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MG TD TF 1500 - Rockers hitting aluminum valve cover

I vaguely remember seeing something about this problem on the board, but I couldn't find it in a search of the archives ...

How can I reduce the valve-like noise in my neighbor's '55 TF-1500?

His engine sounds like the tappets are loose - pretty noisy. I believe that the rockers or adjuser nuts are hitting his finned cast aluminum valve cover. There are eight half-moon indentions on the driver's side (LHD) where the rockers or adjuster nuts seem to have hit it. They get progressively deeper toward the back (#8).

Before I noticed the marks inside the valve cover, I checked and adjusted the tappets to 0.012". Did not change the noise. They were all very close to specs before I adjusted them.

I tried to scoot the valve cover away from the adjusters as I tightened it, but no success.

I held the tip of a long screwdriver to the valve cover and the handle to my ear, but I didn't hear a loud tapping noise that I expected (??)

I don't have the nerve to grind a relief in the cover by each rocker. Doubt that he does either.

Oh ... and yes, there are two '55 TF-1500s on my block. Pretty cool!

Thanks for your help,

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

Lonnie - I had the same situation with an aluminum rocker cover on a TD, except it was on the other side. The valve spring keeper was scraping on the side of the cover, producing a scritch, scritch sound. I was able to move the cover over sufficiently to stop the scraping. If that can't be done, the only recourse is to grind a relief in the side of the cover. Cheers - Dave
D W DuBois

Thanks Dave.

The old indented gasket under his valve cover probably prevented it from shifting away from the rockers. I'll see if he wants to install a new gasket and try to reposition it again.

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

The coffin covers seem to have that issue. You can only grind a small amount out of the inside before risking a nasty hole through the side. You can also oval out the holes in the top so you can shove it over farther.
JRN JIM

Although the aluminum rocker covers look great, I had the same problem. I found a original steel cover and put that on. Works , and quieter. I ground away clearance in the aluminum cover , elongated the holes and ground deeper arcs to clear the head nuts. Original cover is still better.
C.R. Tyrell

How about buying a thicker cork/neoprene gasket material and cutting a new one. If the old gasket is indented sounds like it is tired and may have been over torqued over time thus loosing the necessary clearance between the rockers and cover.
W. A. Chasser Jr

Some ally covers need to be relieved where they butt up to the cyl head nuts.This allows it to move over and clear the spring caps.The half moon shape suggests spring caps and not adjuster side, are you sure it is the adjuster side as there is normally plenty of clearance there.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

I had this problem with coffin type on my TF when purchased. Made a new thicker gasket and tick went away, but it was near impossible to get the oil filler cap off with the bonnet on!
Sold it on flea-bay.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Try Ton Lang's gaskets, they are thicker and don't leak.

Jim
James Neel

Perhaps I looked at the inside of the cover wrong. The filler cap is on the rear of the aluminum cover instead of on the front like my TF stock cover. So based on the location of the filler on my cover, I may have assumed that the half-moons were on the adjuster side. That may explain why the marks are smooth half-moons instead of angular gashes from the adjuster nuts. And may also explain why I didn't hear a loud clacking when I touched a screwdriver blade to the outside on the adjuster side, and the handle to my ear.

Thanks for the suggestions about relieving the opening for the mounting studs or relieving the area around the head nuts. I hope that a thicker gasket is not required. Pretty sure that his tall vented filler cap would hit the hood hinge. And you convenced me to not even think about touching a grinder to the inside of the cover!!

Haven't heard back from him about installing a new flat gasket and trying to move the cover away from the points of contact. We now have some more ammunition to fire at the offending noise.

Thanks again,

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

This thread was discussed between 20/07/2014 and 21/07/2014

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