I'm about to write something critical, but understand I love the channel. To me the best part is watching you diagnose and solve problems. I'm less enthused about watching you navigate roundabouts. I would have gladly sacrificed that video time in exchange for seeing more of you removing the gas tank screen and getting the fuel-flow problem solved. If in a month's time there are only a couple of thumbs up to this comment, then I'll know I'm in the minority, but I suspect I'm not alone in this point of view.
Can't really agree with you. I rather enjoy watching old classics being driven at normal road speeds. I wouldn't want the whole video to be just that but, in this case, Steve was showing the differences in speed/rpm etc with the replacement box. I thought he demonstrated that quite well. Remember, of course, that his fuel problems extended the driving part of the video and, quite possibly, changed the whole style of the video. He wouldn't have been expecting to be stuck at the roadside and the repair and test drives were unplanned too, all adding to the amount of driving footage. I'll be pretty surprised if the 👍-count on your comment reaches double figures.😁
Nice cars and a well-made video. From a long time TF owner (same car, really) a comment - Clean, flush and 'slush' your fuel tank! The external fuel tanks on our cars are very susceptible to condensation and are almost always rusty inside after 70+ years. A $2500 + transmission swap and $600 steering wheel are cool, but a clogged $40 in-tank screen and a dysfunctional $40 'Low Fuel' switch makes us proud MG owners and our cars look bad.
As a 46 year long owner of a twin pale yellow TD this was a great video! I run stock engine and gearbox but have fitted 4.55 ring and pinion. I find the shift linkage very positive. Never run it out of gas, the green light starts to flash as the fuel sloshes around at about 3 gallons left, stays on constant at about 2 gallons. Eugene Oregon
John Quilter.... Good move on the diff and I also find the TD boxes "positive". I was recently east of Springfield looking at a 53 MKII, unfortunately it had the wrong owner for too long. I passed as it was emasculated. Jacksonville, Oregon and a 63 MGB owner.
@@ThisWeekWithCars A few decades ago that happened to me when California was putting MTBE in the gasoline that caused fuel pump disk valves and carb float bowl needles and seats to stick. Awful stuff, finally done away with.
@@johnquilter7620 Thanks John, I may just join. I do belong to the So Oregon Brit Car CLub. My first car, purchased in 1964, was a 1953 MGTD MKII. I am currently looking at a 1954 TF. XPAG.
I know what happened. It's a MGTD. The TD stands for "tired dog". After owing one, I have these comments. The rear axle broke several times because there is a trick to sealing the transmission and keeping oil off the clutch assembly. The clutch tends to grab and torque is greater than the axle can handle. The engne is under powered. The SU carburetors are difficult to tune. The electric fuel pump sometimes stops and to re-start it, the firewall needs a goodkick. Other than that, The roof leaks. but the winshield wipers barely work so it's OK. I loved the car, it was great to drive.
I drove my 63 Sprite for 11 years, 12K miles..... I heard the motor start skipping and my Ears knew there was trouble! Your channel is Fantastic... motor on Steve!
well you now know how the engine behaves with partially filled floatbowls! IMO, a good thing to know. the dual mikuni carbs on my yamaha 1100 behaved similarly when the main and reserve tanks were empty too. :) and that low-fuel light (as i'm sure you know) is tied, along with a few other noticeable electrical items that will fail in concert with it, to one of the two visible fuses, near the voltage regulator, in the engine compartment. ...just about ran out myself the other day in my TD, after i blew that fuse and didn't know it. fortunately, i carry a stick and when i discovered my predicament, suspected i might be low on fuel. ....turned out i had a pint or two left when i pulled into a station. ...plenty! ha BTW, enjoy your clear, no nonsense, explanations of what you are doing and why. excellent! not all that common on DIY youtube vids. looks like that 5th gear acts in a similar manner WRT RPM and speed as the 4.55 diff i had installed. pretty much mandatory, IMO, for highway travel (barely) and a reasonable RPM for extended periods. the swap involved removing the rear axle and the purchase and installation of readily available parts. expertise is required for the installation, at least it was beyond MY expertise anyway. :)
The vehicle that made touring a 55 mph task, the poor engines would not handle real highway speeds, then finally the TF and eventually the MGA with the 1500 engine. The Best TD I ever drove had a B-20-B Volvo engine and LD overdrive. Really fun to drive.
having just purchased a new-to-me body-off 1953 TD restoration with right-hand drive, and even though my first car was a 1961 MGA, and i've driven manuals all my life, i had a bit of difficulty in shifting the TD for a while. i've attributed it to shifting with the left hand while steering with the right one. it was very awkward at first. having an unsynchronized 1st gear takes a bit of forethought before 1st gear engagement. other than that i don't have any complaints. i own two other (premium) manual sports cars, one german and one british, and a 2001 manual dodge ram 1500. what's surprising is that the shifting is best in the dodge, more precise and smoother! and the shift lever is about four times longer than either of the sports cars. remarkable! the biggest problem with the '53 TD in general is the lack of power. at 50MPH it's geared in fourth to be pushing 4500 RPM. for comparison just three or four years later, MG came out with the MGA and at 60MPH was running 3500 RPM, which is doable, barely, for freeway driving. the TD? not so much... :( it needs more HP and a taller rear end or an overdrive. i'm planning a trip across the country this summer (we'll see about how that goes) and i'll have to plan carefully to avoid speed limits over 50mph. could be difficult. ̶o̶h̶ ̶y̶a̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶b̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶a̶u̶g̶e̶.̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶y̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶l̶l̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶o̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶e̶r̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶f̶u̶e̶l̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶n̶k̶.̶ ̶a̶l̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶s̶h̶ ̶m̶o̶u̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶a̶r̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶n̶k̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶e̶m̶p̶t̶y̶.̶ ̶.̶.̶.̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶i̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶.̶ ̶:̶(̶ :)
If you look up the numbers they are way more efficient so naturally they're only just now becoming popular in the US. Prob too confusing for half the drivers here in the US that haven't taken a driving test since the 1980s
3:45 My dad has a TD and when I was young I got to crank it off by hand once. But, when he got the five speed, you couldn't crank it off manually anymore. I think you forgot to mention that.
