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MG TD TF 1500 - Choke improvements

I've been working on the choke (as it gets cooler here I actually need it to start Lily Christine IV in the mornings). As people have written in other old threads, the choke cable is very stiff and requires considerable force to use. Here's my solution: I took the cable out and pulled the knob out until the metal rod was no longer in the housing. That told me that about 90 percent of the friction is caused by the rod in the housing, not by the cable; once out of the housing, the cable moved easily.
So I took some fine sandpaper and sanded the rod carefully, first 320 grit then 800 grit then #000 steel wool. After each set, I would put the cable back in the housing. After a few gos, it because easier to operate. I wanted to make sure I didn't get it so loose that it would not hold its position out, so I would check it in the car. It took me most of the morning to get it right, but the choke now opens up MUCH more easily, and still holds position when pulled out.

So that's fixed, more or less.
The other thing I've always hated is the way the choke cable is locked to the carburetor assembly, with one nut. You have to either grab the cable in a vice grips to hold it while you tighten up the nut, or it will spin round and round - either is a guarantee of a short life for your cable.
So I made myself a new widget.
What I did was to make an item that was roughly identical with the existing MG fitting, except that it had about 1/4 inch more threading, PAST the hole the cable wire passes through. Then I just threaded a nut past the hole, slid the cable through, and then added a washer and a final nut. Now I can use two wrenches and tighten the nuts down on the cable with ease, and without excessive damage to the cable or the assembly.

In the top part of the picture you can see my new widget with the original one below it. In the lower part, you can see how the nuts thread on either side of the cable hole.

Geoffrey M Baker

Great idea, Geoff. Looks a lot more elegant to fasten this way.
On my choke, I had the feeling it is the Carbs that generate the friction, but this is a good reminder to actually have a look at it and check...

Rgds, Mike
Mike Fritsch

Geoff: Nice design and execution for that frustrating connection!
But re the cable, I thought it was supposed to slip smoothly and that the choke is supposed to be held pulled out by a detent at the knob fitting. Mine --which I think is original to Dec 1951 manufacture -- is too worn to stay pulled out by itself: I have to keep one hand on it while the other pulls the starter. When I ordered a new choke cable w. knob from LBC, which has a working detent, it didn't match the original (nor therefore the starter pull). I sent that back and ordered "original style" from Abingdon. That turned out to be the same clumsy copy (but cost more!). It's in my box of spares now & I'm wondering if it's possible to fix the worn detent. Or maybe I should wait for rust ??? Does anyone have any thoughts on fixes for a choke which has to be held open? How does the detent work? Can it be repaired?
Peter Pope

Geoff: Nice design and execution for that frustrating connection!
But re the cable, I thought it was supposed to slip smoothly and that the choke is supposed to be held pulled out by a detent at the knob fitting. Mine --which I think is original to Dec 1951 manufacture -- is too worn to work. When I ordered a new choke able w. knob from LBC, which has a working detent, it didn't match the original (nor therefore the starter pull). I sent that back and ordered "original style" from Abingdon. That turned out to be the same clumsy copy (but cost more!). It's in my box of spares now & I'm wondering if it's possible to fix the worn detent. Or maybe I should wait for rust ??? Does anyone have any thoughts on fixes for a choke which has to be held open? How does the detent work? Can it be repaired?
Peter Pope

Peter;
I did repair mine.
I did several things.
I put in a new cable. and I fixed the detent.
As I remember, and this was some time ago, October 14 2013, there is a brass insert with a spring. The insert locks into the saw tooth side of the chock pull rod.
There is a spring that wraps around the outer shell and pushed it into the teeth.
I made a new insert and it now works fine.

Attached is a pix of the insert.
JA Benjamin

I clicked too quickly
Its made out of 0.040" thick brass.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

I had three issues with mine.

1) The inner flexible cable was frayed.
2) The outer corrugated shield was not being held in the outer sleeve (with the threads).
3) The detent did not work.

In the composite picture, upper left, I have removed the corrugated shield and I an cleaning the ID with a small wire brush on a Dremmel.
Lower left. I have tinned the corrugated shield and then soldered it into the threaded sleeve.

Upper right, Frayed inner cable.
that was removed with a small torch. A replacement cable was pre-tinned inserted and soldered (Bottom Right)

Fortunately the spring for the detent was there.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

Jim - That looks like a choke cable assembly for a MGB - I don't see the birds mouth cutouts on the rod at the knob. That type of cable assembly works as well as the original T series birds mouth, but wears faster.

Peter - "It's in my box of spares now & I'm wondering if it's possible to fix the worn detent." E-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi@net and I'll send you a write up I did more than 20 years ago when I did the choke cable assembly on our TD, which is still working perfectly. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Peter Pope,
Use a clothes peg!-it has to be a wooden peg not plastic or you will get points deducted!
The peg is stored on the rear view mirror when not in use. This is an old recommendation from the Morris Minor Club.
Regards
Declan

D Burns

Dave & Declan... Thanks for two good ideas. I'll try both (one after the other).
Peter Pope


Peter,

One thing that I did not see mentioned is that when you pull the choke out it ratchets on the small Pawl and is held out in the position selected. To return the choke to the off position, turn the knob through 30 to 90 degrees to allow the none ratchet part of the shaft to raise the pawl and the shaft will push in easily. This also helps prevent wear on the teeth and pawl.

Rod.
Rod Jones

If the new choke cable is anything like the new MGB choke cables then the clothes pin is the only resort. They substituted a nylon key for the metal and they won't hold the cable open.
MG LaVerne

Just to clarify: the choke I want to fix is (I think) the original (or an early replacement?), matching the starter pull, worn but working as a choke and in the car. I didn't install the recent replacement part because the visible hardware was so obviously not period correct. I kept that replacement because I figured I might need to cannibalize components. So... clothes pin in the short term (next spring, the salt went on the roads here in mid November.) Meanwhile choke detent goes on the list of projects... Thanks for the help! (And thanks to Geoff for the thread...)
-- Peter
Peter Pope

This thread was discussed between 29/11/2014 and 02/12/2014

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