1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

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Steve Simmons
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Back to the TC this evening, I found that the rear oil seal housing cannot be mounted correctly because the rear bearing cap flange is too thick, and I can't space the housing away from it because of limited clearance to the flywheel. So, time to set up the mill. I won't have this done tonight, but this will give you an idea of what I'm doing and what unfinished cast iron looks like when you machine away the surface. Purdy. ;)
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Bearing cap
Bearing cap
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by VWNate1 »

Lookng good Steve ! .

I wish I had a camera (and a spare set of clean hands to operate it with !) to make How-To's like this as I know the pitfalls and helpful bits to show.....

Just to day I was working on my old truck's clutch and wanted to snap pix of the nifty pilot bushing remover tool I just bought ~ it's prolly the best $6 I ever spent on tools in my life .

So many clutch jobs don't get new pilot bushings because they're messy to remove....
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Well, not much progress in the past month but I started working again today. The rear crank flange was micro-polished but the surface was still questionable for an oil seal to ride on. Additionally, the seal retainer is sitting too far forward of the flange so that the lip of the seal was not all the way on its mating surface.

The solution was a Speedy Sleeve. I had to order it and wait two weeks but it's the right thing to do. Today I measured for the fifth time at least to make sure I knew exactly how far the Speedy Sleeve had to go on. It actually needs to overhang the forward edge of the flange a bit so the seal will have a flat surface to ride on.

The only way to make this work and not damage the seal is to install the sleeve backwards, which means pre-installing the seal and putting them on together. Another delay was waiting for the auto parts store to get some sleeve retainer in stock (you can't buy this stuff at Pep Boys) but I finally got it today.

Carefully, I got the sleeve started by hand and tapped it into place with a rubber mallet. Once flush with the flange, I installed the flywheel and tightened, to push it forward and into position. It doesn't matter how many times you measure things, you're bound to screw it up now and then. You can't see the sleeve while pressing it into place, and unfortunately I was off by a few thousandths of an inch so the sleeve contacted the aluminum housing. It put a slight bend in the sleeve and unfortunately it was enough to affect the sealing surface. Now I have to carefully remove the seal, then the sleeve (that will be fun), and wait for a new one to arrive at a cost of about $50 with shipping.

How to go on with the night and not want to kill myself? I just think of all the money I'm saving by not paying someone to do it for me. Yeah, that should work. :roll:
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Contact!
Contact!
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by gorms68 »

Have a root beer and work on another car. That should clear your head :hammer:
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Larry Kluss »

Ugh. :(
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

The saga continues! I figured I'd get a bit of busy work done while waiting for the new Speedi-Sleeve, so I got all the rings gapped. Boy did I gap that secondary ring on #1. Darn near double. Now I'm waiting a few days on a new ring. :roll:

Another "situation" I haven't mentioned is the front cam bearing. The machine shop really screwed it up so I ordered another. When the second arrived, there were instructions with it stating that they aren't made right and require modification to fit properly. Apparently the salesperson didn't supply those instructions with the first one, so the machine shop is not to blame. I did the modification and then slipped while using an improvised driver, and screwed up the second one, too. :x I now have a third one and I'm off to my "special" machinist to make me a correct driver for this thing. $25 plus tax and shipping each. You do the math! :(

As a side note, if you've ever wondered what the difference between rings of the 1960's and today are, here is a shot of two brand new sets - one from the 60's and one from last week...
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XPAG Piston rings
XPAG Piston rings
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Re : Modern Piston Rings

Post by VWNate1 »

You'll be well pleased with the new oil ring , it is " gapless " design and they work terrific .

Those old tech cast iron rings were good but these are far better .
:thumbs:
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

The past two days have seen more progress. The new speedi-sleeve is in place and the final ring is gapped. The pistons are in the engine, and while it may seem early there's a reason. In this engine the pistons and rods have to go in before the crank. They cannot be inserted from above, and they cannot be inserted from below with the rings already installed. So it's sort of a double whammy to get them situated before the crank can be offered up to the block. But I'm getting ahead of myself - first the rear seal modification must be completed.

These photos will give you an idea of what is involved to replace the original oil control arrangement and stop leaks. The upper half of the seal carrier is sealed and secured against the block. Clearance is checked between rear cap flange and lower carrier, and an oil return path must be created in the right spot. Once satisfied, the lower carrier is bolted up with two rows of sealant to contain the oil between them, along the rear flange. This is tricky work getting it all just right, but every little detail is critical to prevent leaks.

Tomorrow when the sealant is cured, it comes apart again, very carefully, to get the seal itself installed and further seal the carrier. Once that's done, I get to bolt the crank in for the last time.