Great real experience vid on a car similar to my own 51. I added a switch so I can test my fuel circuit and bulb now and then for that very concern, lol. Don’t have a 5 spd yet, but did go with 3.9 gearing in her.
@@ThisWeekWithCars superbly after I sealed my tank. Went inline with a fram filter and an electric 4 lb fuel pump thereafter. My car is very upgraded, but to look at is still her 51 cute self.
Would have loved a 5th gear in my TD. In 1962, made many weekend trips from Camp Lejeune, NC to Long Island, NY. 14 hours, no interstates then. Only problem I ever had was the electric fuel pump filter getting clogged. I had no mechanical knowledge then; it would stop but after a while the sediment would drop enough for fuel to flow for awhile and run again. Didn't know if I'd ever get back to Base!
I remember the only Smiths gauge that was accurate on my old British cars was the fuel gauge. When they hit E it meant the last drop had just left the tank and was headed for the carb.
Watching this video convinced me to buy a Honda Rebel 250 All the spoke wheels I need without the price and er.. notorious British quality. It's like he had to replace almost the whole dang car to make it drivable in 2022. My budge is about $1,500 max I want to spend. Tip for the future. My advice is if your car starts sounding really funny and loses power, stop and turn off the car immediatly and park it. It's very possible to do way more damage. Sounded like one of your cylinders stopped firing from an ignition wire not getting spark or not enough fuel. Or your idle jet carb valve may have gotten clogged.. pretty common, happened o my motorcycles a lot and would exhibit the same symptom. Clogged fuel filter or ater in the fuel too will do something like this. I never would do any regular periodic maintenance on them except change the oil and check the tire pressure so that was to be expected.I would hope that was it, because anything worse than that needs valve or cylinder work. You lucked out. I've run out of gas 200ft from a gas station and literally rolled to a stop in front f a pump before. OTher times not so lucky, and had to hike 5 miles passing 5 closed gas stations on a late Sunday night.
Two thumbs up, can’t wait to see the stock TD. I’m resurrecting a 53 TD ,so any and all TD videos are appreciated ! One of my next jobs is to clean out my tank, now I know about the filter in the tank. Thank you
Some sensible mods to the car , so it can be driven in modern conditions . I think MG missed the mark by exporting a 1300 cc engined car to the US because of the greater distances between places . Thanks for posting .
Another great update video steve. I can't get over your commitment to these cars I saw as a kid abandoned in the backs of peoples garages. I just wonder about the engine upgrades to unleaded from a non-catalytic generation.
Not many people from out of the UK understand the intricacies of our registration plate system; in fact the older styles are a mystery to a lot of younger UK folk, too, especially since they’ve changed quite a few times over the years.
Thought that reg looked familiar. Can you legally run a foreign number plate like that 'over there'? Or is for show purposes (A cop-out for illegal plates in the UK!) My first car was a1970 'J' reg Morris Minor (One of the last)
A period looking bakelite gear knob would make that 5 speed look the part and finish the modification off. Have a look at Charlesworth Mouldings in the UK who have been making bakelite parts for many years
A P.S. to my enquiry. According to the website I saw, the T-9 was fitted to small Capris and Sierras in the 1980s. No fear of breaking that with a stock (or even tweaked) TD motor.
I had a 59 VW beetle with the 36hp "sewing machine". It had a reserve. if you run out of gas, turn the reserve and you have close to a gallon to get to a station.
I was working at a British car shop and we got a TC that came from another shop. It was completely restored by the other shop and after being in our shop for a couple days the engine started knocking. I had the engine apart and discovered the flywheel bolts were backed out. After I fixed it I took it for a ride and the TC did exactly what your TD did. I was going up a steep hill and the car started misfiring and slowing down. I got to the top of the hill and another 100 feet down the road and it conked out completely. I was out of gas and no-where close to a gas station, so I called home base and had them come out and bring me a couple gallons. Had a nice hour standing next to a car that looked great but didn't go anywhere.
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 They were missing and the bolts holding the flywheel on were generic replacements. We got a set of the original bolts and the lock rings and put it back to stock. It worked fine after that. Not sure how I felt about the original wheels and tires though. It was a little too wimpy for me.
Thanks for this video. I restored my 53TD back in the early 2000's. Same color scheme. I opted for a MGA rear-end ring and pinion and kept the original 4 speed. The ratio change had much of the same effect on RPMs. The gearbox is primitive, but fits better with the rest of the car in my opinion. I also run reproduction bias ply tires, so I really don't want to drive highway speed! Are you going to drive the earlier TD for comparison?
any info on the rear-end mods would be appreciated. parts? installation? trouble hill climbing with the mga ring and pinion? who did the work? are you satisfied?
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 I had this done back around 1999 by University Motors in Michigan, they had a donor rear-end. I didn't drive the car before the change, so I don't know how much it changed the character. 1st gear is very usable now and the car will run 50 MPH without screaming. With only 54 HP, its definitely not fast. Does fine on hills.
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 I run a 4.55 final drive in my TD and this makes it a bit better on the open road but quite frankly, in my opinion these cars are not really great highway machines, as someone once said, stick to roads that existed when the car was built but you can still have a lot of enjoyment from them. I find no trouble hill climbing with this gearing.
