Category Archives: Issue 79 (August 2023)

The following article reproduces the slides and notes of a presentation delivered by Eric Worpe at the MGCC T Register’s ‘Rebuild’ event held earlier this year.

Types of Water pumps

1.1 Early pump

The diagram below shows an early type pump using a pin driven floating graphite cup, thrust against a fixed graphite block secured in the pump housing. The floating cup is spring loaded through a dished washer and a rubber washer which seals off the cup from the drive spindle. The rubber washer is not shown in the diagram.

The graphite seal is long lasting but the rubber washer hardens and allows coolant to leak past the spindle into the drainage chamber. Coolant should then escape through the drainage hole but can also enter the adjacent ball bearing.

To limit leakage into the ball bearing, a secondary seal comprising a felt washer between two steel washers is keyed to the spindle. The outer periphery of the felt washer rubs against the wall of the drainage chamber, but soon loses its effectiveness in sealing against leakage into the ball bearing.

This type of pump’s life is determined by the rubber washer, which it seems is no longer available.

1.2 Later pump

The diagram below shows the later pump with a spring-loaded rubber bellows type graphite seal and a phosphor bronze thrust washer fused to the impeller.

The bellows has a tapered outer section which makes for an effective seal in the pump’s housing.

A similar secondary seal, as in the early pump is again used, with the felt and steel washers clamped between the circlip and the inner race of the ball bearing. The shoulder of the spindle is an integral part and serves to locate the spindle relative to the ball bearing. The bronze thrust washer is polished to reduce wear of the carbon block.

This type of pump is the most suitable for rebuilding.

1.3 Modern version

The next diagram shows the modern version, which seems to have been made to a price with quality a secondary consideration.

It uses a press fit cartridge with a spring-loaded graphite seal thrust against the cast iron face of the impeller. The shoulder on the spindle has been replaced by just a circlip, which can be displaced if the pulley nut is tightened robustly.

The secondary seal has been omitted and the drain hole reduced in size, which results in it rusting closed when leakage occurs. A blocked drain hole and absence of a secondary seal limit the life of the ball bearing.

One is advised to commission the pump by running it dry. This coats the thrust race of the impeller with graphite. The graphite seal thus becomes sacrificial in laying a graphite film over the coarse grained surface of the impeller.

2. Suitability of pumps for rebuilding and modifications required

The later and modern versions of the pump can be rebuilt with either a bellows type seal Ref. NB021, or a press fit cartridge seal type FB-12L.

The NB021 version will need to use the impeller with a bronze thrust face which ought to be polished and this version may also need the housing for the bellows machined to give a clean surface. Unfortunately, the NB021 has parallel sides that fit in the housing and relies on a substantial rim to effect a seal, hence the need to machine the seating. If the seating is too badly corroded, one could bore out the pump’s body and fit a brass seat, preferably with tapered sides for the bellows.

The circlip can be replaced by a machined collar, which is either plug welded to the shaft or fixed using a roll-pin. The front face of the collar should be aligned with the front face of the previous circlip as this sets up all the relative locations of bearings and seals to the impeller. The drain hole in the pump’s housing can be opened up and a further restriction to any leaked coolant contaminating the bearings could be provided for by a pressed in sleeve located as shown in the diagram.

The replacement cartridge seal type FB-12L seems to be an exact fit for the pump. It is intended for a 33.4 mm dia. bore-hole and a 12 mm dia. shaft. The displacement from the flange seating to the impeller is 11.5 mm which also matches the original set up. It also has a self-contained ceramic thrust block for the graphite seal. For this to be effective the support sleeve for the ceramic block needs to be a tight fit on the 12 mm dia. spindle. However, the spindle area in front of the impeller is often corroded, so a sealant should be used to secure the sleeve.

I suspect that a suitably machined press mandrel may be needed to press the body into the housing and the sleeve on to the shaft at the same time. If using a sealant between the shaft and the sleeve, the impeller will need to be in position before the sealant hardens.

3. Conclusions

A simple rebuild is possible on the “later pumps” by replacing the rubber bellows with the NB021 seal and using sealed bearings type 6301-2RSH. However, this assumes that the pump’s housing seat is not corroded and the impeller has a bronze thrust face. A corroded seat for the seal could be lightly machined and the seal secured with silicon rubber. The NB021 relies on a somewhat thick flange which obscures the input water passage, unlike the original bellows seal which relied on a tapered seat and a thin rim.

The newest replacement pumps would need some machining to make them more robust. Incorporating a bronze bush in the impeller and fitting a collar to replace the circlip as well as a polypropylene sleeve to seal off the drained chamber seems a lot of effort.

