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MG TD TF 1500 - Bell housing bolt threads and size.

Was asked this and forgot the sizes seeing how mine have been done for a while. Bolt size and thread for ataching bell housing to engine. PJ
Paul S Jennings

See http://www.ttalk.info/engine_fasteners.htm and check Dave DuBois' great list. You'll find that they are 8x1mm 1 inch long.
8 - 1mm 1 1/4W BELL HOUSING TO ENGINE 10 JA5052 3-58 321-048
Bud
Bud Krueger

Do check the condition of these carefully; they are among the threaded holes most likely to be buggered, along with the timing cover and sump holes. I'm rebuilding an engine right now that needed almost ALL of them repaired!

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

I have just bought a bell housing which I am "cutting and shutting" to take a 5 speed gearbox. When I set it up on the milling machine to establish a centre for the input shaft I noted the dowel pin holes were larger than the ones on the original TF gearbox. The various holes and counter bores on the housing to gearbox face are also different. I am not bothered about this since this section of the housing will be cut off prior to TIG welding in a new piece. Is it possible I have a TC rather than TD/TF bellhousing?


Jan T
J Targosz

"Do check the condition of these carefully; they are among the threaded holes most likely to be buggered..."

NAPA carries (or can get) helicoil kits for the 8 X 1mm size. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Lawson carries a product called Keen-Serts which are available in 8mmX1. They are a hardened steel insert that simply screws into a standard threaded hole (which you make). I have used them on all the threaded aluminum holes on the sump and suffer no further problems. They perform the same function as a helicoil but are dead simple to set and are rock solid.
Lew Palmer

I tried NAPA today and they said that they couldn't get them. In fact, their website didn't even show them available in that size. I orderd a kit from MSC instead. Their price for a variety of lengths and all of the tools was only $84 including one day freight. They are the Helicoil brand. Mark
Mark Strang

Jan,
TC bell-housings have the same bolts and dowels as TD/TF. They do have a smaller clutch shaft than late TD's and all TF's. The spigot for thhe first motion shaft bearing is also larger in diameter.
Max Irvine

Lew - Have a website for Lawson? Thanks.

Jim Elliott
JC Elliott

I've had perfect success with Rock Solid inserts from Chr1slynn, available in 8x1 size. I have NEVER had one of them move even the slightest, or come out. Strongly recommended; I like them better than Helicoil or Timeserts!

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

I put 8X1 Helicoils in my striped out threads, a no brainer. Not saying there isn't something better, depending on certain conditions, but I've used Helicoil for years with no problems. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I'm pretty sure this subject is like oil, or bearings - everyone has their favorites, and dislikes - real or imagined. I've had regular thread inserts unscrew with the bolt after some time, which is why I use the locking type called Rock Solid.

Chacqu'un a son gout, as the French say, or whatever works for you.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

McMaster Carr has all the helicoils you need.

One thing to be cautious of is to drill the hole perfectly straight. I once disassembled an engine with a strangely cocked bolt. It turned out that a helicoil repair had been done but the drill must have been cocked. The tap dutifully followed and the result was that the bolt ended up cocked. When assembled the bolt wouldn't fit but the hack was undeterred and simply drilled the hole in the attaching piece larger.

With a little care you can drill straight but it's possible to screw it up. Just the other day I was putting an insert in one of my Norton's Z plates and did it on a drill press since it was flat and removable.

I stick with helicoils simply because it's what I know. Airplanes are full of them - many installed from new in aluminum castings especially those which are subject to frequent use such as an oil filter housing or spark plug hole. They're actually stronger than threads cut in the base material without them.
JE Carroll

Just refitted my gearbox today & noted that the holes did not line up perfectly with the tapped holes in the engine housing, presumably because the gearbox & the engine never left the factory as a mated pair. I ran an 8mm x 1 tap through the threads & cleaned out a lot of metal where the misaligned bolts @ 4, 5, 6, 7,& 8 o'clock had damaged the threads. (Not me, PO!) Oddly enough the alignment in the top half was perfect, (probably because of the locating studs). I also then found it necessary to enlarge those bolt holes in the gearbox flange. (Close examination showed that the bolts had attempted to cut a thread into the misaligned holes opposite those listed above). I cleaned the bolts with a 8mm x 1 die & then blackened them, (because I'm anal.) Test fitting the bolts without the box showed the threads were screwing in nicely. As they were bolts from different manufacturers (all 8mm x 1) I also checked that the longer versions (about 30mm overall) were clear of the flywheel. Offered up the box & was able to firmly secure it, without resorting to helicoils or the like. As Ed says, "Job done"! Cheers.
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Peter, It is strange that the holes didn't line up. The manufacturing tolerances should ensure interchangeability between any engine and gearbox. Was it the threads in the sump that did not align?

What do you mean by enlarging the bolts, did you increase the diameter? If so, helicoils may have been a better solution.

What did you use to blacken the bolts? I am considering the purchase of a black phosphating kit to allow me to do bolts and some larger parts because I am a nutcase as well.
Max Irvine

Hi Max. The sump is threaded as you know & the lower holes, identified in my post above, in the gearbox flange did not align with them. I just enlarged the holes in the geaarbox flange (which are not threaded.) Didn't alter the bolts, just cleaned & blackened them using a kit by a company called Jane Kits or similiar from up Newcastle way. A four part process. Two cleaning appliations, a blackening process similiar to gun metal blueing & an oil to seal the blackening. I'll email you the details off line. Cheers.
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed between 05/03/2014 and 16/03/2014

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