@@johnquilter7620 thanks for the info. i've done some research and when considering price, performance, and installation the best compromise is the 4.55. supposedly the TD can run 56-57mph at 3500rpm with it. should be enough for me.
This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. The four simple LEDs that indicate battery charge that came with the camper have left a LOT to be desired. lol.
@@ThisWeekWithCars Steve, any internal mods necessary with the T-9? I think that subject is worth an episode or two. BTW, Bryan Cohn says "Hi", he is restoring my Morris Minor convertible, he says you are a real "mensch"! Love to meet you someday, have long-enjoyed your site!
@@randyhendershot428 & Steve-- I was told back in the 90's that a 5-spd Datsun would work. So I kept the one out of my 280Z to put in my 63 sprite. Am I good to go with it?
@@lloydgreen4091 My friends in the car club tell me that the popular Datsun five speeds are highly sought now and very expensive. I tracked down a Datsun B210 local hoarder who acted like Smaug.
Mixture control and idle speed are not automatic on these. So starting them takes a little technique particularly in cold weather. But set up correctly these little XPAGs are robust and good runners, if a little drippy due to their ancient crankshaft seal design
Reminds me of my experience with my 1978 International Scout.. After owning it for a number of years, I would drive on the highway and at about 90kph (55 mph), it would suddenly lose power. I could drive at lower speeds. Took it to the local International dealer snd after several visits and hundreds of dollars spent, they finally determined that there was an filter inside the tank that was a flexible mesh. When fuel flow was high it would collapse and cut off the fuel flow. What a stupid design. It was a beast of 'truck' but it got 12.5 mpg no matter how it was driven.
I had a Scout but still have three other Internationals, check out my video having some fun with my Travelall: th-cam.com/video/jgHmaR0xL4Y/w-d-xo.html
This reminds me of driving my 72 TR6... a joy when it ran, a true pain inre parts and repairs ( many, monthly )... but I did weep when I got rid of it in 95😂😂🙃
Purists will hate the mods but they seem to me to be sensible upgrades to make the MG more reliable and drivable. Like someone else said another reliability mod would be to delete that gauze filter in the tank and fit a decent inline filter
I had a '52 TD that I restored in "62 - carried a yard stick to check the fuel level. It had an electric fuel pump that had a habit of sticking, if it stopped you got out and tapped it with a spanner, it also on occasion sucked a bit of oil up into the distributor and you had to wipe the points off. Driving in the rain was a thrill - the little wipers work enough for an English drizzle, not a Texas downpour, the top sits on the windscreen and tends to leak and the side curtains tend to suck out at speed and let the rain blow in.
If you check your fuel level with a wooden stick sold by Moss you need to attach a clear plastic pipe the length of the stick and dip the tank with your thumb over the pipe end. This will show you the correct level.
I think all the mods are great, especially engine based ! BUT the new Speedo/Rev counter is appalling! One of the charms of these T-series is the dash and instruments, the removal of these has altered the soul. Lets face it, it's a part of the car you look at constantly... and on top of that we've lost that lovely clock. Perhaps there is a lesson here in installing some modern fuel gauge subtly for those who can't drive without one these days.
What was the source of the gearbox. Does 5th give an overdrive? The "fuel gauge" on a TD is the starting handle. Dip it into the tank at regular intervals, and you'll know how much fuel it's used and has left.
I see that you used a Ford T9 transmission, but I don't know what that is. A Ford of England Escort? What are the issues mounting to a MGTD engine? I assume you used the MG bell housing but I'd like to know more about your retrofit.
The gearbox is the type 9 Sierra box , from Hi gear engineering in my case, with a modified first gear to a slightly higher ratio. They now offer a kit which does not involve moving the engine forward but does require the removal of a section of the cross tube. This is replaced with a casting supplied in the kit.
Was hoping it was an engine swapped TD, love the styling of the TD but want daily driver reliability and modern traffic speed - any ideas on what would be a good swap without compromising the style?
Some folks I know have swapped in a 60s or 70s Volvo power plant which is actually very similar to their British counterparts. Also later MGB 1800 engines would make a good swap. Of note though these XPAGs are very tunable and can reliably make good power and torque. That’s the route I took on my MG TC since performance parts are still readily available.
@@caseytailfly I have owned a few of the TD/TC cars. I bought a 1953 MG TD MK II in 1965.. my first car. I did not alter my 1953 MGTD Mark II except for period mods.. In my opinion these should be kept close to stock as there are limited numbers of them. I then bought a 1950 TD... My 1950 TD was bored to the max/ wild cam, head ported, etc etc etc.. It was build for Bonneville, all period gear. Then on to a 1946 TC around 1967.. My 1946 TC was built for road or track with a wild cam over bored, cross flow aluminium head with 1 1/2" SU carbs , Borani 15" wheels, Alfin drums, etc.. No bonnet side panels and the requisite leather straps to hold it together. No need for 5 speeds or most new age mods, wonderful car. All period gear.
@@MindDezign Just thinking that myself. Thought the gearbox might be the 5 speed MX5 box as this is commonly used in classic conversions (Eg MGB) I thought the engine management of the modern MX5 engine might overcomplicate things a bit though.
So, the TD is not made for travelling. 51 @ 3000 rpm doesn't sound too good. Putting a different engine in would do the trick. Have you ever thought of taking one of those English cars and setting it up the way they do with Caterhams ? Not necessarily a road monster, but at least enough that it can be driven at normal speeds with lower rpm's . I've never seen anybody do that and I always wonder why ......... I just went to look at this video of an old Lotus 7 that this old guy put together. The engine is a Coventry Climax all aluminum 1.1 liter . That tiny engine (smaller than your TD) puts out an amazing amount of power. I dont know all the details but it does have 2 Weber carbs . Anyway, that could be put into any MG or Spitfire or Bugeye and the car would definitely move. Maybe cut back to one Weber and it would still be much better than their original setup. Anyway, if you want to see it, the video's title is "Lotus 7 racing car sound, 1957- Ivan's Shed". (Ivan's the old guy).
