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MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - MGTD tool roll

Hey guys,

I am getting close to pulling the trigger on the purchase of a complete tool roll for my car. I am looking at a couple online. I have a 1952 TD #8732, a early TD. On Ebay there is a early kit listed for TC-TD and a kit listed for TD, I assume later model. Price is several hundred dollars difference. By another seller there is a similiar kit listed with a grease gun. Was the grease gun part of the kit? I guess my main question is, what kit is right for my car? Is there a website that can tell me exactly what is included in the kit I need to match my car, or do any of you know?

On a side note I am in great need of jack handles for my Shelley jack. Anyone??

Thanks in advance..

Rich

www.mgtd.co.nr
RK Rich

Rich, scroll down to the thread about jack handles, and you will see two nice TF toolkits, one by David and one by Matt. The TD kit is very similiar. Also, there is a list of the tools correct for your car listed in your operation manual on page 16. A complete, original toolkit for your car will cost dearly. You can do a google search for MG TD toolkit and should have several hits. And yes, a grease gun would have been included in the original kit, most likely an Enots 1D for your car. Larry
Larry Brown

Rich, did you have a look at the "Original MGTD midget" website? Some usefull info and photos there in the details section. I am a contributior to the TF sister site. Yes, the grease gun was part of the original kit.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Rich,
Another option to consider.
I assembled a complete tool kit for my early TD one item at a time.
It took a couple of years and I enjoyed every minute.
Something like a treasure hunt.
And I learned much more than if I had bought the kit all assembled.
Many of the items came from the U.K. and I never had a bad experience with any of the sellers.
All were very helpful and anxious to please.
Larry Brown in Georgia (comment on this thread) is also an excellent source for original tools and information.
Best regards, Steve
Steve Swarts

Rich,

From The Frame Up has the jack handle. TL111 for the handle, TL113 for the tommy bar.

Warmly,
Dave
Dave Braun

Rich I saw one of these kits listed on E bay at a local car show and they where repros not original. Thought you might like to know. Bill
Bill Mason

Hey guys,

Thanks again for your knowledge. I went ahead and ordered a tool kit on EBay today. Original kit missing a couple items I think, but it's a starting point and it didn't break the bank... Something to build on!

Thanks Dave for the referral on the jack handles.. I have been looking for those for sometime. I will be contacting them very soon.

Matthew I will indeed check out the TD midget website. I have in the past and always forget about the great info out there. I sometimes get lazy and just ask you fine gentlemen questions when the information is out there for me to find on my own.

Going to go look at my owners manual now and see what it says about the tools...

Once again, a big thanks you!

Rich

www.mgtd.co.nr
RK Rich

Rich,
Post some pix when you get it on this thread!
Then get hold of Larry Brown ....you will not be dissapointed working with him ...heck of a nice guy!
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

I had the opportunity to take this pic of an extremely rare one owner original TF tool kit a couple of weeks ago. The owner is passionate about the marque & has been meticulous in ensuring the kit stayed together. I believe there is only one item missing. The canvas tool roll is a replacement as his original roll was made of hessian with a black painted substance on the outside & it disintergrated about 45 years ago. The leather strap from that roll is included here. FYI. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Hey Matthew: Check out the long bar just below the jack handles in this kit. I don't have one of these and your kit does not seem to have it either. I always thought the tommy bar for the sockets was supposed to perform both roles.

Does anyone else have one of these long round bars in their original toolkits?
Christopher Couper

Peter,

When I look at that tool roll, I am convinced that the tool rolls were different for different countries.

I am the original and only owner of TF 4592 and although my tool roll is no longer complete, I can state categorically, that mine did not come with a grease gun. And I don't recall the bleeder tube either.
(I assume in the small can).

