Every figure below is quoted from a published source, and that source is named beside it. Where two reputable sources disagree, both are given and the disagreement is explained. Where no reliable published figure exists, the entry says so instead of offering a plausible number. On a seventy-year-old engine that has almost certainly been rebuilt at least once, your own Workshop Manual and your own measurements outrank any web page, including this one.
How to use these figures
The XPAG changed repeatedly through production, and the changes are keyed to engine numbers rather than model years. The tappet clearance and the spark plug both change part-way through TD production, so the useful question is never “what does a TD take?” but “what does engine number this take?” Read the prefix and number from the block before you set anything, using the chassis and engine number guide.
The XPEG of the TF 1500 is a bored-out XPAG, and the manual does separate them where it matters. The two engines take different cylinder head torque, and the manual states twice that no regrind is permissible on the XPEG crankshaft, which is a rebuild-stopping difference rather than a detail. Ignition and clearance figures are shared across the TF. Anything dimensional is in the rebuild tolerances guide.
Nothing here covers the TA’s MPJG engine. Despite a long search, no transcribed manual data page for the MPJG could be found that would let these figures be quoted honestly, so the TA is deliberately absent rather than guessed at.
Tappet clearances
Set hot, engine at running temperature, with the rocker on the fully closed valve. The change at engine 24116 is a real factory change and matters more than the badge on the car.
The TF lists inlet and exhaust separately where the TD gives one figure for both, and arrives at the same 0.012 in that the late TD uses. The engine number 24116 is also where the TD’s valve timing changes, so an early TD is a different engine to set up, not merely an older one.
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tappet clearance, inlet and exhaust (hot) | 0.019 in (0.48 mm) | TD, engines up to XPAG/TD2/24115 | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Tappet clearance, inlet and exhaust (hot) | 0.012 in (0.30 mm) | TD, engines from XPAG/TD2/24116 | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Inlet valve working clearance (hot) | 0.012 in (0.30 mm) | TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Exhaust valve working clearance (hot) | 0.012 in (0.30 mm) | TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Inlet valve opens, piston traverse | 0.009 in (0.23 mm) | TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Tappet clearance, cold | No factory cold figure | All | Both sections give the clearance hot and neither gives a cold one. Set it hot. Do not convert a hot figure to a cold one by arithmetic. |
Ignition, timing, points and firing order
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firing order | 1–3–4–2 | All XPAG and XPEG | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data; Moss sheets agree |
| Static ignition timing | TDC, distributor at full retard | TD and TF | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data |
| Total automatic (centrifugal) advance | 32° at the crankshaft | TD | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Total automatic (centrifugal) advance | 25° at the crankshaft at 3,100 rpm | TF | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Distributor rotation | Counter-clockwise | TD and TF | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data |
| Contact breaker (points) gap | 0.010–0.012 in (0.25–0.30 mm), first distributor type | TD, and TC by supplier sheet | Workshop Manual, TD General Data; Moss TC sheet |
| Contact breaker (points) gap | 0.014–0.016 in (0.36–0.41 mm), second distributor type | TD | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Contact breaker (points) gap | 0.014–0.016 in (0.36–0.40 mm) | TF, one figure only | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Charging system | C.V.C. (compensated voltage control) | TD and TF | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data |
| Battery | Lucas GTW9A, 51 amp-hr at 10 hr, 12 volt, positive earth | TD | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Battery | Lucas GTW9A2, 51 amp-hr at 10 hr, 12 volt, positive earth | TF | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
The static setting is TDC with the distributor fully retarded, which is why a worn or swapped distributor throws everything out. If your unit is not the original Lucas one, its advance curve is not the one these figures assume; the ignition timing guide and how a distributor works explain what to do about that.
Spark plugs and gaps
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TD before engine 22735 | Champion L.10S (alternatives KLG E.80, Lodge HN/HNP), gap 0.020–0.022 in | Workshop Manual figures | Workshop Manual general data |
| TD from engine 22735 | Champion NA.8, gap 0.020–0.022 in | Workshop Manual figures | Workshop Manual general data |
| TF (Workshop Manual) | Champion NA.8, 14 mm with ⅜ in reach, gap 0.020–0.022 in | TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| TC | Champion L-85, gap 0.020–0.022 in | Moss specification sheet | Moss TC sheet |
| TD (Moss listing) | Champion L-86 to engine 22734, then N5, gap 0.025 in | Moss specification sheet, conflicts with the manual, see below | Moss TD sheet |
| TF | Champion N5, gap 0.025 in | Moss specification sheet | Moss TF sheet |
The plug disagreement, stated plainly
For the TD, the transcribed Workshop Manual data gives Champion L.10S then NA.8 with a 0.020–0.022 in gap, while Moss’s specification sheet gives Champion L-86 then N5 with a 0.025 in gap. The same split runs through the TF: the manual specifies Champion NA.8 at 0.020–0.022 in where Moss lists N5 at 0.025 in. Both are respectable sources and they do not agree. The manual is the original specification; the supplier listing reflects what is available and commonly fitted now, and a wider gap suits a healthy modern coil. Pick the source you are following and stay with it rather than mixing the plug from one and the gap from the other. Our own spark plug guide works to 0.025 in with points ignition for that reason.
