On Thu, 10 Nov 1994, Will Zehring wrote:
> Our local MG club newsletter had another TD for sale so I called. Among
> other comments on this car ('53) the owner said the freeze plugs had rusted
> out. This seems pretty strange to me at first blush. Are these plugs of
> the hammer in what variety? Is this a warning sign of PO abuse/neglect?
> Otherwise the car sounds interesting over the phone (they all do). I'm
> wondering if I should consider this car seriously.
If the freeze plugs have rusted out, then the PO has probably been
running with straight water (or old antifreeze with worn-out rust
inhibitor), which means the whole cooling system could be in pretty bad
shape.
The XPAG engine doesn't use hammer-in cup-type core plugs like you see
most often in the parts stores. Instead the plug is a slightly domed
disc. You insert the disk in the hole against the rebate, hold a large
diameter drift against the dome, then whack the drift with a hammer to
flatten the dome. This forces the edge of the disc out against the
hole. A large socket works great in the absence of a proper drift.
One problem with this arrangement is that the inside diameter of the core
hole has to be asbsolutely clean and free of corrosion, otherwise it's
very difficult to get a good seal.
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Chip Old 1948 M.G. TC TC6710 NEMGTR #2271
Cub Hill, Maryland 1962 Triumph TR4 CT3154LO (daily transportation)
feold@umd5.umd.edu
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