Also, last week I finally finished solving the great cam bearing debacle of 2011. A factory reamer provided by a friend was very helpful in lining things up. The lower end is nearly complete!
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MG TC Real Seal Mod
MG TC Real Seal Mod
seal1.jpg (58.01 KiB) Viewed 22076 times
MG TC Real Seal Mod
MG TC Real Seal Mod
seal2.jpg (51.33 KiB) Viewed 22076 times
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Jimmy »

That's great progress, Steve.
If it wasn't for the inevitabe brake bleeding issues, you'd be ready for MG 2011, right?
In baseball, running into someone is apparently a "collision".
But doing the same thing in a car somehow makes it an "accident".
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

We aren't going to MG2011. I don't care much about missing it except that GoF is running right alongside. Normally we would never miss a GoF but it isn't really a traditional GoF this year anyway. It's lumped in with the other event.
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Re: Great Stuff !

Post by VWNate1 »

I applaud your hard work and diligance here .

Are you balancing the rods & pistons uniformly ? .

Have you CC'd the combustion chanbers ? .

I bet this is going to be the sweetest TC engine I'll ever see .
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Well, I'm doing this on as much of a budget as I can so I'm not getting too fancy about things, but someone has already re-sized the rods and it looks like they balanced them at the same time so I didn't go any farther with them. The crank has been balanced and I will balance the flywheel as well after it has been lightened by about 4-5 pounds. The combustion chambers are still pretty much stock. Amazingly the head is still stock thickness except for a couple thou I just had taken off to make it flat. Most of these heads have been skimmed many times by now.

I have an oversized clutch ready to go in but after driving one recently on another TC I'm starting to think about staying with the stock one.

The oil pump is rebuilt and ready for pickup but the water pump had some issues and will take a while longer to complete because the guy is going to GoF in a few days. No matter, I don't think the engine will be back in before he gets back anyway at the rate I'm going!
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Today's progress: Dummy build on the front end, clean and paint a few parts, and breaking a rod bolt. Looks like a new set will be on the way tomorrow. :cry:

Over the weekend I completed the rear seal conversion and installed the crank, rods, etc so at least I've moved forward more than I've stepped back.
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XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
front.jpg (56.41 KiB) Viewed 22050 times
Broken rod bolt
Broken rod bolt
bolt.jpg (22.44 KiB) Viewed 22050 times
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Martin Keller »

Steve,

Broken Rod Bolt....better not that once built up and in the car and running....very lucky I would think.
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1969 MGC GTS
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

After being sidetracked on the GTS, I'm back working on the TC. Today saw much progress. The bottom end is now complete and I'm preparing to seal it all up. Part of this process will include installing a modern rubber lip seal to replace the old rope seal at the front of the crankshaft. You have to do everything all at once and in a certain order so I've decided to call it quits tonight. Additionally, one of my paper gaskets is way too small so I'll need to soak that before it can be used.

Here are a couple shots of the bottom end ready to go. If you're familiar with XPAG engines then you may notice the shortened drain tube on the rear cap. This is supposed to address a known issue that causes leaks on shutdown. Hopefully it will work. (later edit: This is a stupid idea so don't do it). I've also installed MGA/MGB locking plates on the rod nuts because I don't trust the nyloks that Moss supplies with their bolt kits. Nyloks are rated to 250F which is about as hot as hard working engine oil might get.

Also note that I've used safety wire in lieu of split pins. The reason for this is that split pins only prevent the nuts from turning. They do not prevent the studs from coming loose with the nut still attached! Don't make fun of my feeble safety wiring skills. :)
MG TC XPAG Engine
MG TC XPAG Engine
engine1.jpg (38.54 KiB) Viewed 21995 times
I decided to use the old timing gears because they look quite good. A new chain was definitely in order however.
MG TC XPAG Engine
MG TC XPAG Engine
engine2.jpg (49.25 KiB) Viewed 21995 times
Here I've decided to glue the rear cap seal in place beforehand, but I forgot to leave a gap for the gasket to slide underneath. A razor blade will have to correct this when the time comes. This also shows the shortened tube and lock plates.
Rear main cap
Rear main cap
rearcap.jpg (30.64 KiB) Viewed 21995 times
Another issue was with two threaded holes on the aluminum timing cover. If you take one thing home from this thread, let it be this one... always clean your screws before threading into aluminum! Years of neglect will wear the threads right out of their holes. I had to drill out and repair two such holes, returning them to the original thread pitch.
Timing Cover
Timing Cover
timingcover.jpg (35 KiB) Viewed 21995 times
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Re : Update

Post by VWNate1 »

THANX ! .

Everything is looking pretty good here .

