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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Bigger petrol tank

I seem to have read many, many years ago that MGB tanks can be modified to fit midgets. Anyone know anything about this?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

It's a new one on me.

The B tank is quite a bit longer (front to rear) so I don't see how it would fit.

Here's one I did earlier...


Dave O'Neill 2

yep, it'll fit, if by modifying you mean make small enough so it'll go in ;)
Rob Armstrong

I'm not sure why you'd want to increase the size of the Midget tank. Getting good mileage, you can get about 200 miles from a tankfull. I've gone on 1500 mile trips and 3-4 hours in my car is about all I can take without a stretch.
P Burke

I think I've heard (with frogeyes at least), where two tanks have been cut horizontally and wielded together to form a deeper tank. Then a hole is cut into the floor of the boot and the larger tank fixed into that . Obviously you end up with less boot space.
G Lazarus

Probably be easier to add spare 2 gallon tank in the boot

Im with phil... 2 - 3 hours and I got to get out and stretch
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop I am surprised has your car ever run for more than 2 hours?
R Mcknight

When I get the Frog back on the road with 5 speed I hope to do some continental driving next year.

I have MGF seats in my Midget and the journey from just north of Tours (France after visiting Le Mans) to Manchester was about 12+ hours driving with a 4 hour break on the ferry. No aches or pains from sitting down for so long, just the fatigue from the rasping exhaust and wind noise and getting home at 2AM.

MGF seats have been the best investment I have made in a long time. Well woth £35 plus a day or two installation.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Gary is spot-on as usual - that's how the works did it for the long range tank in the endurance racers.
Also there's a 9.5 gallon tank - there are books with this stuff in!
David Smith

R Mcknight. LOL.
Lawrence Slater

2 hour drive, ???

This year I have ... granted the car is a garage queen, but I do try to drive it on my days off work which entails alot of back and forth errands ... but thats not exactly a continuous 2 hour drive...that will happen thanksgiving holiday in late nov. Unless it snows... going to st louis mo.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

I filled my '73 rwa yesterday. I got 29.5ltrs(6.5 galls) into it. And it wasn't empty when I pulled into the garage. I'm guessing someone must have fitted a 1500 tank to it.
Lawrence Slater

I think the tank capacity was increased to 7 gallons around 72/3. Years ago I had an early 73 RWA which held 7 gallons.
Bob Beaumont

My first Midget was an early '72. There was a supplemental page stapled into the back of the handbook detailing the increase in tank capacity, amongst other things.
Dave O'Neill 2

Ah. That explains it then. Ta.
Lawrence Slater

Rob - I got a couple of quotes for a new ally tank along the lines of the one that FL did for a while (£500+), and the other was for me to cut up a standard tank, add the bits I wanted in sheet steel and tack them in place with the MIG and he'd tig it all together. I think that was still £200+. Didn't do it in the end I think because of time constraints.

Just fit a massive swirl pot mate and get some extra that way (although mine is only a litre).
L McInally

Anyone got the dimensions of an MGB tank?

I reckon it would be easier on a 1/4 elliptical rear springs car, Frogs and early Midgets.

On later cars the 1/2 elliptical springs limit the tank width.

Also would need a single box silencer, not the cross box on later Midgets.

Still thinking about it.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

This thread was discussed between 13/10/2014 and 18/10/2014

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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