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MG TD TF 1500 - MGA ring & pinon to MGTD/TF

Will a MGA 4.3 ring and pinon bolt right in to a MGTD, mgtf differential?
Lyle Jacobson

Lyle, you can order the conversion information in booklet form from Moss Motors.

http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=81970

There are also some club websites with excellent information.
warmly,
dave
Dave Braun

Not quite a 'bolt right in' operation, but it will fit. See http://www.ttalk.info/RearEndConversion.htm for a bit of information on the subject.

Bud
Bud Krueger

Dave, Bud, thanks for the help. Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

Lyle, If you have access to an MGA rear, don't take out the ring and pinion and throw the rest away. You will need, at the least, the tubular pinion bearing spacer as well as the pinion flange. It is a fairly involved conversion, and the Carl Cedarstrand booklet from Moss, as Dave says, is the main resource. It involves the fabrication of some fixtures and tools, but, for a reasonably handy person, is very doable. It absolutely transforms the car. Makes it very pleaseant to drive on the highway (pleaseant, but please remember that by today's standards, our cars are death traps). If you are not ready to take on this task, there are several shops that will either convert your rear, or offer exchange units.
If you check the archives of this BBS, you will find many threads.
I see, in a thread from earlier today, that John Twist of University Motors, in Michigan, is back in business. He has done many of these conversions.
Steven Tobias

Thank you Steven.
Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

lyle, the atlanta chapter has boiled down the cederstrand book into a process the chapter is able to use as a weekend event. i may still have the pdf file if you are interested. regards, tom
tom peterson

See http://www.ttalk.info/RearEndConversion3.pdf for a copy of the Atlanta paper. Bud
Bud Krueger

John Twist is back in business!
If I was doing this again ...first person I would contact. (Have 4.3 done by Dave Zyp in Cinti, OH. not sute if he is still doing them though)
David Sheward

Thanks everyone for all the great information.
Lyle
Lyle Jacobson

If you are thinking of WWs, you could use the entire MGA rear WW axle. The front hubs, backing plates and drums from an MGA 1500 can also be mounted on a TD-TF. This will not work for disc wheels as the MGA wheels are not similar to the TD/TF’s.
David Werblow

I did the conversion myself a few years ago. Not very difficult, but a little confusing, at first. The Cedarstrand book instructions are a lot more "sensible" when the actual parts are in front of you. I read the instructions about 3 times before pulling the axle from the car. Mechanically, the ring & pinion is a bolt in swap. Getting all the clearances, pinion depth, backlash etc. correct was time consuming. As the MGA pinion has a different spline than the TD/TF, the MGA flange must be used. The TD driveshaft bolts right to it - same bolt pattern and size. I made the jigs and tools as specified in the book. Most parts were hardware store stock. I later sold the kit for about what I had paid for the pieces. Biggest item was the stand to hold the axle housing vertically. Much easier to work on in that position. Hardest part was getting the axle out of the car and back in again. Easier with 2 people.
John Masters

I spoke with David Zyp about doing a 4.3 for me back in October. I plan on running mine up to him here soon.

He is cutting back but is still in business and at the time had a TD rear-end already converted ready to go and for sale.

Regards,

Rich
Richard Taylor

I use the "Mastell method", finding a dial indicator base small enough fot the pinion head was the hardest part.
Len Fanelli

Richard,
You will be very happy with David Zyp's work.
Excellent job on mine ..tell him I sad "hi".
Glad to hear he's still at it ..I had heard he might
stop doing these.
David Sheward

Lyle,

I missed that you were in Washington. I'm in the process of having all the special bits made up so I can convert my car. I've read the cedarstrand booklet about 5 times, the shop manual about 3, and the Georgia PDF doc 3 times over 1.5 years. It's now getting quite understandable. The first time through the cedarstrand booklet just about scared me away from even thinking about the project, but further readings helped me understand what was being set up.

I have the 4:3 ring and pinion already and would like to squeeze this mod in before the drving season starts in earnest here in Seattle. Would you be interested in tackeling this project together? Having two hands and two heads would likely help under the circumstances. Get in touch with me via email and perhaps we could work something out.

Alex
ABW Waugh

This thread was discussed between 11/03/2010 and 15/03/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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