I am pretty sure they had as a factory option a 'Laycock de Normanville' overdrive. Very popular in UK in the 50's to the 70's on many makes of car. Worked on top and third gear on mgb cars I think. If your gearbox has syncro on first gear it would most likely fit the LH type.
@@jimcrichton8028 Not exactly that easy. Mainshaft and other things are not compatible. Easier to find and fit a gearbox with overdrive already fitted. Units post 1967 model are full synchro so the best choice.
Yes but might not be able to maintain that speed on hills unless you have rebuilt the engine with more power. The car will do 80+ if it has enough power.
Perhaps the most elegant style of all that era British sports cars (although considered very unreliable) along with the XK120. Wonder why they left off a fuel gauge?
AOG 454K looks like a UK numberplate, but wouldn't be right for this car. A 'K' suffix is from around 1972 and cars made before 1972 wouldn't be allowed to use this number.
IIRC, the 'OG' combination signifies Birmingham UK where MG had its headquarters after moving from Oxfordshire. The 'K' suffix is indeed around 1972 (I had a K-reg Triumph) but certain suffix letters, including A and H can be used for 'heritage' plates although they are not supposed to suggest that a car is younger than it actually is. Perhaps Steve has a back-story.
At 195 cm, I fit in an MGA just fine (for a couple of decades) but I was pretty darn close, to looking over the Top of the windscreen. Not sure if that added to the British Sports Car 'ambience;' or if all the other folks on the road thought I was driving around, searching for stray "mentational marbles."
I found if you can keep the original seat foam you sit a bit lower, I’m also toying with the idea of using early sprite bucket seats. I’m 6’2”, and definitely have plenty of leg room. Just feels weird with the steering wheel so close + I could stand to loose a few pounds (stomach)
Apreciando a una mujer tan hermosa. 2:2 sentadillas son unos QUINZAA.Monster muchas y un buen ejercicio. 5:25 Se deja ver que hay muy buenos resultados 😍👍 Saludos desde la Cd.. de world losa mortales abian apreciado tan hermosa mujer
If I want a old/classic car I want it orignal warts and all. Although I am parital to the 5 speed update. But ,then again I know how to double clutch ! Not into the reso-mod thing.
I agree. As another commenter noted you can also just put a taller rear end in these with the stock transmission with similar benefits. Although fwiw the earlier TC transmissions were actually superior to the one fitted to the TD
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I'm about to write something critical, but understand I love the channel. To me the best part is watching you diagnose and solve problems. I'm less enthused about watching you navigate roundabouts. I would have gladly sacrificed that video time in exchange for seeing more of you removing the gas tank screen and getting the fuel-flow problem solved.
If in a month's time there are only a couple of thumbs up to this comment, then I'll know I'm in the minority, but I suspect I'm not alone in this point of view.
I agree , it's a fascinating vehicle , but driving on modern roads not so much .
Can't really agree with you. I rather enjoy watching old classics being driven at normal road speeds. I wouldn't want the whole video to be just that but, in this case, Steve was showing the differences in speed/rpm etc with the replacement box. I thought he demonstrated that quite well. Remember, of course, that his fuel problems extended the driving part of the video and, quite possibly, changed the whole style of the video. He wouldn't have been expecting to be stuck at the roadside and the repair and test drives were unplanned too, all adding to the amount of driving footage.
I'll be pretty surprised if the 👍-count on your comment reaches double figures.😁
Well Steve you showed the joys of running (or not) a classic car. At least the fix was pretty simply. Nice to see an honest video, thanks Steve . 👍
Yes and no computer to worry and fret about either.
Brought back some memories,had one of these back in the fifties.THANKS 👍
Nice cars and a well-made video. From a long time TF owner (same car, really) a comment - Clean, flush and 'slush' your fuel tank! The external fuel tanks on our cars are very susceptible to condensation and are almost always rusty inside after 70+ years. A $2500 + transmission swap and $600 steering wheel are cool, but a clogged $40 in-tank screen and a dysfunctional $40 'Low Fuel' switch makes us proud MG owners and our cars look bad.
As a 46 year long owner of a twin pale yellow TD this was a great video! I run stock engine and gearbox but have fitted 4.55 ring and pinion. I find the shift linkage very positive. Never run it out of gas, the green light starts to flash as the fuel sloshes around at about 3 gallons left, stays on constant at about 2 gallons. Eugene Oregon
To be fair I didn't run out of gas in the tank, I just ran out of gas to the engine.
John Quilter.... Good move on the diff and I also find the TD boxes "positive". I was recently east of Springfield looking at a 53 MKII, unfortunately it had the wrong owner for too long. I passed as it was emasculated. Jacksonville, Oregon and a 63 MGB owner.
@@jeffhildreth9244 Join the British Motor Club of Oregon based in Eugene to connect with other enthusiasts and perhaps find a car.
@@ThisWeekWithCars A few decades ago that happened to me when California was putting MTBE in the gasoline that caused fuel pump disk valves and carb float bowl needles and seats to stick. Awful stuff, finally done away with.
@@johnquilter7620 Thanks John, I may just join. I do belong to the So Oregon Brit Car CLub.
My first car, purchased in 1964, was a 1953 MGTD MKII. I am currently looking at a 1954 TF. XPAG.
