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MG TD TF 1500 - Clutch Rod Adjustable Ends at Pedal

(Still working to get TF681 on the road after replacing rod bearings. Hooking up the clutch rods today.)

This is a picky question about my clutch rod because I want to preserve the pristine condition of the unused fulcrum pin that I moved from the right side of my LHD TF to the left side while I had the sump off. Any sideways pressure will make it wear faster. Plus, I would like to know why the original clutch rods were constructed as they were.

The original clutch rods on TF681 (14-Oct-1953) and TF7211 (23-Sep-1954) have a threaded end for the clevis pin at the clutch pedal end and can rotate to the correct orientation. The end on the new clutch rod from Abingdon Spares is welded and cannot rotate.

> Will the welded end that can't rotate to the best orientation cause my clutch fulcrum pin on the sump to wear faster than the original adjustable ends?

> If it makes no difference if the ends can rotate, then why were they constructed that way?

The rod at the top of the photos is from TF7211
The rod in the middle is from TF681.
The rod at the bottom of the photos is a new one from Abingdon Spares.

Thanks,

Lonnie
TF681
TF7211





LM Cook

Hi Lonnie,
The pictures in the TF Service parts list have the clevis welded to the pull rod. All TF's I have worked on are like that.
As to wear, any misalignment of the clevis will cause a side pull because of pin clearance.
I have done 250000 miles in mine and am only on my second pivot pin.(OK I cheated and made undersized bushes)
Drive and enjoy.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Top one definitely repro. Same thoughts as Ray. I think you would have to drive it for another 30 years or so to wear the pin 😂. Same engineers who did pedal box and engine stabilizer likely drew this linkage! I’m a big fan of the O’Connor mod and adjustable upper rod. See Declan’s reimagined linkage- that is nice! George
George Butz III

The clutch rod clevis end for TF7211 has a casting mark "BTC" that was facing down in the photos in my original post.

Ray, yep - the clutch rod on Plate H in the TF Service Parts List doesn't have the adjustable clevis. Since both of our TFs have an adjustable end, you can see why I thought that they were original parts.

George, I bought an adjustable clutch linkage rod, a new clutch rod, and a new front lever that I filed to make the O'Connor fix. I didn't drill another hole for the spring.

Interesting: After the O'Conner fix, the hex head of the clutch adjuster nut was trapped in the clevis of the front lever when the rod was at the max rear movement. I made a spacer to move the adjuster nut away from the lever by drilling out the threads of a 1/4-20 nut and rounding the flats to a round shape the same o.d. as the adjuster nut. See the results in photos below. The solid line is the max angle of the lever when the hex head adjuster was trapped by the lever, no spacer. The dashed line is the max angle with the spacer. No photo of the head of the adjuster trapped by the lever.

Lonnie
TF681
TF7211





LM Cook

Lonnie, something you should be concerned with only if you plan on being here in 80 years and are still able to purchase gas.

Regards, Tom
tm peterson

I split the push rod, tapped both ends and fitted stud bar and 2 lock nuts. This allows adjustment to alter the relative angles of the 2 levers,this stops the fouling.
Over the years variations in new clutch parts have changed the way things fit.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

This thread was discussed between 08/02/2024 and 09/02/2024

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