Looking for a more suitable seal on e-Bay was frustrated by the adverts only referring to seals for specific cars, whilst internet searches revealed images of seals with only a few dimensions. Then by chance on a Chinese AliExpress site I came across the ultimate seal, the FB-12L. The real improvement of this seal is the incorporation of a ceramic thrust face for the carbon block, so a bronze thrust face on the impeller is not necessary.

The FB-12L seal is designed for a 12 mm diameter shaft and a 33.4 mm (1 + 5/16”) diameter bore hole. It can be used with both types of impeller as the impeller’s thrust face now acts only as a back stop for the inner sleeve of the cartridge.

The inner sleeve may need to be sealed with silicon rubber.

Considerations to extend bearing life.

1. Use sealed bearings 6301-2RSH, keeps grease clean.

• Fit MGB 7 bladed plastic fan, reduces out of balance vibrations.

• Try a toothed fan belt, which allows one to set a reduced belt tension.

Commercial services.

Pump rebuild – E P Services, Unit 1, Central Trading Estate, Cable Street, WOLVERHAMPTON WV2 2RJ         Offer a lifetime guarantee.

Racetorations Ltd., Gainsborough, 01427 616565. Uses 6 bladed impeller and includes pulley, outright purchase.

6 bladed impeller

Is a 6 bladed water impeller worth fitting? A high coolant flow results in a more even temperature distribution throughout the engine and reduced possibility of “hot spots”. Pre 1960s engines which did not benefit from Nodular cast iron, were prone to cracking if exposed to thermal stresses, so an increased flow would seem beneficial.

Would a 6 bladed impeller improve cooling? Uncertain, but a theoretical idea based on Newton’s law of cooling suggests it could. Consider an engine running with a thermostat fully open at 74 degrees C (see diagrams). A low coolant flow would develop a large temperature difference across the engine and radiator. A high flow would reduce the temperature difference, resulting in a higher average engine and radiator temperature. The higher average radiator temperature would be able to dissipate more heat, thus enabling the engine to work harder for the same maximum coolant temperature.

N.B. Newton’s law of cooling states the rate of cooling depends on the temperature excess.

Editor’s note:

There were failures on some pumps supplied by Racetorations Ltd. I recall that one of these was experienced by the late Jerry Birkbeck when driving his TC. The pulley became detached and hit the radiator.

Before purchasing a Racetorations pump for my TF1500 I contacted the company to try and establish the reason for the failures.  I was told that one of the parts (I think it was the pulley) was a bought in item and the company now manufactured this ‘in house’.

Since fitting the pump to my car, I have not experienced any problems.

From Devon to Emilia-Romagna, the ‘Motor Valley’

Background – September 1949

My parents had married in 1947 when wedding presents took the form of ration coupons and the honeymoon was a weekend in Torquay. 

Things were a little better in 1949 and so they set off for their delayed honeymoon in my father’s MG PA from Enfield, Middlesex to Rapallo in Liguria.  I am told that my mother was frequently sick on the way which was put down to the smell of the oil burning from the PA Dynamo leak:  Not an uncommon fault on P-Types.

As she was still sick once they reached Italy, she went to see a doctor who advised that the problem was quite simple – she was pregnant.  I was born seven months later!

Like many others, I learnt about MGs from my father and at the age of 18 I rescued a TA (EKL 226) from a breaker’s yard in Watford.   I have been driving and/or rebuilding T-Types ever since and during the Covid lockdown the idea of a “Tribute Tour” was born.  Wouldn’t it be nice to go back to Italy in our TC and follow in my parent’s tyre tracks and find out what I had missed in 1947?

First, a little background and scene setting.

An unloved TC finds a home – 1974

I was a student when I heard of a local MGCC enthusiast who had dismantled a rotten TC intending to rebuild it, but he now needed to sell it urgently as he had to move house.  So, I bought the car as a “garage clearance” for just £1 and picked up all the numerous pieces in unmarked boxes in a Ford Transit.  It took some years of saving and sourcing to pull together all the necessary parts to complete the car which was then in regular local use. Its longest run was the 220-mile drive when we moved from Herts to Devon in 2007.  And all was fine with the TC until nature took over…..

The flood – 2012

On 7th July 2012 there was a “once in a 200-year event” in South Devon and our home and our garage were badly flooded. 

So bad, in fact, that the only part of the TC that was visible above the flood water was the very top of the windscreen. 

After a lengthy and difficult battle with my insurers who insisted that any vehicle that was flooded had to be written off, the TC was reprieved and had its second rebuild!

