the shock at the frame. I have done this. Being an MG novice, I still have no idea whether the shock is good or bad. I am more worried about the shock being "frozen" than about it moving too much. I can move the lever, but I'm not sure if it is really rotating or whether I'm simply causing a "springing" action by putting pressure on it

Also, I want to remove the shock. How the heck do you get the bottom bolt off? You can hardly get a wrench on it and when you do, there is not much room in which to turn the wrench. No leverage at all. I have the car on a 4-post lift with the tire on and the upper end of the shock unbolted.The TF shocks are different than those shown in the shop manual. They do not attach to the axle, but near the leaf spring instead. Do you have to take the spring off to get the shock off? That doesn't make sense.

John Gunnell

gunnellj@athenet.net

Headlights

Hope you're doing well. I have a quick question. What type of headlights did they use originally on the '55 TF1500? I noticed the literature looks like plain type glass. Could or couldn't be sealed beams from the pictures, but I see all these Lucas PL's for sale with the marking in the middle. Just curious. I had one go out and found a couple of the old style, they're selling Halogens now.

Brad Austin

Mike Walsh answers:

The as delivered head lamp units were Lucas 700 units with either right or left hand drive etched into the upper lense. At the time our cars were build the light units did not have the Lucas logo in the middle of the lense but later made units do. These units had a separate bulb and these Lucas units were replaced by the US dealers with sealed beams before sale.

5-Speed Box

TODAY I PURCHASED A 2ND HAND (EX TF) 5 SPEED BOX ARRANGEMENT USING A FORD 5 SPEED BOX. I WANT TO FIT THE CONVERSION WITH CARRYING OUT ANY PERMINANT MODS - SO THAT I CAN REVERT TO ORIGINAL IF I EVER SELL THE CAR. HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS CARRIED OUT THIS MOD, CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE OR SUPPLY ME WITH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS? I AM TOLD IT WILL FIT WITHOUIT MOVING THE ENGINE IF I REMOVE A STIFFENING WEB FROM THE BACK OF THE NEW BOX BUT NEED TO MAKE-UP A NEW BACK SUPPORT.

IF ANYONE CAN POINT ME TOWARDS OR SUPPLY ME WITH A GOOD ARTICLE CONCERNING THIS MOD I'D BE VERY GRATEFUL PLEASE.

BEST REGARDS & HAPPY MOTORING

TREVOR BOWLER filterall@btconnect.com

What year is my car?
I bought a TF listed as a 1955 but I am 99% certain the car is a 1954. The individual I purchased the car from was not familiar with the numbering system used in the vehicles. Some prior owner had registered the car using the engine number and this number has been used ever since. Unfortunately, that particular number (engine) would label the car as a 1955 model. At any rate, the engine is not the original and thus it means nothing.
The chassis number is TF1642. My research indicated the car was made in December 1953 and it was probably sold (I am guessing on this) as a 1954 model in this country. I can live with this, but I do have one reservation - using the chassis number the car was supposed to be originally a light gray color. The car is currently red. I have gone all over the car and can't find any indication of the car being anything other than red. I am probably missing something but I would think that somewhere on the underside of car there would be some indication of a gray color. I don't know what the factory painted on the inside of the doors but when I removed the old interior I again found no indication of a gray color.
The only numbers I have on the vehicle are the chassis number and the engine number. Since the ID plate is missing from the tool box area I have no other info re the VIN number.
I would appreciate thoughts on this. My gut feeling is that whether or not I found any indication of the car being another color it still ends up being built in Dec 53.
Thanks, Larry Kanaster@aol.com

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