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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 - 1953 MG TD Engine Rebuild

Please help!! I have a 1953 MG TD Roadster that we purchased this past winter. When we got it, the engine and running gear was totally dimantled and in boxes and crates. It came with many new parts the the lady bought to rebuild the engine. In sorting out the puzzle, we have discovered that the engine block is stamped 1600 and the new parts are for a MGA. Our problem now is that the main caps are missing. We are being told that they are block specific. What I need to know is that if I purchase main caps and bearings from Abingdon Spares, will they work? Please any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Specially since we have already had work done on the head, bored, sleeves etc...
REM McFadden

Forget Abingdon..If the car has been transplanted with an MGA engine then you need to go to other suppliers....Moss etc. pictures help big time.
MG LaVerne

This engine will be very hard to fit in to a TD. I'd suggest trying to find an XPAG engine, or, um, well, if you just want to drive it and don't want to show it, maybe a Volvo engine and transmission.
-David.
D. Sander

Time to rethink this project. Engine will not fit vehicle - critical parts of engine missing. Caps are block specific. Replacement caps can be fitted,however block housing bore must be remachined for proper fit. And then the engine will not easily transplant to this vehicle. I wonder what transmission was supplied with the car - MGA or MGTD? We can help identify parts and pieces with some decent pics. Dan
Dan Craig

This is the engine that came out of the car after she drove it up here to Alaska, then wanted to rebuild it. It has sat up on blocks,in the garage, torn apart for 15 years. Then she passed away and the estate sold it "as is". So now we are trying to put the jigsaw puzzle back together. When we went thru everything, there is a ton of new parts (in the packaging)that had been purchased for this, including new cam, sleeves, pistons, gaskets, etc.. . The block is at the machinist shop, and the (crabby old man)is now telling us that we need the main caps. He said they are block specific, but they are missing, so now trying to fiqure this out. Can we get new main caps and have them line bored , will they work? (Since I know nothing about engines, I'm just repeating what I'm supossed to find out! Any help would be appreciated.
REM McFadden

Can you send a picture of the engine, or a part number for the bearings or pistons, so we can tell if you have an MGA engine (seems strange...) or an XPAG? That's the first order of priority.

Second, yes, the caps are indeed block specific, for ANY engine. If you have no caps you will have to buy a used set, and have the engine line-bored (sometimes called aligh-bored - I never know which is right). I don't have a Moss catalog, but can only imagine how much they would cost new!

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

The block is at the machinist shop, but I do have the numbers that are stamped on it. 1600 is stamped on the side, 27K9B is cast into it, and 121 78 59 are stamped on the end. Some of the parts that were orderd for it are: Head gasket set #DCD950, Gasket set #CSL541(C/SET BL 1.5 B SERIES)(#296-430), Cam bearing set#425-000 for BL Cars, Main End A 1485/1588 #425-150, Rod Bearing Set 010 #425-800, Piston set#420-518. Everything seems to be for a MGA1600. So where do I go from here?
REM McFadden

What part of the state are you in?
Dan Craig

I'm located Interior Alaska. but, to be honest, I would like to try to get this figured out, because if I don't, my husband is taking all this , because he has a 1957 MGA that all this will work for, and I'm being stubborn!! (then he would get his car done before I get mine!) For us the engine and stuff is the main cost, since he does custom body and paint for a living. I really don't want to give this all to him, but that might be our best bet, so far. Then I will have to look for something for mine, even tho we know this came out of the TD.
REM McFadden

The MGA blocks either had 1500, 1600 or 1622 cast in to the side of the block depending on if they were in a 1500, 1600 or a 1600 MK II.
It sounds like it is an MGA 1600 block.
-David
D. Sander

Hi, since it sounds like you have an MGA 1600 engine in the TD I think you would have more luck with information about the main bearing caps if you went to the BBS list for MGA's. I have some main bearing caps from a 1500 and a 1622 engine but do not know if they are the same as the 1600 main caps.
Cheers, Hugh
H.D. Pite

REM - please contact me off-line.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

t lange - Sent response offline
REM McFadden

I have a MGA 1600 engine and transmission in my TD, it was that way when I got it. They had modified the transmission mount, the exhaust is on the wrong side and the carbs have a clearance problem. Otherwise it has a bit more pep and I am not worried about breaking an expag block like I worry about breaking the expeg in my TF 1500. It is a good combination as far as I am concerned and it is still all MG. The 1600 is a good engine that should last a long time.
You should be able to source everything you need.
Tell your husband to get a proper 1500 cc engine for his 57 A. That way he has a correct car and you will be faster! Do not tell him about the faster part.
All the best
Don
D Hanna

Everything that I have is for this TD. It was all in it when she drove it up here, she just wanted to fix a few things and then ended up taking it completely apart to rebuild since she was already fixing stuff on it. Then never finished. Once I figure the main cap problem out, I think it will be fairly easy. Thanks for all the responses.
REM McFadden

This thread was discussed between 03/04/2014 and 04/04/2014

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