I know what happened. It's a MGTD. The TD stands for "tired dog". After owing one, I have these comments. The rear axle broke several times because there is a trick to sealing the transmission and keeping oil off the clutch assembly. The clutch tends to grab and torque is greater than the axle can handle. The engne is under powered. The SU carburetors are difficult to tune. The electric fuel pump sometimes stops and to re-start it, the firewall needs a goodkick. Other than that, The roof leaks. but the winshield wipers barely work so it's OK. I loved the car, it was great to drive.
That’s an awesome assessment. I’ll give one a miss. Thanks mate. 🇦🇺👍🍺🍺
Good stuff, Steve, I can't think of a more resourceful person for a TD to decide to break down on!!
I drove my 63 Sprite for 11 years, 12K miles..... I heard the motor start skipping and my Ears knew there was trouble! Your channel is Fantastic... motor on Steve!
well you now know how the engine behaves with partially filled floatbowls! IMO, a good thing to know. the dual mikuni carbs on my yamaha 1100 behaved similarly when the main and reserve tanks were empty too. :)
and that low-fuel light (as i'm sure you know) is tied, along with a few other noticeable electrical items that will fail in concert with it, to one of the two visible fuses, near the voltage regulator, in the engine compartment.
...just about ran out myself the other day in my TD, after i blew that fuse and didn't know it. fortunately, i carry a stick and when i discovered my predicament, suspected i might be low on fuel. ....turned out i had a pint or two left when i pulled into a station. ...plenty! ha
BTW, enjoy your clear, no nonsense, explanations of what you are doing and why. excellent! not all that common on DIY youtube vids.
looks like that 5th gear acts in a similar manner WRT RPM and speed as the 4.55 diff i had installed. pretty much mandatory, IMO, for highway travel (barely) and a reasonable RPM for extended periods. the swap involved removing the rear axle and the purchase and installation of readily available parts. expertise is required for the installation, at least it was beyond MY expertise anyway. :)
The vehicle that made touring a 55 mph task, the poor engines would not handle real highway speeds, then finally the TF and eventually the MGA with the 1500 engine. The Best TD I ever drove had a B-20-B Volvo engine and LD overdrive. Really fun to drive.
the B20 engine is another beast, more than the double of the original horsepower and torque plus the reliability of the Volvo engine
having just purchased a new-to-me body-off 1953 TD restoration with right-hand drive, and even though my first car was a 1961 MGA, and i've driven manuals all my life, i had a bit of difficulty in shifting the TD for a while. i've attributed it to shifting with the left hand while steering with the right one. it was very awkward at first. having an unsynchronized 1st gear takes a bit of forethought before 1st gear engagement. other than that i don't have any complaints.
i own two other (premium) manual sports cars, one german and one british, and a 2001 manual dodge ram 1500. what's surprising is that the shifting is best in the dodge, more precise and smoother! and the shift lever is about four times longer than either of the sports cars. remarkable!
the biggest problem with the '53 TD in general is the lack of power. at 50MPH it's geared in fourth to be pushing 4500 RPM. for comparison just three or four years later, MG came out with the MGA and at 60MPH was running 3500 RPM, which is doable, barely, for freeway driving. the TD? not so much... :(
it needs more HP and a taller rear end or an overdrive. i'm planning a trip across the country this summer (we'll see about how that goes) and i'll have to plan carefully to avoid speed limits over 50mph. could be difficult.
̶o̶h̶ ̶y̶a̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶b̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶a̶u̶g̶e̶.̶ ̶m̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶y̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶l̶l̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶o̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶e̶t̶e̶r̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶a̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶m̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶f̶u̶e̶l̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶n̶k̶.̶ ̶a̶l̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶d̶a̶s̶h̶ ̶m̶o̶u̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶w̶a̶r̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶n̶k̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶e̶m̶p̶t̶y̶.̶ ̶.̶.̶.̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶i̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶.̶ ̶:̶(̶ :)
Thumbs up Steve,aways enjoy a breakdown.
Cheers mate.
Thanks Steve . Warts and all ! As we say over the pond !
Another good video.
I don’t think I have seen roundabouts in any other U.S. videos.
We have tons of the buggers in the UK!
Australia too, our roadbuilders are addicted to them
If you look up the numbers they are way more efficient so naturally they're only just now becoming popular in the US.
Prob too confusing for half the drivers here in the US that haven't taken a driving test since the 1980s
just bought a 51 MG TD from California in good condition needs recommission
good vid thanks
3:45 My dad has a TD and when I was young I got to crank it off by hand once. But, when he got the five speed, you couldn't crank it off manually anymore. I think you forgot to mention that.
"Good thing I have 5th gear or I'd be hardly moving!" (car immediately dies)
No drama,I like it!
glad you back missed you
Great real experience vid on a car similar to my own 51. I added a switch so I can test my fuel circuit and bulb now and then for that very concern, lol. Don’t have a 5 spd yet, but did go with 3.9 gearing in her.
How does your fuel circuit work?
@@ThisWeekWithCars superbly after I sealed my tank. Went inline with a fram filter and an electric 4 lb fuel pump thereafter. My car is very upgraded, but to look at is still her 51 cute self.
Would have loved a 5th gear in my TD. In 1962, made many weekend trips from Camp Lejeune, NC to Long Island, NY. 14 hours, no interstates then. Only problem I ever had was the electric fuel pump filter getting clogged. I had no mechanical knowledge then; it would stop but after a while the sediment would drop enough for fuel to flow for awhile and run again. Didn't know if I'd ever get back to Base!
Lovely cars Steve, I do like those TDs
I think a modern in line filter would make more sense ?
That gas (petrol) station name is hilarious!
I remember the only Smiths gauge that was accurate on my old British cars was the fuel gauge. When they hit E it meant the last drop had just left the tank and was headed for the carb.