Missing from the photo I believe, is the tire valve removal tool in brass.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

Close Gordon but no cigar. The tyre valve tool is just visible beside the pair of pliers. You may well be right about different tool rolls for different countries but it is more likely that the roll varied dependent simply on what tools were available from any of a number of suppliers (Shelley, King Dick, Dunlop principally) when she rolled off the line. Can't vouch with absolute certainty for the grease gun as I was 5 years old at the time but I do believe they were part of all kits, certainly from the TC on. (See the TC list from Doug Pelton from "From the Frame up") Also listed in the TD Driver's Handbook as part of the kit. See Chris Couper's site. Matthew Magilton shows the guns that came with each model, including the TF. If you didn't get one then I reckon Abingdon owes you one! You are right however about the Lockheed can containing the brake bleeder tube as it was an optional extra. However I believe there is one tool missing from the pic. Anybody know what it is? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Well the grease gun does not have the cap but that's not a tool. So I wait with baited breath.
Christopher Couper

Missing tool: ring spanner for cylinder head nuts
Frank Cronin

Bingo!
P Hehir

Rich, according to the records your car was Made on July 3 1951. Mine is TD 8105 and was made in May of 51. You can view this on the T register side. It may have been sold and credited in 1952 but was made in 1951.
Tom Maine

Tom, How do you access the "T register site" with production dates? I always understood my TD8986 was made July 11, 1951 but I could be wrong and would like to verify.
John Quilter (TD8986)

According to the production records on Chris Couper's site, on 1st June 1951 TD8042 was built & on 29th June TD9701 was built. So TD8986 should have been made around the middle of June 1951, if these production records are correct. Seems to be a difference of about 2 weeks between Tom & Chris's dates? (I got a stamped colour photocopy of the factory production log book page for my car from England confirming 1st Feb 1951 as my build date. This tallies with Chris's site.) Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Chris, I only have the single bar as listed in the handbook.
No two kits seem to be identical and the handbook mentions that tools may vary or be omitted from time to time.
I often wonder if the Lockheed tube actually was supplied with our kits. They always seem to turn up and they definitely were issued in TC and Y type kits.

Matthew.
M Magilton

I'll throw these out here...with disclaimers!
Not original to my TF, but believed to be (at least somewhat) correct.


David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

Better view of "tools only".


David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

This may help someone that is trying to collect "separate pieces" to assemble a kit.

The plug wrench marked "dealer option for TD" came from a fee-bay auction that proclaimed it as such.
I do not believe that to be an accurate description now. This pic is 14 years old.


David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

David I found such a plug spanner in the bottom of my side curtain carrier box, along with a SC door support (the box was long gone) when I bought my TD in 1969. It isn't mentioned in the Driver's Handbook original tool list. I picked up an original hammer at a swap meet a week ago with Shelley stamped on one side of the head, British Made on the other & 3/4 in the scallap underneath. I'd like to know more about it. Anybody else have this hammer in an original kit? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Update on the "missing tool". Seems the TF kit never had a cylinder head spanner so the pic above actually shows a very rare, intact & completely original TF kit. I was also wrong about the Lockheed brake bleeder tin as it is listed as part of the TF kit. Oddly enough as Matthew says it was supplied with the TC & the Y, but not the TD. David I'd like to use one of your pics in the tool kit document I'm compiling. If you contact me off line I'll send you a copy. pjbm at bigpond dot com Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hmmm..... On The Original mgtf Midget site,Matthew Magilton's very original TF toolkit has in fact a Cylinder Head Nut Spanner included!! With John Mitchell's observation re the TF Parts Listing,I am confident that the TF tool kit had this tool included.
The irony is,in Matt's tool TF kit,is the Tappet Adjustment Spanner missing?

Larry Brown,do you have any clues as to the inclusion of the 1D versus the 1H Enots Grease in TF tool kits ie.
was there a transition from the 1D to the 1H at some stage?

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
R GRANTHAM

Well Rob attached is a copy of the TF tool list taken from an original TF Driver's Handbook. The owner of this kit & I have had many conversations on this point & he is adamant that his kit IS complete & never came with a cylinder head spanner. He cites the Driver's Handbook & the fact that he never received the spanner when he purchased the car new. He has restored & owned two TD's & readily concedes both TD's had a CH spanner but that his original one owner TF did not. He also has an MGA & a YT & is quite knowledgeable on the marque. It's true that MM's kit does now have a CH spanner but it is not impossible that it could have been added sometime in the past 60 years. The listing in the parts book does seem contradictory. Yes you are correct as MM's tappet spanner is indeed missing. Cheers
Peter TD 5801


P Hehir

Peter,

I always defer to the Factory issued TF Midget Service Parts List in these situations.As you know,the TF Operation Manual is full of 'rushed inaccuracies and omissions'.

On this further theme,page 32 depicts a 'TF' Rocker Cover Cap which has its safety chain missing! The side setscrew is incorrect also.

