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MG TD TF 1500 - Vokes air cleaner bolt size

I'm replacing my air filter elements in my XPAG TF and the rear one was a piece of cake. However, the front carb is killing me. Does anyone know the head size of the two bolts that attach the vokes air cleaners to the carb? My tall headed bolt does not have the valley cut in it so using a screw driver is not an option. Any help would be greatly appreciated in the methods you have used to remove the front (nearest to the radiator) original vokes air cleaner assembly.
John Mitchell

Remember the engine is on rubber, so if you lean on it whilst trying to slip the air cleaner out, you will open the gap just a little. My favourite spanner for this is the classic bike spanner which is very short for this tight space.

Matthew.


M Magilton

May help if I actually answered the question.
5/16 Whit.

Matthew.
M Magilton

I tilted the engine slightly when I fitted a 5 speed box by putting washers under one side of the mountings. It has given me more room around the air cleaners and doesn't appear to have affected the fuel levels in the carbs or starter handle alignment.


Jan T
J Targosz

John -

The bolt on my TF Volks air cleaners are 1/4W (5/16 B.S.F.).

Moss #320-360 5/16 B.S.F. X 3/4" bolt for the air filters has a standard hex head, not the tall slotted head. Moss only sells one size of bolt for the filters. The original bolts that attach the cover are shorter than the bolts that hold the air cleaner to the carb. So you will need to cut the new cover-bolts and possibly grind a little off of the new cleaner-to-carb-bolts. Grind them until they don't touch. See #102 and #103 on the Moss diagram:
http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=32765&SortOrder=290

Seems like only a tall head bolt of some type with an internal slot or drive can be used on the front bolt of the front carb.

I have been told that the washer under the cover-bolts is an internal-tooth star washer

Lonnie
TF7211
LM Cook

John,
I changed to 5/16 BSF socket head cap screws so that I could get them off with an allen wrench. Others will suggest a slotted head bolt to get them off with a screw driver, which I believe, is more original. (There are several threads in the archive for this. Just search on "Vokes".)
Safety? Fast?
Scott Ashworth - '54 TF
S. R. Ashworth

Thank you all so much. So, if I understand what you're telling me, I should order a "stubby" 5/16W open end wrench to remove these bolts. Please correct me if I'm wrong. I tried using 1/2" SAE - too small - and 9/16" SAE - too big. Figured it would be whitworth since I only have a few box wrenches. My plan is to take Scott's advice and use socket head screws going forward. I've already ordered them.

Again, thank you all.
John Mitchell

Convert any bolt to slot head by placing a hacksaw or fine cut off disc cut across the head.

For future maintenance only one way to go is to convert the side panels, see the archive. I would not suggest fiddling with engine/gearbox alignment by packing mountings.
G Evans

John -

You need a 1/4W not 5/16W open end wrench. Stubby may help with the back bolt on each air cleaner. I don't think that it will help for the front bolt on the front air cleaner. For the front bolts, either saw a slot in the heads as Grahame suggested or get 5/16 BSF socket head cap screws as Scott suggested.

FWIW - I use my standard length Rolson combination wrench on the rear bolts of each air cleaner of my TF. And a 6" screwdriver with a 3" blade on the front bolts of each air cleaner.

Lonnie
TF7211

Original tall head slotted bolts for front mounting bolts of both air cleaners.


LM Cook

Thanks Lonnie,

Just to be safe, I've ordered a 1/4"W and a 5/16"W opened end stubby wrench. Once I've removed those pesky bolts, I'll cut a slot in them with a hack saw as G. Evens suggests. This will give me yet another option vs the socket head screws. I'm reluctant to start cutting panels, but the idea is brilliant. Some day when the TF needs a respray, I'll cut that panel.

Thanks again for everyone's help and I'll report back after 2/16 (when the wrench is due to arrive) how it all went.

John
TF1565
John Mitchell

Hello everyone,

As promised, I'm reporting back that a 1/4" Whitworth "stubby" open end wrench did the trick. The wrench arrived sooner than expected. Someone else on this topic in another thread said removing these bolts ".... are a right of passage" put it best.

Just finished cleaning all the blood off my knuckles and now that I'm all bandaged up, I'll soon venture back out and clean the blood off the carbs, Vokes and right front fender. The color of blood is a pretty good match to the dark red engine paint, don't you think? Now I know why the factory chose that color. I'm sure by the time it burns off it just might be a perfect match!

The front air cleaner was bent. The lower half was pushed in toward the engine making it difficult to extract out of the engine bay. That's fixed now and both are ready for repainting.

Tomorrow I'll cut slots in the bolts and test the ease of removal. I'll also test the socket head screws. I'm leaning toward using the slotted bolts, but which ever is easiest to install and uninstall will win.

The bottom line is the 1/4"W stubby open end wrench is the ticket, not only for the back bolts, but the front ones also.

Again, thank you all for the help and I'll let you know what I end up using.

John
TF1565
John Mitchell

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2015 and 10/02/2015

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.