My dad used to race these, beautiful motor car
Watching this video convinced me to buy a Honda Rebel 250
All the spoke wheels I need without the price and er.. notorious British quality.
It's like he had to replace almost the whole dang car to make it drivable in 2022. My budge is about $1,500 max I want to spend.
Tip for the future. My advice is if your car starts sounding really funny and loses power, stop and turn off the car immediatly and park it. It's very possible to do way more damage. Sounded like one of your cylinders stopped firing from an ignition wire not getting spark or not enough fuel. Or your idle jet carb valve may have gotten clogged.. pretty common, happened o my motorcycles a lot and would exhibit the same symptom. Clogged fuel filter or ater in the fuel too will do something like this. I never would do any regular periodic maintenance on them except change the oil and check the tire pressure so that was to be expected.I would hope that was it, because anything worse than that needs valve or cylinder work.
You lucked out. I've run out of gas 200ft from a gas station and literally rolled to a stop in front f a pump before. OTher times not so lucky, and had to hike 5 miles passing 5 closed gas stations on a late Sunday night.
Gotta love these MG's,...any model, any age! I love all these English cars.
Two thumbs up, can’t wait to see the stock TD. I’m resurrecting a 53 TD ,so any and all TD videos are appreciated ! One of my next jobs is to clean out my tank, now I know about the filter in the tank. Thank you
Some sensible mods to the car , so it can be driven in modern conditions . I think MG missed the mark by exporting a 1300 cc engined car to the US because of the greater distances between places . Thanks for posting .
Another great update video steve. I can't get over your commitment to these cars I saw as a kid abandoned in the backs of peoples garages. I just wonder about the engine upgrades to unleaded from a non-catalytic generation.
You'd never get away with putting that K suffix (Aug '71- July '72) registration plate on that car in the UK, yet that is a UK plate...
Not many people from out of the UK understand the intricacies of our registration plate system; in fact the older styles are a mystery to a lot of younger UK folk, too, especially since they’ve changed quite a few times over the years.
Thought that reg looked familiar. Can you legally run a foreign number plate like that 'over there'? Or is for show purposes (A cop-out for illegal plates in the UK!)
My first car was a1970 'J' reg Morris Minor (One of the last)
Steve, I own an identical MGTD with the “ antique ivory paint! My upgrades include wire wheels and MGA rear end.
A period looking bakelite gear knob would make that 5 speed look the part and finish the modification off. Have a look at Charlesworth Mouldings in the UK who have been making bakelite parts for many years
A P.S. to my enquiry. According to the website I saw, the T-9 was fitted to small Capris and Sierras in the 1980s. No fear of breaking that with a stock (or even tweaked) TD motor.
I had a 59 VW beetle with the 36hp "sewing machine". It had a reserve. if you run out of gas, turn the reserve and you have close to a gallon to get to a station.
Many off-road machines and motorbikes have this feature in-leau of a gas gauge
Charlie Metcalf... that is if you remembered to flip the lever the last time you filled up.
That's what used to be known as 'motoring.' Lovely.
Great post, thanks for sharing.
Love that MGTD! Thanks for the video.
I was working at a British car shop and we got a TC that came from another shop. It was completely restored by the other shop and after being in our shop for a couple days the engine started knocking. I had the engine apart and discovered the flywheel bolts were backed out. After I fixed it I took it for a ride and the TC did exactly what your TD did. I was going up a steep hill and the car started misfiring and slowing down. I got to the top of the hill and another 100 feet down the road and it conked out completely. I was out of gas and no-where close to a gas station, so I called home base and had them come out and bring me a couple gallons. Had a nice hour standing next to a car that looked great but didn't go anywhere.
IIRC, those bolts are supposed to have bend-over tab washer-type things on them like the conrod cap nuts to keep them in place.
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 They were missing and the bolts holding the flywheel on were generic replacements. We got a set of the original bolts and the lock rings and put it back to stock. It worked fine after that. Not sure how I felt about the original wheels and tires though. It was a little too wimpy for me.
Hi good video thanks. From Paul uk.
Thanks for this video. I restored my 53TD back in the early 2000's. Same color scheme. I opted for a MGA rear-end ring and pinion and kept the original 4 speed. The ratio change had much of the same effect on RPMs. The gearbox is primitive, but fits better with the rest of the car in my opinion. I also run reproduction bias ply tires, so I really don't want to drive highway speed! Are you going to drive the earlier TD for comparison?
any info on the rear-end mods would be appreciated. parts? installation? trouble hill climbing with the mga ring and pinion? who did the work? are you satisfied?
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 I had this done back around 1999 by University Motors in Michigan, they had a donor rear-end. I didn't drive the car before the change, so I don't know how much it changed the character. 1st gear is very usable now and the car will run 50 MPH without screaming. With only 54 HP, its definitely not fast. Does fine on hills.
@@deep6thisdeep6this92 I run a 4.55 final drive in my TD and this makes it a bit better on the open road but quite frankly, in my opinion these cars are not really great highway machines, as someone once said, stick to roads that existed when the car was built but you can still have a lot of enjoyment from them. I find no trouble hill climbing with this gearing.
@@johnquilter7620 thanks for the info.
i've done some research and when considering price, performance, and installation the best compromise is the 4.55. supposedly the TD can run 56-57mph at 3500rpm with it. should be enough for me.
I really enjoy the content you make.
This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. The four simple LEDs that indicate battery charge that came with the camper have left a LOT to be desired. lol.
Thanks for the video. I’m curious what brand of transmission you put in the 5 speed MG.
Ford T-9
@@ThisWeekWithCars Steve, any internal mods necessary with the T-9? I think that subject is worth an episode or two. BTW, Bryan Cohn says "Hi", he is restoring my Morris Minor convertible, he says you are a real "mensch"! Love to meet you someday, have long-enjoyed your site!