The TC, slowly emerging from the muddy flood waters in July 2002.

I have to admit that this time the rebuild seemed to be more of a chore as I was just keen to get it back on the road as soon as practical.  In retrospect, I knew that there were some things that I would need to sort out when I had more time.

Retirement and the opportunities presented by a pandemic – 2020

By now I had the benefit of more time, more experience and, fortunately, less financial restraints.  I also had a decent garage workshop which was full of T Type parts acquired over the years.

Amongst the parts was a very worn XPAG SC engine from a Y Type, a spare gearbox and a lot of loose parts.   I decided to improve the TC for regular driving on modern, over-crowded roads.

The SC engine was rebuilt for me by Peter Edney to ‘Fast Road’ spec and I stuck with the rebuilt MG gearbox rather than choose the Ford option.  I did change the axle ratio from 41:8 to the higher 37:8 and following the very helpful article in Totally T-Type, I fitted 4 new Continental radial tyres.  There was, as ever, more re-chroming needed and tidying up the paintwork (again!).  Somehow the old leather seats, despite the flood, were still very presentable. 

With this third TC rebuild complete and the worst of the pandemic behind us, my wife and I began to think about recreating my parents 1949 trip by driving our TC to Italy and back.  But we would not be resting at a hotel in Rapallo.  Instead, we would join the Terre di Canossa rally of some 100 classics driving over the Apennine mountains to the Ligurian sea and back.  https://terredicanossa.canossa.com/index.php/en/home/

Planning – 2021

By late 2021 I was confident that the TC was in good shape for the trip.  I had carefully run in the new engine ‘Fast Road’ engine and with the new axle ratio and the radial tyres the car was really transformed:  Yet by keeping the steering, the gearbox, suspension, and shock absorbers, I was happy that the car still had the true feel of a TC (in particular the steering!).

I entered the Terre di Canossa and as I told various friends about our forthcoming adventure, we were delighted when four other couples decided to join us for the trip.  These were two early E-Types, a 1957 Mercedes 300SL and a Karmann Ghia.   Whilst it was great to have our friends come along with us, I have to admit to being slightly concerned that our TC might be a tad too slow for them.

Easter 2022

We decided to plan our departure on Brittany Ferries from Plymouth to Roscoff on Easter Saturday night so that we would arrive in France early on Sunday morning.   The thinking was that there would be no lorries on the French roads on Easter Sunday (Pâques) or on Lundi de Pâques as they are prohibited by French law.

We set off the next morning from Roscoff and had empty roads and a perfect blue sky.   We drove in company along the N12 until the start of the toll road to the west of Laval by which time I was feeling guilty that the TC was really holding up the others even at our steady 70 to 75 mph as I wanted to keep it around 4,000 rpm – after all, there was a long way to go!

So, they all went on towards Tours on the Autoroute while we turned off to take the more direct cross country roads via La Flèche (D21 and D306).   These roads were much better suited to the TC and we bounced along enjoying the wonderful countryside much as my parents would have done in 1949.

We skirted around Tours, still with empty roads, to reach Château de Perreux at Amboise and park up behind our friends who were already enjoying an aperitif – but we secretly knew that we had had the better drive and an absolutely perfect day! It turned out that the owner of the hotel is a classic car enthusiast who insisted that we drive onto the lawn in front of the château for a photo.

The next day we all continued together – again on empty roads in perfect weather.  We ran parallel to the A85 Autoroute using the D976 along the Cher valley and stopped at Saint-Pourcain-Sur-Sioule for lunch having struggled to find anywhere open on a public holiday.

We all took the quiet D46 and the N7 roads to our overnight stop in Blacé in the Beaujolais region near Villefranche-sur-Saone.

By now the TC had covered 685 trouble free miles over the two days:  The car was running smoothly and I was very pleased that the oil level had not moved since leaving Devon.   

For Tuesday we had chosen a route to avoid Lyon where we anticipated much more traffic.   But as we continued the next morning, we did find ourselves on major dual carriageways being surrounded by huge lorries with trailers travelling at relatively high speeds.  It is at times like this that the TC seems so very tiny and rather vulnerable!! 

We therefore soon turned off and headed East towards Lake Annecy on minor roads which were higher, cooler, and not as straight as before, but well worth it for the fabulous views. 

That night we stopped for our last night in France at another chateau – just to the South of Chambery at Coise-Saint-Jean-Pieds-Gauthier.  It was well off the “beaten track” and not easy to find but well worth it once there.  It turned out that it had been closed throughout the pandemic and the owner had just opened it that day for the ten of us.  It was all delightfully chaotic and a lot of fun.  A great stop! (see front cover).

