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MG TD TF 1500 - Speedo and Tach decals; application of

1951 TD. My tach dial face has a decal on it and it has shrunk and stretched. It needs to be replaced. Has anyone tried applying the Moss decals? Are they suitable? Do they fit? How do I remove the old decal?
Thanks
Milt
Milton Babirak

Milt, there are two shades of Moss decal, at least there were when I did mine some years ago. Both could be purchased through Sportsparts here in Sydney or any Moss outlook in the Sates. I went for the greener version. Pluses are that they are easy to apply (the key like any decal) is to use a soapy water solution which enables time to move it around until the precise location is achieved. Care needs to be taken in cutting out the area that adheres to the clock face. This is the only difficult bit as there is NO margin for error here. The downside is that the fine detail such as the TPM and other tiny numbers are not included.

With removal I suggest soaking the dial in solution, maybe hot water might do it and then look to peel it off. Don't use any mechanical means because of the risk of indenting the face. I also believe that three of the dials can be reversed and reinstalled so that the clean inside face is used. Obviously look to do all four instruments at the same time for uniformity. Any difference in shade will be a constant source of annoyance. This is one of the first things that catches my eye when I peer into a T Type cabin. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Used the wife's peelable craft glue to stick mine on, made it real easy, just sprayed the back of it and stuck it on- I had a metric conversion to stick over the mph one but wanted the original to remain undamaged--just because
William Revit

Gentlemen
Thanks for your comments.
I didn’t know that the decals came in two different shades. When I looked at the Moss catalog there was only one listing.
I also didn’t know that the dial faces were reversible. That solves a lot of problems. The back of it would be quite clean and much easier to use. In any case whether I use the front or the back of the face, it’s probably pretty important to be able to safely take the dial hands off before applying the detail. Is there any information you can pass on to me about how to remove the dial hands safely so that they’re not bent or that the paint doesn’t scrape off?
I guess you’re saying that with regard to the tachometer decal, the clock dace is on the decal and has to be cut off of the decal and placed on the clock itself. That does sound difficult to cut out the clock face. Scissors would be difficult. An X-Acto knife might be good but they’re hard to control. I’m also wondering how thick the decal is. If it’s very thin it might be particularly hard to cut it smoothly.
Milton Babirak

Milton,
Pull the lever over the endstop and allow it to float freely. Note the position for exact needle replacement. You can now use two small Espresso spoons at 180° apart to lever up and remove the needle. Place a tissue under each to avoid scratching the dial face. They do tend to jump off so do it in a clean area in case they go into orbit. Remove the screws and then the dial.
If you are not happy with the Moss decals my mate can supply beautiful dials for both early and late TD speedos and rev counters.
Regards
Declan


Declan Burns

Rev counter

Declan Burns

Agree with Declan's reproach. We used to use a pair of opposing cabinet makers screwdrivers when the NCO's weren't looking rather than bother using the hand puller. Watch your eyes (use safety glasses) and try and control where they land as they do have a habit of taking off. Obviously with a 51 you'd need flat faced chronometric instruments. The decals are easier to apply to these. With the clock, apply the large decal to the face and when dry, reverse it onto a protected surface and using a sharp scalpel or similar, cut neatly around the opening. These decals have a peel off adhesive backing. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

If you have a early gauges then a puller like the one in the picture. Easily found on eBay under "clock hand puller".
For later gauges I have found a fabricated puller as shown in the picture to be indispensable. The pin that drives these later dial needles is very small and if broken is a real problem.
The chronometric gauges do not have a stop pin on the dial face. The dial needle is is to zero in the internal chronometric mechanism.
Hugh Pite





H.D. Pite

I ordered a clock hand puller from eBay. It was about $6.00 plus shipping!
Your comments were very helpful.
Thanks very much.
Milt
Milton Babirak

This thread was discussed between 27/03/2020 and 01/04/2020

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