Will you use any sealant on the pan gasket ? . I don't normally but my son has been pushing me to try new things and the Permatex " The Right Stuff " is simply amazing in any application .
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

I plan to use a thin layer of Permatex Black on the pan gasket. You need it at the front and rear anyway because there are small gaps, especially with the lip seal conversion. So, may as well do the whole thing. I used Permatex Aviation on the front plate to block gasket and kind of wish I had used Black instead.
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by gorms68 »

Wow, several steps forward and none back. Nice job Steve!
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

More progress today. Oil pan, timing cover, front and rear oil seals all installed and sealed. Had to alter the oil pan gaskets to accommodate the lip seal up front.

New issue: All the pushrods are bent. :roll: I'll have to order new ones before I can get that side cover sealed up.

Most people seem to paint the engine plate the same color as the block, but I feel it looks nicer painted black to match the chassis even though it isn't original. Decided to paint the crank pulley black as well.
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MG TC XPAG Engine
MG TC XPAG Engine
engine1.jpg (45.97 KiB) Viewed 21976 times
MG TC XPAG Engine
MG TC XPAG Engine
engine2.jpg (47.86 KiB) Viewed 21976 times
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Re : Engine Painting

Post by VWNate1 »

I'm with you ~

I like the contrast of different colors of engine mounts & accessories .
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Larry Kluss »

Nice progress!
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Progress continues on the engine but I'll update that later. Here's a sobering discovery. The clamp that holds the entire oil filter assembly to the engine was broken and poorly repaired at one time, and was moments away from breaking again. If this happened, I could have lost all my engine oil in seconds. A thick coat of black paint and road grime prevented me from spotting it sooner. Whew! :eek:
Oil Filter Clamps
Oil Filter Clamps
clamps.jpg (28.1 KiB) Viewed 21896 times
And here is the gearbox all serviced and ready to go. I've painted the casing and am now working on installing the bell housing, rear cover and new seals.
MG TC Gearbox
MG TC Gearbox
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Steve Simmons
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1969 MGC GTS
Location: Co-Nay-Ho Valley
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by Steve Simmons »

Major progress this week, after an extended break while we moved to a new house. I'm skipping a few steps but here are a few photos of the last three days of work.

The first head thumper moment is when I realized I sealed up the oil pan before putting on the flywheel. Can't do that on an XPAG so off it came. I replaced the flywheel with a much lighter one (about 4 lbs lighter). You can see the difference in the amount of metal removed.
Flywheels
Flywheels
flywheels.jpg (45.4 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
Finally the flywheel was attached and sealed (hopefully) against oil leaks from the rear of the crankshaft. The oil pan could now go on... again. :roll:
Flywheel in place
Flywheel in place
flywheel.jpg (36.59 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
An uprated clutch was utilized, offering a larger disc, smaller overall pressure plate and stronger springs. Problem is, I didn't realize until too late that it uses three locating pins instead of two. Being in a time crunch to get the car ready for the weekend, I cut off one pin and used the remaining one to locate, and the six bolts to take up the slack. I run the risk of a slight imbalance but it's very unlikely to shear. (later update: It ran perfectly smooth and the next time the oil pan came off a few years later I had two more dowels added)
Clutch
Clutch
clutch.jpg (41.47 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
The gearbox seals were replaced, bell housing attached, etc and the gearbox was finally attached to the engine!
XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
engine1.jpg (46.39 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
engine2.jpg (48.77 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
With 30 minutes of assistance from my used parts store owner (Gene) the lump was dropped into place. Felt good to see the engine once again where it belongs! I then spent the rest of the day doing all the little attachment things that seem like they shouldn't take the rest of the day. It was a thing of beauty...
XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
bay1.jpg (43.8 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
bay2.jpg (41.7 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
XPAG Engine
XPAG Engine
bay3.jpg (51.89 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
...until you look closer. I failed to notice a rocker pedestal spacer had gone missing. Something didn't "feel" right so I backed the bolts out and discovered that in a total rookie move I had cracked the pedestal. :x
Cracked rocker pedestal
Cracked rocker pedestal
pedestal.jpg (54.2 KiB) Viewed 21841 times
Here I sit broken hearted. Boy I wish the car had started! And it would have, too! Guess the TC will have to sit the weekend out while the MGA pretends to be older than it is.
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by VWNate1 »

I missed it ~ please detail how the rocker shaft pedestal got cracked ? :? .

That improved clutch appears to be a diaphragm typ ~ those typically have softer spring (no plural) but afford vastly better clamping whilst reducing pedal effort sharply .

Truly , both the car and your works are things of beauty :bow: .
-Nate
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Re: 1949 MG TC Engine Rebuild and other stuff

Post by gorms68 »

Steve that's too bad, you were almost there. Well now you can relax a bit , take the MGA on the trip and not worry about every little new noise as you run the new engine in over the weekend.

It sure was a valiant attempt though! :drive
Chris Gorman
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