The next morning one of the E-Types wouldn’t start.  We soon discovered that we had five “experts” offering advice but only one proper set of tools between us – and they were in the TC!  The electrical fault was sorted and we were on our way with the hood down in perfect sunshine once again.

We were soon leaving France near Modane and entering the Fréjus tunnel which had been recommended as it has much less traffic than the other routes through the Alps.

Our plan after exiting the tunnel was to meet for a coffee in Sauze d’Oulx and take the mountain road East, so we were more than disappointed to find grey skies and drizzle as we emerged in Italy. There was nowhere safe to stop and raise the hood so we battled on up into the foothills of the Italian Alps.

After a very welcome cappuccino with a cannoli we concluded that we should go back down and follow the valley to our destination to the North of Turin.  Our overnight stop was in the beautiful Castello di Razzano which would probably have looked even better if the sun was shining!

The Castello di Razzano between showers!

We had now covered 912 miles and the TC was running perfectly:  Still no need for engine oil but the front RH Girling did need a top up of Shocker Oil (not that it made much difference!).

After our usual checks on the cars, we set off for the shorter run to Salsomaggiore which is South East of Parma. It was overcast, but at least it had stopped raining!

We took the minor roads and turned off the SP234 into a small village called San Colombano for lunch.  We drove around trying to find somewhere to eat and went past a cafe a couple of times when a man jumped out and waved at us.  He introduced himself as Roberto and told us in perfect English that he was the Chairman of the local classic car club!

In no time at all, Roberto had shown us where to park and had taken us into a restaurant where he obviously knew the owner so he chose our meal and some wine for us.  Roberto returned as we were nearing the end of a splendid lunch to take us outside to show us his 1934 Singer!  

He then insisted that we stop off at his garage to see his other cars which included a Lancia Stratos, a 1940s Lancia, a Veteran Fiat that he had found in the UK and his pride and joy – a black London Taxi that he bought from the cabbie who was taking him to Heathrow Airport!  So instead of flying home he bought the taxi off the cabbie and drove it straight to Italy as a present for his wife!!

Roberto with his Singer, his “British” Fiat, and his Lancia

After this extraordinary interlude we carried on to Salsomaggiore to register for the Terre di Canossa which would start the next day.  The TC had coped perfectly with 1,047 miles of driving in heat, in rain and in all sorts of terrain.  My wife and I were both surprised that even after all these miles and six days of constant driving it had been perfectly comfortable and surprisingly relaxed!

Meanwhile, as I parked the TC in the garage beneath the hotel, I was delighted to see that we were not the only T Types entered for the event…

 Two Argentinian TBs that had been prepared by Steve Baker for the event

Before continuing in Part 2 with a report on our Terre di Canossa experience, it might be helpful to sum up a few thoughts from our outward trip:

• It was well worth covering some 600 miles around Devon to sort out little issues before setting off
• The more powerful 1350 cc Fast Road engine, higher axle ratio and radial tyres made for a much more relaxed trip
• If planning a long trip, it is well worth choosing Sundays and Public holidays to avoid lorries
• We covered the bulk of our outward journey over the two ‘lorry free’ days covering over 1,000km thus leaving three shorter days to enjoy or in case of any problems
• We chose hotels in advance that could offer secure parking
• And finally, we originally planned to take our luggage rack but after a test drive in Devon decided to travel light:  It was a good decision – after all, we were only going to be away for two weeks!!

Ed’s note: This completes Part I of Adrian’s article. I thought that I would give readers an interlude with an article by Eric Worpe on water pumps (complete with his wonderful drawings) before reproducing Part 2, which features the Terre di Canossa rally.

In the 18 years prior to my ownership, my TC must have had a hard life. Its first minor rebuild started 4 months after purchase and that revealed broken outriggers, fractured rear shock absorber bracket and cracked bulkhead brackets, all the usual suspects.

However, during its subsequent 50 plus years, an additional fractured crown wheel carrier and fractured chassis were added to the list. A second major rebuild saw reinforcements of any remaining Achilles’ heels (see note at end of article), or so I thought, until an alarming clatter came from the back axle when going over the numerous potholes. Shock absorber bracket, I thought, and drove home.

An inspection revealed the bracket was ok, but the cross-bar supporting the brackets had fractured at the nearside tight bend where it turns to run parallel with the chassis. This ‘leg’ is then riveted to the chassis.

