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MG TD TF 1500 - Radiator Support Cross Member mm

Does the cross member that the radiator sits on go below or above the chassis legs? I have fitted mine below and there is a 1/2" gap between the bonnet side and the upper bracket on the radiator.

Many thanks


Jan T
J Targosz

I have mine under.
I believe I searched the archives to arrive at this.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

This sounds like one for Chris Couper. Mine is fitted above but the crank wont engage the crankshaft pulley. While were at it there is also debate about the bolts, heads up or down? Also the orientation of the RCM, holes closer to the front or to the rear? There's about 20mm in it. My car had an overlong bonnet (hood) when I bought the car in 69 & the holes were closer to the rear. I reversed the rail & the bonnet then fitted the way it should. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Jan, the bar goes under the frame rails with the hole to the front.

Mark
Mark Strang

Jan, This is my TF and the rad suport is under the chassis. PJ



Paul S Jennings

Jan is correct, the two rad mounting holes are nearer the rear of the bar than the front. The thin flange is to the front and the deep one to the rear. Or at least that is the way on my TF.
And see you can get a TF engine out, at least you can on a RHD.
Ray TF 2884

Ray Lee

JA Benjamin, New Jersey, USA

Under yes but your bracket is on backwards for a normal car. The small hole needs to be in front like Paul's and Ray's. It looks like someone took a hacksaw to your rear so it would fit the way you have it installed. The two top holes should be toward the rear of the car so the radiator is more reward than forward on a original install.

It looks like you have a extended main pulley for a blower? Do you have an unusual radiator? Your car may have some very special geometry that required the bracket to be installed this way. How does your bonnet fit or have you not had the car together since the bracket was installed this way?

Paul: That chassis is looking very nice.
Chris Couper

Chris,
When I installed the bracket originally, I went with the wiscom of the group and installed it 180 degrees around. It did not fit. The radiator was into the fan.
Only by reversing it so the holes were in the fron could I get things to work. I had several posts and the time. I believe at least one other member had a similar issue.

AFAIK I have a "Normal" TD radiator. Having said that I purchased it on eBay so I have no prior knowledge.

The bracket is one I got from Mort. The PO had hacked in the past to remove material so one could reach the radiator nuts. I repairied it by squaring up the holes and gas weling in replacement metal.

As far as I know the pulley on my engine is original. I purchased the car around 1965 and have had it since.
The car never had a proper MG radiator or bracket, I had a radiator from some German car of the period. Something with a vertical radiator, Perhaps a DKW or Isetta. The mounting did not use this bracket.

Again the issue, which led me to reverse the bracket, was the radiator hitting the fan, not the pulley.

The Bonnet seems to fit OK. It needed to be moved to the right side, so I added another support rubber under the left side to tilt it.
Fore and Aft fit is acceptable.

Jim B.

JA Benjamin

Hi Chris,

You have solved a major headache. I fitted my cross member as in the parts diagram on the Brown and Gamons site but couldn't fathom why my bonnet sides were too short! I do have another query though. The above site shows the rubber bushes which fit under the radiator to have aluminium rings round them. The ones I purchased some time ago are simple rubber rings with one set being bonded to hard plastic washer. My rad sits a little low. Do I have the wrong pieces.


Cheers


Jan T
J Targosz

I agree that the RCM fits under the chassis. This explains why my crank wont engage. Thank you, that problem is now solved. Any thoughts on the bolts? Up or down? I know the obvious answer but have heard that they were reversed here for some reason, possibly access?

My RCM has the 2 radiator mounting holes towards the front of the car like Jims. This is the only way my bonnet will fit! When I bought the car in 1969 it was a going concern. I could never understand why the bonnet (hood) was too long. It seemed that the radiator was too far to the rear. Before I pulled the car apart I wondered if a PO had fitted the RCM backwards or even if that was possible. When I removed the radiator I could clearly see that the holes were not centered on the longitudinal axis of the RCM & immediately realized this offset would explain my "long bonnet" issue. I reversed the RCM & reinstalled it above the chassis, which is how it was fitted before I removed it. I then replaced the bonnet & it finally fitted perfectly! Go figure! There is a TD south of Sydney that has had the bonnet top & sides extended about 20mm to repair the panels that had been cut down by a PO! An extreme solution to a situation that has obviously confused a good many people over the years & still continues to confuse today. I wonder how many other cars have reversed RCM's & cut down bonnet panels?

Jim I removed my crankshaft pulley simply to check it for cracks after reading the note in Horst's book & sure enough it was cracked along the keyway!

Paul. Are you going to paint your shock absorbers green? I may be wrong but at the recent Sydney TF seminar it was stated TD's were black but that TF's were green. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hmmm. Well if it fits then OK. That's the only answer that needs to be accepted. I must say I am baffled but perhaps this is one of those 'adjustable' elements.

Its been so long since I restored other T'series I honestly can't say with certainty it must be one way or another at this point.

Perhaps some others with more recent experience like Tom or Rod can tell us that they have seem them both ways.
Chris Couper

This thread was discussed between 12/04/2014 and 14/04/2014

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