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MG TD TF 1500 - TF tail light question

See the thin metal shim in the front of the photo? I only had one of those in one of the tail lights. It adds strength to the rubber surround. The PO likely lost the other when he installed his home-made wiring harness. Moss doesn't have it in their exploded diagram of a tail light. Would anyone have a junk tail light with this piece in it? Please let me know the cost. Thanks once again. Tyler

C.T. Irwin

Tyler
I just recently refurbished my TF tail lights. I did not have thos outer surrounds. I can't imagine that they add much strength to the assembly. The chrome trim rings on the outside add radial strength to the rubber. Also, the new rubbers are quite stiff.

Tom
'54 TF
T Norby

Tom,
The missing shim mounts forward of the light fixture. I'm also missing one (of three) tiny machine screws (phillips face/pointed nose)to mount the light fixture to the chromed plinth. What size is that? 3BA?

Also, Does it matter which wires (red and white w/ stripe)are connected to the pinch-type contacts? (Black fits into the bottom, slide-in socket).

thanks,
Tyler
C.T. Irwin

Tyler
I was missing one of those small machine screws. I found something at my local hardware store that worked fine.
I think it probably does matter how the wires go up, as this is a brake/tail light combo.
I am at work now, but have a photo on my phone I took of the wiring before I disassembled it. Looking forward, the red wire is on the left, white on the right with the black ground wire at the lower right side. If I recall correctly, there was a notch in the light fixture to keep it oriented one way.

Tom
T Norby

The chrome rings you are missing are item 62 page 46 158-400 in the Moss catalog price $3.85

The really seal the lens in place.
Don Harmer

The wiring depends on the type of bulb holder fitted. Some take a bulb with off set pins so that the bulb can only be fitted one way round so the wires must be fitted to the correct contacts. The other type of holder takes parallel pinned bulbs which can be turned through 180 degs so which wire to which pin isn't criticl. The important thing is to ensure that the red wire feeds the tail lamp filament which is the dimmer of the two. The black is the earth. Get it wrong and the flasher will work at turbo power speed.

Jan T
J Targosz

This thread was discussed on 05/09/2014

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