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MG MGA - New Fuel Tank Installation

Hello ....I'm in the process of installing a new Moss fuel tank,straps and sending unit. I have a question about the placement of the DISTANCE TUBES in the rear of the tank. In all the catalogs and manuals I have looked at it shows the distance tubes vertical between the two halves of the strap somehow. When I removed the old tank I found the distance tubes horizontal on the rear mount above where the manual shows. I have looked at two other MGAs and one also had them horizontal and the other did'nt have any at all.
Anybody know for sure where they go?.....Tom
I checked the Factory Parts book Workshop Manual and the Hayes Workshop Manual.
This new Moss Tank looks very nice as do the straps and look to be very close reproductions.
Thomas Koch

For sure I have kept all of the parts from original factory fuel tank assembly on my car. I have two short distance pieces here on the top horizontal bolts. See attached picture. The top tubes allow full tightening of the bolts without distorting the frame brackets. What appears to be a tube on the vertical bolt is actually a welded sheet metal part on the strap. Illustration in the SPL has the distance piece shown in the wrong location.



Barney Gaylord

Thanks Barney......Tom
Thomas Koch

Hi Thomas,
I'm also installing a new tank with new straps. The new straps do not come with the vertical spacers welded in (or the horizontal ones supplied loose), and Moss does not sell these at this time.
I have cut two horizontal ones @ 1.25 inches long from tubing I had, but have no idea how long the vertical spacers should be. These are necessary so the straps do not crush the tank when they are being tightened up, I believe.
Barney's photo appears to show the vertical spacer tube outside of the two flanges on the strap, which seems to be incorrect as it would be ineffective.
The parts book shows the vertical distance peice but not the horizontal one in Barney's photo. maybe someone has the original straps and can shed light on whether there are 2 apacers per strap, or only one, and if only one, if it is horizontal or vertically mounted.
(The same factory parts book shows the front strap mounting bolts as being fitted from the rear of the car, but this cannot be as the captive nuts are welded to the rear of the cross frame, so the bolts have to go from the front of the frame.)
Peter.
P. Tilbury

Apparently some recent repro straps are not true to original form. I have just cleaned up my original parts (a little cleaner) to take a better picture, and have posted a web page for it here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/fuel/fs111.htm
I am also attaching a copy of the new picture to this message.

What looks at first like a vertical tube is actually a stamped sheet metal part with semicircular tube and flanges spot welded to the strap. This makes the last inch of the strap rigid and puts zero load on the "L" flange at the end of the strap. This can be snugged up quite tight without bending the "L" flange, because there is no load on it. This does NOT require any tube spacer between the ends of the strap. If you put a spacer in there it would inhibit proper tightening of the strap.

If you have a strap with no welded tube, you might cut a steel tube from small pipe and weld it to the strap. If you do that, leave the bottom end of the tube a small distance from the strap (where the strap curves) so there is space for the flat washer and wrench clearance.

Peter is correct that the bolts at front of the strap install from the front. This is another original drawing error. Apparently technical illustrators creating the explosion drawings for parts books and catalogs often took indecent liberties with position of parts, as there are quite a few similar errors in the original books carried down to present day.



Barney Gaylord

I've known this car since new, this is original.
Fuzz


Russ Carnes

Another view. The condition of the car is uniformly rusty but not as bad as it looks. Nothing rusted through, but someday...
Fuzz


Russ Carnes

Thanks Barney and Russ (or should that be Rust?),
Looking again at the Moss straps, they do have this formed tube in the vertical position.
Interesting to note that Barney's vertical bolt is head down (so it will fall out should the nut come off), while Russ's bolt is head up as shown in the parts book.
As far as the ilustrator and parts drawn, I think he/they did a magnificent job when you consider how many parts there are and how few minor errors we find.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

I don't know for sure if head up or head down was original, but with the long bolt and limited space above it is easier to reassemble with head down (and I'm not a concours buff).

Notice the self-locking nut in Russ' pictures. This is an Aerotight nut, a special brand version of a Stiffnut (generic term). See attached picture. This was used as original equipment in lots of places on the MGA. Applications I remember from prior experience with very original cars back in the 60's are engine mounts, front suspension bolts, bonnet and boot latch parts. I thought also propshaft and bell housing bolts, but not so sure of those. See current source for these nuts here: http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/restore/rt104d.htm



Barney Gaylord

A look at the old rat from the top... Looks can be deceiving!
Fuzz


Russ Carnes

This thread was discussed between 03/09/2008 and 13/09/2008

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