The fracture at the nearside tight bend of the cross-bar

We decided to remove the whole cross-bar by grinding away the heads of the rivets, not easy as the angle grinder only just manages to squeeze in. We ended up using an air powered “cut off tool” nibbling away at the heads of the rivets. The rivets will probably need to be punched through with a long 18 inch punch as the hot rivets tend to spread out, gripping the chassis hole, when being closed by hammering. The bracket parts were then MIG welded together and the offside bend was also reinforced as this would have been subjected to much the same  fatigue stress, due to potholes. The repaired cross-bar was then gently curved so that it could fit inside the chassis section and secured with 8mm socket cap bolts whose shank was long enough to cover the thickness of the bracket and chassis together. These were then torqued up to 33ft.lbf.

Two views of the repair to the nearside end of the cross-bar (the offside end was suitably reinforced).

Initially, I had made the mistake of thinking it was the shock absorber bracket that had fractured and carried on driving, little realizing that the fractured cross-bar end was being jogged up and down in the chassis section that held the rear wiring loom. This had taken a beating, but was mercifully still intact. Phew! A lucky escape.               

Eric Worpe

Ed’s note:

Eric is a ‘member’ of the “over 50 years of ownership club”. He purchased his TC way back in April 1964.

Ed’s further note: The concept of an Achilles’ heel dates from Greek mythology. When the child Achilles was born, it was foretold that he would die an early death. Distraught, his mother took him to the magical River Styx, whose water promised a coat of invulnerability, and dipped him in by his heel. Because her thumb and forefinger were clasped around his heel, that one part of his body was never coated by the water’s shield and never received protection.

Achilles grew up to be a great warrior who survived many battles. No one could defeat him until a poisonous arrow was shot into his unprotected heel. He died shortly afterwards.

The moral is that no matter how strong we might be, no one is invincible. The human condition necessitates a weak point in each of us.

However, when it comes to the TC, the condition is rarely terminal. Despite their Achilles heels, they are usually repairable!

(First three paragraphs courtesy of the Internet).

Welcome to the final issue of TTT 2.

My first one was in August 2010 and I was so proud of it. That’s not to say that I haven’t been proud of each and every issue that followed, but the first was special to me.

As I write this editorial, I have mixed emotions. I have received so many goodwill messages, some hand written and posted (including one from the US about which my wife remarked “What a lovely letter!”), that I almost feel guilty about retiring. But the way I have struggled to produce the final two issues, convinces me that I have made the right decision.

The M.G. Centenary event at Gaydon has been and gone and I said in the previous issue that it was a real success. For me, the sight of those wonderful vintage M.G.s from the Early M.G. Society, parked on the bank against the backdrop of the British Motor Museum was one to behold and one which I will savour for years to come. What I did not know when the previous issue went to press was that the event raised £9,500 for charity. Air Ambulance UK received £5,000, with Prostate Cancer, Dementia UK, and Sporting Bears Motor Club (who raise money for children’s charities) being given £1,500 each.

GOF CENTRAL, Gathering of the Faithful has also been held since Issue 78 (June). Tom Wilson took the trouble to send me a ‘goodie bag’ from the event, which included a copy of The Kimber Gazette.

This is an impressive publication (the picture shows it folded in half). It contains 40 pages of (mainly) things to do at the GoF, and there was a lot to do! These included Tech Sessions and Presentations, Tours of the Studebaker Museum, Oliver Mansion (home to industrialist J. D. Oliver) South Bend Chocolate Factory, and Indiana Whiskey Company and the Notre Dame Campus Walking Tour. A car wash facility was open for the first three days of the event. There were also car displays at the GOF Car Show, a silent auction and an M.G. Birthday Party, Banquet and Awards on the last evening.

The Kimber Gazette also featured lots of period Factory photographs and some interesting historical articles along with advertisements from traders and some cars for sale at the GOF. Tom Wilson, who was “the main man” (I’m sure he had his band of helpers) pulled out all the stops to make this a truly memorable event. Well done, Tom!

Another event which missed the publication date for Issue 78 was the M.G. Pre 56 Gathering at Blenheim, New Zealand in March 2023. Ross Armstrong emailed me about this in June. This biennial Rally saw some 110 MG’ers accompanying 67 cherished Pre56 M.G.s. Attendees from overseas, using borrowed M.G.s, joined the Kiwi’s for a memorable 5 days. M.G.s attending ranged from a 1931M-type through to MGAs with all other Types in between. The programme included a Concours d’Etat, Observation trial, Gymkhana and a prize giving dinner. The weather was absolutely stunning with mid 20 Deg. C temperatures each day.

Time now to put my final editorial to bed. One last ‘thank you’ to all advertisers, contributors, and readers. You’ll find me at the end of this issue with my IT man, without who, this magazine would never have seen the light of day.