Oil Filler Cap Chain

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snnau
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 7:18 am
Location: Springfield, MO

Oil Filler Cap Chain

Post by snnau » Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:27 am

On a drive at the GOF Central the oil filler cap flew off my 48 TC XPAG 6004 and was never found.
I was told it should have been chained to the valve cover to prevent this from happening.
The new oil filler cap from Moss has a chain and is brass plated. My old one was chrome/nickel plated.

So here are my questions:

1. Did the late TCs ever have a chain attached on the oil filler cap?
2. If so, where on the valve cover was the other end attached and how?
3. Were the TC oil caps ever brass?

Thanks

Tom Wilson
Posts: 376
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:02 pm
Location: Zionsville, Indiana USA

Re: Oil Filler Cap Chain

Post by Tom Wilson » Thu Aug 08, 2013 6:16 pm

Here's more info than you ever wanted! This is what I've found in my research - all backed up with documentation.
First, TCs never came from the factory with a chain attached.
Second, the majority of early TCs came with a plain, non-lettered chrome plated steel cap. Only when MG was forced to follow "Nuffield requirements" did the filler cap have "Use NOL oil" imprinted on the top. NOL was the Nuffield branded Duckham's oil recommended by all the Nuffield companies (Morris, Wolseley, Riler, MG, et al). Nuffield received a commission from Duckham's on all the sales of NOL branded products - this was a significant amount of money.
The later oil cap with several oil company names came about in the BMC ownership period, the result of world markets and many competing oil company interests.
Tom Wilson

PS. You lost your oil cap, I lost my IPhone on the way home from the same event. It was backed up except for photos, so rather than take another day to drive back and search for it on the I-70 bridge over the Kaskaskia River I just bought a new one!

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