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MG TD TF 1500 - Brake Hone?

I'm getting ready to rebuild the wheel cylinders on my '52 TD.

Is honing required?

If it's a maybe, how do I tell if I need to once I open them up?

Is there a T-Series specific hone I need, or is this something I can pick up at NAPA/Pep Boys/etc..

Any additional advise/experience related is appreciated

Stan Griffis

They should come apart easily with compressed air, just don't use too much pressure or you'll shoot parts all over your garage! Once they are apart you'll have to judge the finish on the cylinder walls. If they are pitted, rusted or discolored, they will probably need refinished. I tried a small brake hone from sears, but wasn't pleased with the results. I ended up sending them out for stainless steel liners.

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

Considering the cost of shoes/labor, etc., unless they are really perfect, have them sleeved or replace. The new rears are really reasonable- probably not worth sleeving. Check down inside the cyl. at the edge of the cup/piston- they seem to corrode a lot there leaving pits which won't polish out.
George Butz

Sure wish I'd had mine sleeved before I spent all the time trying to get the old cylinders to seal. Now have all 7 cylinders sleeved per Uncle Bob Fig. Check back to see if the gizillion dollars was worth it. I'll bet it is - he hasn't steered me wrong yet!
Dave Dunlavy

Don't use an air compressor to free the pistons. Simply fitr a grease nipple and using a grease gun the reluctant piston will come out.
Relinging works (try Past parts at Bury St Edmunds Suffolk @ £22 each cylinder) or make new pistons from stainless steel. The problem is the piston rusts but another way is the beeld the brake system once a year, whether you have used the car or not and thuis will vastly reduce corrosion.
Bob Marshall

Chaps, I agree with Bob about bleeding the brakes regularly .......however, my experience has been that I have to something with the TF brakes most years, so the fluid never stays in much more than a year anyway! With other cars I have owned, both old and modern, I have been amazed at the state of the fluid when it has been in the system for just a couple of years. My MGBGTV8 was the worst - fluid was nearly black, and I regularly changed the seals in the 14 years I ran it. AB
Adrian Bennett

I found an old master cylinder cap at an autojumble (they are the same as those on a Morris Minor) and drilled a hole through the centre. I then fitted the valve stem from an old inner tube - the one on my wheel barrow had a flange and backing nut - into the hole. When I bled my brakes all I had to do was pressurise the system with a foot pump and open each bleed nipple to let the fluid and air spurt out. Haven't had to change the fluid yet but if the resto takes me much longer it will stagnate through lack of use. Perhaps I should have used silicone fluid - but that's another thread.


A friend has gone one better had has made attachments from an old mechanical fuel pump to draw the fluid and air out of each bleed nipple.

Whilst I fully agree that the best policy is to replace any suspect brake parts dirty cylinder can be cleaned by cutting a slot about 2" long across the dianeter of a piece of 1/4" rod and fitting a 1" strip of fine emery cloth in the slot in a back to front "s" shape. If you put this into the cylinder and spin it with an electric drill the emery cloth will flail out and very effective hone th bore.

Jan T
J Targosz

<<<snip>>>
Haven't had to change the fluid yet but if the resto takes me much longer it will stagnate through lack of use. Perhaps I should have used silicone fluid - but that's another thread.
<<<snip>>>
When doing a resto never add fluids until the car is finished and always do the engine last.

We had a thread last winter on the order to do a resto and my advice was the same then.
Bullwinkle

This thread was discussed between 07/08/2003 and 17/08/2003

MG TD TF 1500 index

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