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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 - Turbocharging

Has anyone ever turbocharged a TD or XPAG engine? Just wondering, that way there would be no strain on the crankshaft at the front of the engine. Don't know if it can be done or not, just curious.
TRM Maine

TRM

Guy on e-bay that is selling a kit supposedly that will fit an MGB. Probably uses the single carp manifold. Could probably easily make a two into one adapter to fit on the TD. May also be enough room under the hood if the carb and turbo went in lenthwise with the engine. If the supercharger will fit under the hood, A small turbo unit should also.
BEC Cunha

Turbocharging is a whole different world to Supercharging; the difference being that a supercharger uses engine power (the crankshaft, in the case of the MG) or the pressure of spent exhaist gasses, the latter producing considerable under-hood heat.

Venting that turbo heat in an already-small engine compartment is one problem.

The other is one of supplying the intake with cool air, as under-hood heat raises the temperature of the intake gasses making the engine inefficient, So in many, if not all cases, this air is cooled in an air-to-air intercooler which is quite a large radiator-like device, and I have no idea where it would fit on a T-Series ... maybe on an MGB or an MGC, but very difficult on a T-Series.

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gordon A Clark

"single carp manifold" - summat fishy there!
Maybe a typo - "single crap manifold" = not even good for turbo use.

Intercooler not necessary, and less throttle lag trades off for a power loss. You could fit the intercooler and the intake under a K type front blower housing under the rad. Plumber's wet dream!

You'd have heat too, no excuse for not driving in the winter.

BTW, don't let that Wolseley dude see that post on MGA board - "A rare one"! I want it!

FRM
FR Millmore

Oh come on Gordon! Think out of the box; the tool box to be precise. The intercooler can be fitted in that space, with the battery located somewhere near the rear axle like the MGA/MGB?

I guess the set-up from the MG Metro Turbo could be modified to fit the XPAG, but it wouldn't be very appropiate would it?

The picture is that turbo fitted to an MG midget.


Willem vd Veer

'BTW, don't let that Wolseley dude see that post on MGA board - "A rare one"! I want it!'

....haha.... a fine fine design that....
No Moss Motors for body parts though....in fact, no anything for body parts......


gblawson(gordon)

When we turbo'd the Miata, we went with an existing kit - the Flying Miata kit. Adjustable boost, intercooler, oil cooler - net result being over 200 rear-wheel horspower at 12 pounds boost. A nicely developed kit that's transparent in use except for the stomper power we get.

I went with the Judson for the XPAG for the same reason. The collective wisdom is there - two generations worth of accumulated knowledge means a lot.

Lots of questions:
-Where to source a turbo from?
-Wastegate?
-Any electronic controls?
-Exhaust and intake architecture?

If our XPAG's are nervous with a supercharger [I hope I never have to find that out] then I'd be wary about introducing another set of unknowns.

Maybe it's best to find a Judson or a Marshall?

Dave
Dave Jorgensen

Flying Miatas? Less than 15 miles from me. Small world eh?

LaVerne
LED DOWNEY

Dave, the reason I thought about turbocharging is that I went the Judson route. You will find a great deal in the archives about my problems Broken crank was the main result. A supercharger puts a great deal of strain on the crank right at the front bearing. Mine broke right there, which is where everyother one that has been down this road found the break to be. It was explained to me that the crank on a TD wobbles a bit( tiny amt) and this creates a strain on the crank and given the fact that the youngest XPAG is some 60 plus years old, they break.. I now have a modern billet crank, custom Crower steel rods and Venolia pistons. However with the bore that I have my comp. ratio is over 8:1, to high for a supercharger. I was just curious about the turbo charging in any event. This board is great for all the information and help that one gets when posting a question. thanks again for everyones help, guidance and replys...
TRM Maine

Gentlemen,

With over 30 years of supercharging experience, I can assure you a supercharger will not increase the load on the front bearing of the crankshaft by any significant amount. Do not forget that the bit that connects it to the supercharger is a chunk of flexible rubber. Yes XPAG’s like to break their cranks at the front journal, usually at #1 rod though. This is due to the inherent design of in-line 4 cylinder engines firing every 180 degrees and only having three main bearings and no harmonic balancer as well. I have seen a TD break its crank at idle and another time at 7800 rpm when the racer missed a shift. I recently was involved in a project where we supercharged an 11.5:1 ZR1 Corvette; an 8:1 A positive displacement supercharger such as a Roots type typically puts a lighter load on the engine as the power delivery is more smooth and linear, rather than the sudden, mid power curve delivery of a turbo. There is no reason why you could not put a turbo on a XPAG, except maybe public scorn and ridicule.

Ciao,
Ben Travato
Benito Travato

Mine broke when I was jusst driving down the road about 50 miles and hour with no real load on the engine. I had run it with the Judson for over 2000 miles with no trouble before it broke. My crank was over 60 years old so that most likley contributed to the loss. It had been magnafluxed and showed no sign of any cracking but such is life. I have heard the wobble theory a number of times from other supercharger articles. It also happend to early Chevy engines according to my research. The harmonic balancer would certainly help but alas there aint one for the XPAG. To bad...
TRM Maine

This thread was discussed between 17/02/2010 and 18/02/2010

MG TD TF 1500 index

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