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MG TD TF 1500 - Oil Level in 51 TD

I think I remember this being discussed some time ago either here or on the MG exp. forum, but here is my question.

I changed the oil in my TD a while back, and put not quite 5 1/2 US quarts in the sump, as it is supposed to hold. The oil level on the dipstick showed just above the last L in full, or about 3/4" above the full line. I had just put a screw on filter adapter, and filled the filter with oil. I started the engine, and after it drained down the oil was at the same place on the dipstick. I have been discussing this with Rod Jones from Maine, who has a 53 TD. We compared dipsticks and oil tube lengths, and they are the same, yet his TD level comes to the full mark. My DS. tube length is 4 5/16", and DS is 12" long. Any thoughts as to what is going on?
The second part of my question is. What is the difference in the early TD that is supposed to hold 10.8 US pints, and the later TD that holds 12.6 US pints. The Abingdon web site shows the dipstick, the dipstick tube, and the sump the same on both models. Any ideas on this?


I Posted this on the MG Exp. forum, but no answer.

Gary
G Parker

Here is a picture of the dipstick

G Parker

My guess is the sump may hold different capacities. The earlier sump was finned & the later wasn't. Certainly the Wolseley 4/44 sump had no fins & this is often fitted after the original had been damaged. Do yours & Rod's appear to be the same? I followed the earlier thread on this but I don't think there was ever a consensus reached. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

"The earlier sump was finned & the later wasn't."

Just the opposite, it is the later sumps that have the fins. I believe that there were about three different sumps with different capacities (for sure the there is a difference in capacity between the finned and non finned pumps).
Cheers,
DW DuBois

That would make more sense Dave.

I have a later TD and it has a finned sump.
The earlier sump [no fins] must have held less oil.

From Dave Braun's numbers - This is how it comes out.
In UK Qtrs./pints/Oz. and US Qtrs./pints/Oz

In US numbers the later Sump holds almost 2 pints (1.813) more than the early TD. [No 14948 onwards.]

If Gary has an earlier Sump and is using the smaller numbers 5.4 Qtrs. He should be spot on.

Either way with the Dipstick measurements all the same on both engines, I would not run the engine overfilled with oil but rely on the actual dipstick and keep it near the full mark.

I wrote this out really to help me. As being form England I still work in imperial numbers and it is helpful to know just what I am supposed to put in over here.

So far I have been buying Oil by the case and just filling to the dipstick. Change the Oil every 12 months regardless. Seem to have worked so far :)

Rod

R. D. Jones

My sump has no fins & I was sure it was not an original but a later version. More than happy to learn that the early sumps didn't have any fins. Thanks Dave. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Recently there was a drawing showing the profiles of early and late TD sumps. It showed that the bottom of the late sump extends forward as compared with the early (non-finned) sump. I think this correlates with the different oil pickup components. Bud
Bud Krueger

After seeing Bud's comments on the sumps, I do remember seeing that before. I looked back at Abingdons web site, and realized that they do show different sumps. My mistake.

This does explain the different capacities, but still can't figure out why my TD shows over full with the correct amount of oil. Maybe someone left a brick in the sump to save oil. I have heard of doing that with a toilet reservoir to save water.

Gary
G Parker

Gary, you might want to do a bit of archiving. We had a similar thread awhile back where a number of members went so far as to measure the length of the tubes that their dipsticks were in, etc. Bud
Bud Krueger

This thread was discussed on 20/07/2015

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