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MG TD TF 1500 - TD Windscreen Wipers

I would like to replace my TD windscreen wiper motor and wipers with a TF setup. Has anyone done this?
L.F. Thorne

Yes L.F.

I did this to my TD when I first put it together back in 1973.

Since then I returned my wipers back to the correct TD motor and system on the windshield. A bunch of work.....

I did a lot of none standard things back then, also the previous owner thought it was a TD MkII - which it was not.

The only thing I kept was the TC Fly off handbrake. The rest is now back to Std. TD.

To modify the TD for TF wipers you will need to remove the Scuttle and mount a wood cross member and contour it to fit the under side. It needs to be orientated correctly so the surface where the little gear boxes for the wiper blades mount are at the correct angle and then make two oval holes in the scuttle to allow them to poke through and also accept the two rubber molded grommets that fit around the spindles. All a bit tricky, but it came out OK.
Later, just needed to get her back to Std. As you can see form the cockpit - several things are not right for a TD.. :)
It was stage 4 tuned and went like a rocket. But that just wore her out quicker. Now, we do things more sedately - unless its urgent.....

Rod







Rod Jones

Thanks Rod. The TF has a knob in each glove box for each wiper. This would be difficult to do on a TD. What sort of switching arrangement/mechanism did you have?
Lionel.
L.F. Thorne

The knob in each compartment engages and disengages the wiper from the drive rack so that the wipers can be moved off the screen and it can be folded down if required. The drivers side also incorporates an on / off switch. The TF wipers may look better than the TD type, and are undoubtedly safer, but they are equally useless, unless you upgrade the wiper motor to a later type.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Hi Dave,
Can't agree that the TF wipers are useless. The problem is that the replacement arms have too strong a spring. I strain the spring to reduce the drag. My car is used all year round in all weather and have no problem. The main thing is that driving a TF with hood up is like looking out of your letterbox flap.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Ray. You must be fortunate in having a very.good original TF wiper motor. Following your advice I did strain the springs on mine, but the original motor struggled - so did the other two original wiper motors that I have. In the end I fitted an MGB type motor and that is much better. Others have reported similar findings.
Dave H
Dave Hill

All I did was put a set of switches just above the steering wheel. To park you just turns them off when in the down position :)
Did not bother with the knobs from the original system at all. KISS method... The 4 switches were for Wipers, Washer system, and the two Cibi spot lamps up front. [Made it real easy to flash other MGs when driving.] Picture shows layout of the switches. I installed an oil temp gauge and put the heater s/w up through the dash. There is a lot not right here for the purist, don't argue that. But that is the joy of having an MG, you can innovate, change and mod and the engine is as strong as an ox. Enjoy your MG and drive the hell out of it.

As Dave says in reality the TF Wipers were still a tad slow and really not that much use. RainX is the only way to go.

Finally just went back to the Std. System and now feel it is better for the TD. Still kept the TC handbrake though. love it. :) Also when there is a third person in the cockpit - their eyes don't water when you go over bumps now.....lol

Rod




Rod Jones

To set up a different wiper system is up to the individual, but I would never use an original TF wiper motor, their utterly gutless. As mentioned in an earlier post, I modified a single speed DR-2 motor and gearbox from an early MGA and it works great! Here's a pic. PJ



PJ Jennings

If you are bent on putting a better system in the TD, I would just use parts from an MG midget... no need for the braces and wood work Rod went through. No need for worrying about the wiper knobs... just need a mount for the switch some place. The whole system will be a huge improvement over the stock TD wiper system at the cost of originality and a couple of oval holes in the cowl. Just my 2 pence.
L E D LaVerne

Rod.
I am making a move to Naples in the next two months and am interested in the MG activities. I have been with our present club since inception in 1973 and am extremely familiar with MG'.
Is there much LBC activity around there?
Sandy Sanders
Hudson Fla
727-868-3437 Home
239 777 0013 Cell
esane@msn.com
edith sanders

Edith,
Sent you email :)
Rod Jones

Of course, removing the TD wiper will leave several holes in the windscreen frame. I would think that to be ugly to say nothing of the rain it would allow in.
Lew Palmer

Thank you all for your responses. Very helpful. I hadn't thought of using Midget parts and will now investigate this further. I will report progress later.Thanks again.
Lionel.
L.F. Thorne

Lew,
My PO who had collected all the bit for the car that were not TD, had also had the screen re chromed and there were I believe brass strips over all the unused holes. Later had to reverse all that - but it looked just fine at the time.
Rod Jones

This thread was discussed between 19/06/2017 and 21/06/2017

MG TD TF 1500 index

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