Torque figures
These come from the factory Workshop Manual, read at source rather than taken from a transcription. Four figures carried on the club library page but absent from the manual’s General Data are kept and marked as such.
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylinder head stud nuts | 41.7 lb ft (500 lb in, 56.5 Nm) | TD, all engines | Workshop Manual, TD General Data |
| Cylinder head stud nuts | 50 lb ft (600 lb in, 67.8 Nm) | TF with the XPAG engine, up to engine XPAG/TF/31727 | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Cylinder head stud nuts | 41.7 lb ft (500 lb in, 56.5 Nm) | TF 1500, from engine XPEG/TF/31728 | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
| Connecting rod big-end bolts | 26.7 lb ft (320 lb in, 36.2 Nm), then on to the next split pin hole | TD and TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data. Identical figure in both printings. |
| Main bearing cap nuts | 62.5 lb ft (750 lb in, 84.7 Nm), then on to the next split pin hole | TD and TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data. Identical figure in both printings. |
| Steering wheel attachment nut | 41.7 lb ft (500 lb in, 56.5 Nm) | TD and TF | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data |
| Gudgeon pin clamp screw | 33.3 lb ft (400 lb in, 45.2 Nm) as printed, and disputed | TD only. The TF torque table does not list it. | Workshop Manual, TD General Data. Read the note below before using it. |
| Gudgeon pin clamp screw | 25 lb ft | XPAG and XPEG, the club's alternative figure | MG TABC torque page, which treats the manual's 400 lb in as a factory error for an 8 mm thread. |
| Flywheel to crankshaft bolts | 19 lb ft | XPAG and XPEG | MG TABC torque page. Not given in the manual's General Data. |
| Rocker tower bolts, 8 mm | 16 lb ft | XPAG and XPEG | MG TABC torque page. Not given in the manual's General Data. |
| Rocker tower bolts, 10 mm | 43 lb ft | XPAG and XPEG | MG TABC torque page. Not given in the manual's General Data. |
| Manifold nuts | No published figure | - | Not in the manual's General Data and not on the club page. Tighten evenly and progressively, or use your own manual. |
The figures are in pound-inches
The manual prints every torque figure in pound-inches, not pound-feet, and gives a metric equivalent beside each one. Read as pound-feet they look absurd, which is how a transcription of this table comes to look corrupt. The conversions check: 500 lb in is 5.76 kgf m against 5.75 printed, 600 is 6.91 against 6.9, 750 is 8.64 against 8.6, 320 is 3.69 against 3.7. Eleven rows across two separately printed sections all agree to the second decimal, which is not something a mistyped table does.
Cylinder head torque is three figures, not one
This page previously gave 50 lb ft for the XPAG and XPEG alike. That is right for one engine and wrong for the other two. The TD takes 500 lb in, 41.7 lb ft. The TF with the 1,250 cc XPAG takes 600 lb in, 50 lb ft, up to engine 31727. The TF 1500, from engine 31728, comes back down to 500 lb in. The TF 1250 is the odd one out and it is the figure least often quoted. Read the prefix and number off the block before you touch the head.
The main bearing figure, and the gudgeon pin screw
Earlier revisions of this page warned that the transcribed main-bearing figure was corrupt, a value in the region of six pound-feet, and refused to publish it. That was the right call. The factory figure is 750 lb in, 62.5 lb ft, and it is the same on the TD and on both TF engines. The club library’s 63 lb ft was correct all along; the fault was in the transcription, not the source.
The gudgeon pin clamp screw is a different matter and it is not settled. The TD manual does print 400 lb in, so it is not a transcription error: the works issued it. The TF table drops the line altogether. Rebuilders have long argued that 33 lb ft is too much for the screw’s thread, and the club page gives 25 lb ft instead. Both figures are above, with their sources, because this archive would rather show you the disagreement than pick a side on a fastener that holds a piston together. Ask the registrar.
