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MG TD TF 1500 - TD arnolt heater

I just purchased a Arnolt heater for my TD off of Evil-pay and waiting for the seller to send me the bill. My questions are 1) what do the mounting brackets look like as this doesn't have them? 2) What is the correct color for restoring the box?. My TD had the holes in the scuttle for the hoses below the battery tray but all the pieces were missing when I bought the car.

Cheers

Bill Chasser Jr
TD4834
W. A. Chasser Jr

My Arnolt heater just has a piece of steel flat stock, about a foot long screwed on to the right side of the heter, and fastened to the transmission tunnel with two sheet metal screws. It has been that way since 1955.
David
D. Sander

The original bracket setup consisted of:

- an L-shaped piece of angle-steel on the back which bolts to the top two studs on the heater body.

- a flat support bar which is spot-welded perpendicular to the the lower side of the upper flange of the angle (above)... this support has a small 'step' in it so that a slot is created between the angle's top and the bar, such that it can slide onto the lip at the back of the battery box inside the car. The flat support bar has a 5/16" hole in the end and this is for a bolt which comes down from the bottom of the battery box and secures the bar with a nut.

- a thin-walled tube, flattened at each end, and each end then drilled with a 5/16" hole and bent at a slight angle. This tube connects on one end to the bottom stud on the heater and on the other to the support bar where it is attached to the bolt at the bottom of the battery box.

As to the paint, the original color kind of a light bronze color but you can't buy it as far as I know. Per recommendation of Ben Cordsen (leading expert in Arnolt Heaters), I used Rustoleum #7210 Hammered Gold to spray a base coat, and then while it was still wet I lightly misted the pieces with #245218 Hammered Brown. I suggest starting on a test panel or cardboard to get the technique down before you spray your heater, but it works very well. My finished heater was done this way, and it is the color shown in the photo below - I think it's really close to the original color.




Kevin McLemore

Here's the rear, showing the angle bar, support bar and tube assembly.

Kevin McLemore

Bill, see http://www.ttalk.info/Tech/Arnolt.htm for a bit more. Bud
Bud Krueger

The one in my TF came from Ben.

MG LaVerne

back

MG LaVerne

The bracketry on mine, complete with Moss part numbers.

MG LaVerne

This was listed as a TC/TD/TF Arnolt heater. I notice that the vent doors are higher on mine than your examples. Wondering if I purchased the wrong heater. I didn't realize there were different versions. Did I get the wrong one?

W. A. Chasser Jr

another view

W. A. Chasser Jr

and another. This had the control knob for the fan and original wiring. Where was the switch placed? Also it was mentioned that the heater bracket attaches to a hole in the battery tray. I have a hole in the floor of the tray not quite centered where the plywood would sit is this the hole or should I be looking else where.

Kevin, Thanks for the pics and the paint references. Your box looks very professional. The speckle pattern looks sharp how did you do the Arnolt signage on the front?

Bud, Thank you for the link

Laverne, where are the brackets listed in the Moss catalog? Or can you give me the #'s?? Are there any other pieces r/t the heater available?

W. A. Chasser Jr

Anyone know where/who can restore the heater?
Michael O'Brien

Bill I would guess that the heater came in several variations.

As for the brackets, again just a guess, Moss apparently carried the heater at one time. May even explain the difference in Kevin's heater and mine. Mine came with a set of Moss instructions. Even though I had the part numbers, they would be useless at Moss now.

MG LaVerne

Ben Cordsen in Fort Collins Colorado would be the man for the heater restoration.

I punched in the numbers on the Moss site and it showed nothing.

MG LaVerne

Thanks Laverne
W. A. Chasser Jr

I would guess that Kevin has an original heater and that the Moss version I have would have been a later reproduction. The difference being a curved front face on the original and the flat face on the version I have. Also the difference in the "pipe" strut and the flat metal struts. I'm guessing that Ben would know.
MG LaVerne

Thanks for the information on the heater. Do you have any contact info?

Michael O'Brien

Here is his web site
http://www.cordsendesign.com/
MG LaVerne

Yes, LaVerne is correct - mine is definitely an original Aronlt heater. That being said, I've found several variations on 'original' Arnolt heaters... some have the stylized cast-alloy front like mine, while others are more simple pressings. In addition, the angled support bar does seem to vary - early models had the tube, later models had a pressed u-shaped channel.

As to the "Arnolt" label, Ben Cordsen sold that to me, along with the bypass tube... he is a wealth of knowledge, parts and assistance for these heaters and anyone who is considering restoring one should go to the website noted, grab his email address, and drop him a note. He's very friendly!

Now, if you're looking for a 'new' Arnolt-style heater, I posted a replacement possibility earlier and it's now in the archives, here:

http://www2.mg-cars.org.uk/cgi-bin/or17?runprog=mgbbs&access=&mode=archiveth&subject=8&subjectar=8&thread=2014091604280314101

Seems to be very much like the original and although you'd have to make up the bracketry, it should work just fine in any MG.
Kevin McLemore

BTW, I don't know how accurate this list is, but Shadetree motors still listed one of those Moss Motors brackets, #235-720... might be the last new one around, so if someone wants it, go for it!

http://www.nwmgtr.org/Shadetree.pdf

Kevin McLemore

Kevin: et al.
I too am rebuilding my Arnolt heater for my 54 TF project and in fact took it apart this AM. My heater wasn't attached to the car but was in a box and considering our cool Canadian Sping & Fall will be installing it into the car.
The box with the heater did not contain a switch system (variac? At all so what have some of you done for a switch arrangement?
Many thanks
Rod 54 TF project
Rodney G Murray

Mine came with this but I have since opted to use a simple toggle switch ...off/on...I haven't ever found the need for a "low" setting when I need heat.

MG LaVerne

Rod, this lighted switch is almost identical to that which was supplied to the later Aronolt heaters... and it's available brand new, for only $20.39.

http://www.classicpartsusa.com/product/EL118_1952/1952_Truck_Parts_Heating_and_Air_Conditioning_Items

Kevin McLemore

I also switched to an on/off switch. The type I used was push on-push off type. Regards, tom
tm peterson

Check out my website for info on this item. www.mgtd.co.nr under reassembly: components ans accessories.

Rich
Rich King TD 8732

This thread was discussed between 29/11/2014 and 03/12/2014

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