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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 - TD MKII/TF carb rebuild kits

I thought the TD Mark II and the TF had the same carburetor. According to Moss, their a little different. Since the shafts are tight in my carbs, I'm going to buy a rebuild kit for each one. Moss says the TF is different than the TD MKII. Any input on this?
Also, are the float bowl tops Moss is selling different than the originals? PJ
P Jennings

TF carbs have a different body than Mark II carbs - the latter are unique to that car. But all the internals except for needles should be the same.

Funny - I generally need to rebuild carbs because the shafts are loose, not tight!

I wouldn't jump to get new carb parts like float bowl covers; there are plenty of used ones out there since they are pretty much all the same for 1-1/4" and 1-1/2" carbs. Which do you need, front or back? With or without tickler? New parts will look out of place, and will be slightly different (no tickler, I believe).

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

Tom, I have to look at these carbs real close, as the bowl tops are different. the front looks original but the tickler hole was never drilled out and the rear bowl top is an after market replacement with no tickler. I'm still considering sending them out, rather than fooling with them my self. PJ
P Jennings

PJ,

According to what I have read in the manuals and an original Shell lubrication guide, the shafts and linkage should be lightly lubricated every 1,000mi. Perhaps your sticking is caused by lack of lubrication.

Also you can consult with Joe Curto:http://joecurto.com

Tech info at:
http://www.tr-register.com.au/files/sugeneral.html

Regards,
Jim

James Neel TD28423

James, Thanks for that great illustration of SU carbs! I have the TF shop manual, but this article is nice as I can put it in my shop laptop. Figuring it will cost around $800 or more to rebuild these, more because some parts on these carbs are wrong. For aprox. $600 more I can get a complete new set from Moss. Decisions, decisions. PJ
P. Jennings

My personal opinion is that the new carbs are not as well made as the originals, and, more importantly, the materials seems softer. I suspect they will not pass the test of time. Joe Curto should have an opinion, and I would pay attention to what he says.

I would always rebuild originals, given the choice. There is almost nothing about a carb that cannot be fixed, from warped flanges to throttle shafts.

Tom Lange
Bar Harbor, Maine
t lange

Hi PJ,
I agree with Tom, go to Joe Curto. He'll talk with you on the fone, and has the proper parts to supply to you, or will do the job for you. I'm just a satisfied customer.
I'm surprised that you have tight shafts, usually the body is worn and they're loose. Maybe they're bent?
Al
A W Parker

I think I mistakenly started out the "tight shaft" issue, when I mis-read the original post. I believe PJ meant that the shafts were just fine (as in tight - not loose), and so he was just going to rebuild what was there. Sorry for introducing a red herring.

Tom Lange
t lange

Hi PJ

I just bought rebuilding kits for my MKII carbs from the SU Company in the UK. They include gaskets, washers, jet, spindle, shaft, butterfly and a few other things. The price was around £69 in total for both kits including postage from the UK to Denmark. Delivery in 4 days. The kits look really nice and come with illustrations and mounting instructions. Furhtermore there is a lot of good information found on their web:
http://www.sucarb.co.uk/Technical.aspx
Rgds
Torben
Torben Olesen

PJ,


Have you bought the rebuild kits from Moss yet? If not please e-mail me a bscr@bscr.com.


Thanks,


Ken

KL Ken

The shaft always wears and from Burlen Services in the UK (who own the SU business) you can get an excellent rebuild kit. The kit includes sleeves to fit in the housing for the throttle shats. These holes need careful boring/reaming and I have always got a friend with a large lathe to bore them out. Doing it by hand can result in misalignment and the possible need for new bodies.
When fitting the bushes ensure that they are flush to the insides of the choke otherwise you will not be bale to control the tickover - air will get around the shaft and weaken the misture.
It is not only cheaper but more satisfying to rebuild your own carbs.
Burlen publish very useful manuals on SUs.
Our TD and TF have the same carbs.
R J Marshall

Thanks to everyone for your time and interest. I've decided to send them out for a rebuild by a professional shop. PJ
P. Jennings

This thread was discussed between 02/01/2012 and 10/01/2012

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