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MG TD TF 1500 - Hellings pancake air filter -K&N replacement?

Hello!

My 1954 TF1500 has the Hellings pancake type air cleaners. Either original Helings or older repros, I dont know.

I have now removed the perforated steel and foam inners, and the foam is disintegrating, and must be really heavy to breath through.

I have tried to check with the K&N website without finding a suitable size to replace them, but most probably someone on this list already has a proper solution.

K&N filters are available in Norway, NAPA stores are not.
I dont really trust foam mesh, and have had good experience with K&N filters for my motorcycles, so if anyone have a K&N P/N that fits and is currently available I would be very grateful!

regards,

Jan


Jan Kristoffersen

Hi Jan,

I had the Hellings air filters on my TD and found them to be quite unsuitable. They restrict the amount of air available to the SU carbs,due to their shallow depth, and I don't think they do a good job of filtering. I have changed over to a Vokes air filter, which is 1 3/4" deep, and have noticed an improvement in the engine performance. It even sounds better, and does not seem to be struggling for air. Your TF might have a problem with a deeper filter due to the side panel. I had to remove mine in order to fit the Vokes filters. I have noticed that Moss has a 1 3/4" K&N filter that you might be able to adapt.

George
George Raham [TD4224]

Thank you George, I will check with Moss. 1 3/4" might be a narrow fit insde the TFs sidepanel I guess, and will probably need som adaptation to fit,

regards

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Jan, The Volks air cleaners are the proper ones for the TFs. Here's a photo of mine with the proper valve cover vent pipe attached. With the Volks, there's a front and rear air cleaner, as shown in picture. Moss has these, I believe. Not cheap though! PJ





P Jennings

Jan, $221.95 US, Moss price for the Volks air cleaners. Part no. 372-165. PJ
P Jennings

E-mailed with Moss UK today. They told me that the
1 3/4 inch K&N filters will not fit the TF, and that they do not have the Vokes air cleaners in stock.

I have today bought a high flow low restriction foam filter in a speedway mc/c shop. Will cannibalize it to fit the Hellings filters, but I see the point about having too little air flow due to the shallow Hellings filters.

Anybody out there with a pair of original TF Vokes filters unused on the shelf? Please e-mail me offline if you are willing to strike a deal on them!

regards,

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Hi Jan,

I would like to suggest that you see if you can increase the depth of the Hellings by stooling the front face away from the back face as far as you can and still fit within the side panel. It is something I had considered but never got around to experimenting with. I feel you should be able to increase the depth and allow more air to flow into the carb. Careful measurements will tell. If you look at the regular TF front air cleaner, you will see the back plate is deformed to fit as close as possible to the side panel. It will probably be necessary to do something similiar with yours. These are the fun things we can do to improve our cars. Good luck, and let me know if you work out the problem.

George
George Raham [TD4224]

Yes I think you are right George. There is a potential for more air flow area if I make the centre bolts longer and make up small distance pieces. I will give it a shot and report back. Found some aluminium mesh in a large sheet today at "Biltema" ( Scandinavian sort of NAPA store) which is really flexible and with lots of large holes. Should be suitable for building a wider foam support ring than the original ones.

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

I had the same S & H reproduction filters. Nice to look at but nothing else. I bought some 1 3/4" K & N s' but there is no way it's gonna fit on the TF. Tried many ways and you just can't get it on the front carb. I do have one on the blower carb now. Put the other two on the MGB. In addition I've put MGB radius plates inside the filter. You could use the Bumble bee filters I had on the B for a while. They will fit and do a much better job than the S & H's.


LaVerne

Hello again,

The Bumble Bee filters sure look good, although not a period accessory. But I would not think that they would fit inside the TFs sidepanel? Have you actually used them in a TF, and are these the same filters as sold by Moss motors US?

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Those were the filters I used on the TF until I put the super charger on , so yes they will fit. These came with the MGB when I bought it years ago but I believe Moss sells the same filters.
LaVerne

I have given up on the S&H air cleaners. Ordered a repro Vokes kit from MOss US yesterday, they are listed as in stock. Moss Europe do not list them.

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Jan, you won't be sorry. Even though their not original, no one but a judge or someone who knows the originals will know the difference. They look nice. I had a small problem with mine, as the vent pipe on the front filter had to be angled back a little to receive the vent pipe hose without hitting the carb bell. Only to give you an idea of what I had to do to get mine to work right, in the photo, the red line is approximately where the original pipe was set, the blue line is how I modified it by cold bending it back to receive the hose.




P Jennings

Thank you for the tip about the angle of the vent pipe on the front filter, nice to check that up before things are bolted up and tight!

Hopefully i will once more see these famous words confirmed: "Buy the best and cry only once!" (that is if you do not have a full machine shop....)

regards

Jan
Jan Kristoffersen

Can't remember where - eBay? - but I recently saw a Vokes TF air filter used on the top of the regular TD snorkel! Didn't that look odd!

Tom
t lange

This thread was discussed between 12/12/2010 and 23/12/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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