@@randyhendershot428 & Steve-- I was told back in the 90's that a 5-spd Datsun would work. So I kept the one out of my 280Z to put in my 63 sprite. Am I good to go with it?
@@lloydgreen4091 My friends in the car club tell me that the popular Datsun five speeds are highly sought now and very expensive. I tracked down a Datsun B210 local hoarder who acted like Smaug.
@@randyhendershot428 -- Thank You for the reply Randy. That's Good to Know.
At 3:05 you remark "You still have to get used to driving a carburated car". What do you mean by that? What "getting used to" do you refer to?
my question too??
Mixture control and idle speed are not automatic on these. So starting them takes a little technique particularly in cold weather.
But set up correctly these little XPAGs are robust and good runners, if a little drippy due to their ancient crankshaft seal design
Reminds me of my experience with my 1978 International Scout.. After owning it for a number of years, I would drive on the highway and at about 90kph (55 mph), it would suddenly lose power. I could drive at lower speeds. Took it to the local International dealer snd after several visits and hundreds of dollars spent, they finally determined that there was an filter inside the tank that was a flexible mesh. When fuel flow was high it would collapse and cut off the fuel flow. What a stupid design. It was a beast of 'truck' but it got 12.5 mpg no matter how it was driven.
I had a Scout but still have three other Internationals, check out my video having some fun with my Travelall: th-cam.com/video/jgHmaR0xL4Y/w-d-xo.html
My 1972 International 1010 Custom truck also has that idiotic "sock".
This reminds me of driving my 72 TR6... a joy when it ran, a true pain inre parts and repairs ( many, monthly )... but I did weep when I got rid of it in 95😂😂🙃
That's why we love old cars, they demand your attention
Purists will hate the mods but they seem to me to be sensible upgrades to make the MG more reliable and drivable.
Like someone else said another reliability mod would be to delete that gauze filter in the tank and fit a decent inline filter
At least with the Austin Healey 3000 you can hear the electric fuel pump behind you starting to go tic, tic, tic when the fuel supply is nearly gone.
I had a '52 TD that I restored in "62 - carried a yard stick to check the fuel level. It had an electric fuel pump that had a habit of sticking, if it stopped you got out and tapped it with a spanner, it also on occasion sucked a bit of oil up into the distributor and you had to wipe the points off. Driving in the rain was a thrill - the little wipers work enough for an English drizzle, not a Texas downpour, the top sits on the windscreen and tends to leak and the side curtains tend to suck out at speed and let the rain blow in.
Lovely cars these are rare in the uk 🇬🇧
Hi Steve, What is your 5 speed from? Here in Australia, Datsun ones were popular. Cheers
Love your work 👍
Used in the Capri, Sierra and Merkur XR4Ti.
Nice cars but you need to make a small metal clip to hold the wiper blades up and out of the field of view.
If you check your fuel level with a wooden stick sold by Moss you need to attach a clear plastic pipe the length of the stick and dip the tank with your thumb over the pipe end. This will show you the correct level.
I have sticks for checking the level in my race cars, never heard of the plastic tube trick, I like it.
I think all the mods are great, especially engine based ! BUT the new Speedo/Rev counter is appalling! One of the charms of these T-series is the dash and instruments, the removal of these has altered the soul. Lets face it, it's a part of the car you look at constantly... and on top of that we've lost that lovely clock. Perhaps there is a lesson here in installing some modern fuel gauge subtly for those who can't drive without one these days.
Where did you get the speedo and tach?
great stuff thanks
Man I want one of these bad, ive seen a few for sale but I never get to them fast enough
I think I'd stick with the original configuration; not tricked up with performance gizmozs. Owner/driver -Curt Kuhns
How about talking about the VWBeetle chassis with TD body
What about them? I have never worked on one but I have a friend that has one.
What was the source of the gearbox. Does 5th give an overdrive?
The "fuel gauge" on a TD is the starting handle. Dip it into the tank at regular intervals, and you'll know how much fuel it's used and has left.
Yes 5th is an overdrive it is a Ford T-9
Wow that is a cool car
So not a break down then, more a successful test of the fuel filter, it works so all good 👍
I bet that filter has never been serviced for 70 years.
@@ThisWeekWithCars 😂
I see that you used a Ford T9 transmission, but I don't know what that is. A Ford of England Escort? What are the issues mounting to a MGTD engine? I assume you used the MG bell housing but I'd like to know more about your retrofit.
Used in the Capri, Sierra and Merkur XR4Ti. The TD engine has to be moved forwards about an inch.
The gearbox is the type 9 Sierra box , from Hi gear engineering in my case, with a modified first gear to a slightly higher ratio. They now offer a kit which does not involve moving the engine forward but does require the removal of a section of the cross tube. This is replaced with a casting supplied in the kit.
I use an old arrow shaft for a gas gage, any small piece of wood would work
Was hoping it was an engine swapped TD, love the styling of the TD but want daily driver reliability and modern traffic speed - any ideas on what would be a good swap without compromising the style?
Some folks I know have swapped in a 60s or 70s Volvo power plant which is actually very similar to their British counterparts. Also later MGB 1800 engines would make a good swap.
Of note though these XPAGs are very tunable and can reliably make good power and torque. That’s the route I took on my MG TC since performance parts are still readily available.
Keep your original running gear and swap in Miata running gear.
@@MindDezign Or just buy a Miata LOL LOL
@@caseytailfly I have owned a few of the TD/TC cars.
I bought a 1953 MG TD MK II in 1965.. my first car.
I did not alter my 1953 MGTD Mark II except for period mods.. In my opinion these should be kept close to stock as there are limited numbers of them.