The TF Midget Service Parts List indicates "Cylinder Head
Nut Spanner(Section N)" under Tools- as Part No.81782.

"I am confident that the TF tool kit has this tool included".

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").




R GRANTHAM

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this one Rob. If the factory issued Driver's Handbook can be incorrect then the same must apply to the Parts list. Surely parts from earlier models e.g. the TD can find their way, rightly or wrongly, into later factory issued parts publications? (I believe the cylinder head spanner was still being used as late as the MGA) so if a TD owner wanted to replace his lost factory issued cylinder head spanner during the production run of the TF, I don't think it would be too surprising to find it listed in the current (TF) parts list, as a great many TD parts were common to the TF & errors & omissions do exist in both publications.

I wonder if there are any other TF owners out there who purchased their cars new & also didn't receive a cylinder head spanner? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Here is the original toolkit belonging to Michael Chrinside in NZ. Unfortunately his roll gave up the ghost some time ago but the tools remain, with their original paint finishes.

The following statement appeared in the TF 1250 and 1500 Handbooks (not the TD handbook, that I have anyway): "The tools supplied may vary or be omitted from time to time as a result of the steel supply situation or design modifications."

Matthew.


M Magilton

Matthew is Michael's kit from a TD or a TF? The copy of the TF list that I have posted above also carries the same proviso. Re the finish, originally some tools were painted black & others were blackened using a chemical process, again depending on the manufacturer. I now favour the "no CH spanner position" as the gentleman who purchased his TF new (& still owns it) insists there never was a CH spanner in his kit & that this is confirmed by the list from the TF handbook. As he was around at the time & most of the rest of us weren't, the question is who are you going to believe? Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

JOHN,
I don't think you got an answer to your question,,, go to
http://www.tregister.org/recall_page.php?req_page=records_home

Steve
Steve Wincze

Hi All,

Just looked up the photos Frank Cronin took of the USA
TF 9052. Nice shots of the original TF tool kit items.
There it was,the Cylinder Head Nut Spanner!

TDs and TFs both have Cylinder Heads.

I'll be working from the TF Service Parts List for National Concours in the future. TF tool kits,Cylinder Head Nut Spanner, to be included in the assessment-no doubt.

Rob Grantham
TF9177("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").

R GRANTHAM

Michael's tool kit is for a TF.

Matthew.
M Magilton

Thanks Rob & Matthew. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Hmmm...... I noticed in the photo of Matt Magilton's very original TF tool kit,that the correct No.1 Thor Hammer's cast body is painted the same bright green colour as the USA TF9052!

Matt,was this the original colour of your copper ended Hammer when new? May be pure coincidence,however the particular green colour looks identical to the copper hammer in TF9052's tool kit.

Cheers
Rob Grantham
TF9177("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
R GRANTHAM

I don't know whether this adds or confuses.
Service Parts list May 1954, page N.2. lists.

Tool Roll complete, including:-
Cylinder head nut spanner (ring type) part number 2368
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Thanks Ray. To summarize the info & opinions obtained thus far:

The TF Service Parts list shows a CH spanner
The original & subsequent TF Driver's Handbooks do not
An original/current & lucid TF one owner states categorically that his car has never had a CH spanner
Current TF owners believe the DH & the original one owner are incorrect & that a CH spanner was included
Both TD's & TF's had cylinder heads ergo it is highly likely they both had CH spanners
No other TF original/current one owners have expressed an opinion
The DH has errors so the Parts list has more credibility
All tools may or may not have been supplied due to availability problems
A missing TF CH spanner would attract concours penalities

Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Rob, yes I am sure that would be the original paint. Some of the TC toolkit factory shots (eg, the one in the SPL) also show non-black heads. Probably due to whatever batch of hammers arrived from Thor. These could also with or without the Thor script. Mine is without. Attached a pic showing my original hammer and my ball-peen alongside a new Thor I purchased a few years ago which is also a size 1 copper-copper.

Matthew.


M Magilton

Matthew M,

Thankyou for the follow up re the Thor hammer head green colour.

TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos").
R GRANTHAM

Peter,
You have mail.
Let me know if you would like a better pic with more detail and better resolution.
David Sheward 55 TF1500 # 7427

This thread was discussed between 01/12/2012 and 28/12/2014

MG TD TF 1500 index

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