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MG MGA - Master Cylinder Cover

I have a 1600 roadster with the wrong master cylinder cover. My cover is flat, which is for the 1500. The proper 1600 cover is raised. See Moss part 180-260.
Does anyone know a source for a used 1600 cover or know someone who needs a 1500 cover?
R.B. Johnson

Try Scarbofaire and ask if they have a used one. You can find her number in archives. She is in Roade Island Cecelia has many used parts.
JEFF BECKER

Sorry Jeff. I had a good chuckle with your last sentence, but I know what you mean.

Steve
Steve Gyles

What parts do you mean? How much use? You know what these Rhode Island girls are like!
Terry Drinkwater

Mister Drinkwater,
My wife and daughters are Rhode Islanders, what do you mean when you say " what those Rhode Island girls are like" ??
Jonathan Johnson
Jonathan

I sure wish I would have learn to spell better in school or this board had spell check so I would not cause so much trouble!!!!
JEFF BECKER

Mr Jonathon Johnson, as you say over the pond 'lighten up'. No offence meant to your 'gals'. Maybe you don't understand our British sense of humour.
Terry Drinkwater

R.B. I have a 1600 master cylinder cover that I will part with. The aluminum part is in good condition, but I haven't tried to unscrew the cap and it's probably stuck on pretty tight. Drop me a line off the board and we'll work something out.

Bill Young
Bill Young

Hey I have exactly the same problem, a flat cover when it should be raised. Does anyone have another.
Cheers John
John Hancock

I have the same problem, a flat cover when it should be raised. Does anyone have another to spare?
John Hancock

I bought mine new from Heritage Parts in Sydney. Their number is +61 2 96093988. Not original, I supose, but looks the part.
David Godwin
D Godwin

Out of curiosity why do the 1600s have the additional capacity? Is it to provide more reserve for disc braked cars? I am running my 1500 on front discs and the 'flat' master cylinder. I have not had any problems (touching wood as I type) but am wondering whether it would be prudent to convert.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve--that's the reason. Keep your MC topped up--check it regularly and it shouldn't be a problem. The extra capacity was engineered in because most car buyers don't bother to check such things on a regular basis. It made up for volume decrease as the pads wore.
R. L Carleen

OK, here's a trivia question.

I noticed at a recent car show that the raised top on my 1600 master cylinder was a half inch higher than all the others, except one guy who also had the same part as me.

So does anyone know what car the 'wrong' part might come from? I can't think of any others models, off hand, that used that bit. I think that things like Bugeyes ran with no high top reservoir.

The extra height makes it a bit difficult to open as it is so close to the bonnet surround edge, especially as I use a later knurled platsic cap instead of the metal one.
Bill Spohn

I pulled out my old MC when I rebuilt my brake system and replaced it with a new one from Moss. I had to swap over the cover, as the moss unit came with the 1500 style cover. With the original MC in place, the plastic cap cleared OK--with the new MC--I had to turn the plactic cap down, removing the knurling, to prevent interference with the edge of the cowl. The extra height may not be from the cover, but a slightly taller MC--I never did measure the old against the new--but there was a difference. It could be that the 1500 MC assembly was a bit taller than the later one or there were some variations in the MC's over their production life (different casting patterns?)--all arcane knowledge that may never have been recorded as the MGA slowly evolved.
R. L Carleen

I've been running my '58 1500 with 1600 front disc brakes and the original flat top master cylinder since 1968 and had no problems with running out of fluid.
Fraser Cooper

This thread was discussed between 20/05/2005 and 01/06/2005

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.