I then bought a 1950 TD...
My 1950 TD was bored to the max/ wild cam, head ported, etc etc etc.. It was build for Bonneville, all period gear.
Then on to a 1946 TC around 1967..
My 1946 TC was built for road or track with a wild cam over bored, cross flow aluminium head with 1 1/2" SU carbs , Borani 15" wheels, Alfin drums, etc.. No bonnet side panels and the requisite leather straps to hold it together. No need for 5 speeds or most new age mods, wonderful car.
All period gear.
@@MindDezign Just thinking that myself. Thought the gearbox might be the 5 speed MX5 box as this is commonly used in classic conversions (Eg MGB)
I thought the engine management of the modern MX5 engine might overcomplicate things a bit though.
dude why don't u just buy a TD2000?
So, the TD is not made for travelling. 51 @ 3000 rpm doesn't sound too good. Putting a different engine in would do the trick.
Have you ever thought of taking one of those English cars and setting it up the way they do with Caterhams ? Not necessarily a road monster, but at least enough that it can be driven at normal speeds with lower rpm's . I've never seen anybody do that and I always wonder why ......... I just went to look at this video of an old Lotus 7 that this old guy put together. The engine is a Coventry Climax all aluminum 1.1 liter . That tiny engine (smaller than your TD) puts out an amazing amount of power. I dont know all the details but it does have 2 Weber carbs . Anyway, that could be put into any MG or Spitfire or Bugeye and the car would definitely move. Maybe cut back to one Weber and it would still be much better than their original setup.
Anyway, if you want to see it, the video's title is "Lotus 7 racing car sound, 1957- Ivan's Shed". (Ivan's the old guy).
What transmission did you use? My MG B needs a 5-speed upgrade but I'm trying to find one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Ford T-9
Do you not have the overdrive fitted that many had, it just bolts on in place of the tail of the gearbox.
I do not. I don't know if overdrive was an option in 1973.
I am pretty sure they had as a factory option a 'Laycock de Normanville' overdrive. Very popular in UK in the 50's to the 70's on many makes of car. Worked on top and third gear on mgb cars I think.
If your gearbox has syncro on first gear it would most likely fit the LH type.
@@jimcrichton8028 Not exactly that easy. Mainshaft and other things are not compatible. Easier to find and fit a gearbox with overdrive already fitted. Units post 1967 model are full synchro so the best choice.
Thank you for sharing your time with your MGB. At least it was a simple fix
At what speed can it be driven? I. E. cruising long distances on the highway. Can it be driven 65 mph for extended periods of time?
Yes but might not be able to maintain that speed on hills unless you have rebuilt the engine with more power. The car will do 80+ if it has enough power.
At the prince of gas today you could fill both cars and have change
No disc brakes ? Surprising........
You could finish that modified TD off with a Fanelli roller cam and a supercharger …. Give the VW Bugs a run for their money.
Does anyone roll up to a "Meet" with a TD 2000, probably would not go down too well.
Perhaps the most elegant style of all that era British sports cars (although considered very unreliable) along with the XK120. Wonder why they left off a fuel gauge?
''...could not be more different from each other..'' do you ever think about what you are saying?
Nice cars, the 5 speed has to be better the old grear box could fell like mixing soup. Great video 2x👍
I’d want to change the rear axle ratio so I could drive 70 and be at 3K rpm’s.
i doubt you'll have enough horse power to do that with a stock TD engine. ....there are limits you know. :)
Salut my friend super car super video subscribe subscribe
AOG 454K looks like a UK numberplate, but wouldn't be right for this car. A 'K' suffix is from around 1972 and cars made before 1972 wouldn't be allowed to use this number.
IIRC, the 'OG' combination signifies Birmingham UK where MG had its headquarters after moving from Oxfordshire.
The 'K' suffix is indeed around 1972 (I had a K-reg Triumph) but certain suffix letters, including A and H can be used for 'heritage' plates although they are not supposed to suggest that a car is younger than it actually is. Perhaps Steve has a back-story.
I am what is commonly known in some circles as first.
And the first shall be last !
@@robt2151 🥲
The clock is there it just doesn’t work.
can someone whose 6ft 2 fit in the drivers seat
At 195 cm, I fit in an MGA just fine (for a couple of decades) but I was pretty darn close, to looking over the Top of the windscreen. Not sure if that added to the British Sports Car 'ambience;' or if all the other folks on the road thought I was driving around, searching for stray "mentational marbles."
Legroom in MG T cars is quite good actually. And the seat can be modified for even more legroom also.
I found if you can keep the original seat foam you sit a bit lower, I’m also toying with the idea of using early sprite bucket seats. I’m 6’2”, and definitely have plenty of leg room. Just feels weird with the steering wheel so close + I could stand to loose a few pounds (stomach)
@@hammerandhatchetengineerin4967 thanks this is so good to know, being tall and small cars does not always work well
Range anxiety, 1950s-style!
NO FUEL GAUGE!!?? "MG"-"TD"-Mystery Gas mileage-Totally Discretionary.
Sounds and acts like carburretor icing.
Apreciando a una mujer tan hermosa. 2:2 sentadillas son unos QUINZAA.Monster muchas y un buen ejercicio. 5:25 Se deja ver que hay muy buenos resultados 😍👍 Saludos desde la Cd.. de world losa mortales abian apreciado tan hermosa mujer
If I want a old/classic car I want it orignal warts and all. Although I am parital to the 5 speed update. But ,then again I know how to double clutch ! Not into the reso-mod thing.
I agree. As another commenter noted you can also just put a taller rear end in these with the stock transmission with similar benefits. Although fwiw the earlier TC transmissions were actually superior to the one fitted to the TD