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MG TD TF 1500 - Tappet Cover 52 TD

Can anyone tell me how tight I should tighten the tree bolts on the steel tappet cover? I have 1952 TD and want to tighten them correctly. Do I use a torque wrench or just an open end wrench?
Thanks, Louis
Louis Levin

Do not over tighten as they can crush/distort easily ... The ones I got from moss last were lovely brass ones!
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

"The ones I got from moss last were lovely brass ones!"
Those are the ones for the float bowl covers. Moss has been selling them for use on the tappet chest cover for many years. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

The original items are indeed very fragile and tightening should be in steps from rather loose until the oil stops leaking (OK, there's a little bit of wishfull thinking in this method).

David, I would have thought the thread is different; fine metric for the tappet and Imperial/BSF/UNF(?) for the floatbowl? If the threads are the same I'm very pleased to know because my original items are stretched and I have spare floatbowls! Will try anyway tonight.
Willem vd Veer

My tappet cover nuts are tapered to fit the indentations in the tappet cover...float bowl nuts aren't (to my knowledge).
Gene Gillam

David, the brass nuts I have are drilled and threaded through the end (I guess so they won't bottom out?). I think they are the same as the float chambers- 6x1.0 metric thread. I have some older pot-metal ones that are not drilled through however. I know for a fact the studs are not very strong and will easily twist off! George
George Butz

Gene - the side cover bolts you have are tapered only because they have been over-tightened. NOS bolts have perfectly straight shanks. They should work OK as long as they are not over-tightened too much. I always carry a spare carb bolt just in case I lose either one.

Tom
t lange

...I seem to remember the originals being aluminum(?) or were they pot metal?
gblawson(gordon- TD27667)

Pot metal is right - softer than Mazak.

Tom
t lange

Tom,
I won't argue...
Gene
Gene Gillam

Re-reading my above post I realize that it can be taken two ways...the way I meant it was "Tom, after looking at mine again, you're right...they have been deformed".
Gene Gillam

original pot metal bolt, cleaned a bit. Note how stretched and distorted it is. Also, the head is drilled through. That how my 20+ year old brass ones are. The other is from a very old kit- fiber washers, somewhat crude studs, and these bolts. They look very suspiciously like float chamber nuts- much of the replacement SU hardwear was metal like this- the brass stuff has been more recently introduced. George

George Butz

This thread was discussed between 09/08/2011 and 15/08/2011

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