Fluid capacities
Capacities are a guide to what to buy, never a substitute for the dipstick and the level plug. The TF figures are now the manual’s own imperial ones rather than the US-measure supplier sheet this page used to quote. Note that the TF holds less coolant and less fuel than the TD despite being the longer car.
| Item | TC | TD | TF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sump (engine oil) | 1⅛ imp gal (9 imp pints) | 9 imp pints (5.1 l) to engine 14948, then 10½ imp pints (5.96 l) | 10½ imp pints (5.96 l) |
| Gearbox (non-overdrive) | 1½ imp pints | 1¼ imp pints (0.71 l) | 1¼ imp pints (0.71 l) |
| Rear axle | Not listed | 2¼ imp pints (1.3 l) | 2¼ imp pints (1.3 l) |
| Cooling system | 14 imp pints (1¾ imp gal) | 12 imp pints (6.8 l) | 10¼ imp pints (5.7 l) |
| Brake fluid | Not listed | 1 imp pint (0.57 l) | 1 imp pint (0.57 l) |
| Fuel tank | 13½ imp gal | 12½ imp gal (57 l) | 12 imp gal (54 l) |
One conflict worth knowing: the Workshop Manual records a sump change from 9 to 10½ imperial pints at engine 14948, while the supplier sheet lists only the earlier 9-pint figure. Fill to the dipstick and the argument goes away. Grades and the practical routine are in the oil and filter, gearbox oil and rear axle oil guides.
Tyre sizes and pressures
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| TC, tyre size and pressures | 4.50-19; front 24 psi, rear 26 psi (cold) | TC | Moss TC sheet |
| TD, tyre size and pressure | 5.50-15 (165×15 modern equivalent); 18 psi (1.27 kg/cm²) | TD, the manual gives a single figure, not a front/rear split | Workshop Manual general data; size also on the Moss TD sheet |
| TF, tyre size and pressure | 5.50-15 (165×15 modern equivalent); 18 psi (1.27 kg/cm²) | TF, both engines | Workshop Manual, TF General Data |
Pressures are the weakest published area of the lot. The manual gives the TD and the TF a single 18 psi figure apiece with no front and rear split, and the supplier sheets leave those fields blank altogether. If you are running modern radials in place of the original crossplies, the original figure is not transferable anyway, ask your tyre supplier for a recommendation against the actual tyre and the car’s weight.
Oil pressure and thermostat
| Item | Figure | Applies to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oil pressure, normal running | 40–45 psi (2.8–3.2 kg/cm²) | XPAG per the Workshop Manual | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data. The same figure in both. |
| Oil pressure relief valve setting | 50–70 psi (3.5–5.0 kg/cm²) | XPAG | Workshop Manual, TD and TF General Data. Moss's sheets give 50–70 psi as 'normal'. That is the relief-valve figure, not running pressure. |
| Oil pressure at idle | No published figure | - | Not verifiable, the supplier sheets leave the field blank |
| Thermostat opening temperature | No published figure found | - | Not verifiable from the sources above. Modern replacements are commonly sold at fixed ratings; ask the club registrar what your car should have. |
The 50–70 psi that circulates as the XPAG’s “normal” oil pressure is the relief valve setting. The manual’s running figure is 40–45 psi, and a warm engine sitting there is doing what it should. Falling pressure on a hot engine is a bearing and pump question, not a gauge question: start with the symptom-led diagnostics.
What this page does not give you
As of this revision, no published figure could be confirmed for: cold tappet clearances, which the manual does not give in any form; manifold nut torque; oil pressure at idle, as distinct from the 40–45 psi the manual gives for normal running; thermostat opening temperature; and any of the above for the TA’s MPJG engine, which is deliberately absent rather than guessed at.
The main bearing torque, which stood in this list for months, has been settled from the book and is above. If you hold a Workshop Manual page or a club technical bulletin that closes any of the rest, particularly the MPJG data, please write in. It will be added with the source named and credited.
Sources
M.G. Midget (Series "TD") Workshop Manual, General Data. Issue 4 (H & E) 93692—5/55
Factory manual, read at source
M.G. Midget Workshop Manual, General Data (Series "TF"). Issue 3 (H & E) 93692—5/55
Factory manual, read at source
M.G. TD/TF Workshop Manual, General Data (web transcription, MG Car Club pages)
Transcription, superseded here by the book
MG TABC, XPAG/XPEG torque figures library page
Club reference
Moss Motors, MG TC specifications
Supplier specification sheet
Moss Motors, MG TD specifications
Supplier specification sheet
Moss Motors, MG TF specifications
Supplier specification sheet
Until this revision the torque and settings figures on this page came from a web transcription and a club library page. They now come from the factory manual itself, read page by page. Transcriptions and supplier sheets remain convenient rather than authoritative, and the technical registrar of the MG Car Club T Register or the New England MG T Register is still the last word on a car that has been apart more than once.