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MG MGB Technical - 1980 fuel pump problem

i'v put this in another section so apoligies for repeating ,
i have a 1980 mgb gt that i'm trying to start after it has stood pretty much since bought new,
it was last started 5 years ago , i'v drained all the old fuel out , the fuel pump was working to do that , put new fuel in and now its stopped, i'v banged it a few times , that did'nt work , it has power i'v tested for that, still nothing ,
its a new pump as such as the car has only done less than 3000 miles
any help appreciated ,
pr easton

Take the end cover off and dry it out and clean the contacts, then clean both the external spade connectors and check for current on the white wire with ignition on. See what you get then!
Allan Reeling

It doesn't matter how old or new the pump is. The contact points can oxidise in a very short time when not used.
Dave O'Neill2

pr easton - e-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi.net and I'll send you a process for cleaning the points such that the lower contacts will be cleaned properly. Cheers - Dave
Daved DuBois

ah , thanks , i'l check the ingintion side then, its a long time since i did all this , so i forget the process ,
thanks dave , let me report back on what i find first before i e mail you , i think we are on the right track though,
pr easton

all done , after faffing about for 2 hours checking stuff all it was , was the spark plugs had old fuel on them , cleaned them , turned the key and it started , runs like a baby ,
should have done that first , lol ,
many thanks for the help guys ,
pr easton

"the spark plugs had old fuel on them"

Which rather implies the pump was working correctly -supplying fuel- but the ignition side was not. Hence the no start. Seems to me you may have solved the symptom but not the cause. Tho it may simply be that you flooded it whilst trying to start it.
Michael Beswick

Also if he used the pump to pump the old fuel out shortly before putting new fuel in, the pump points were unlikely to have been oxydised.

Unless all the neat old fuel was removed including in the carbs then as that would get into the cylinders first it's quite possible it wouldn't work very well after 5 years. People get a bit paranoid about fuel going off over one winter, but I usually have the same tank-full from late autumn to early spring and have never had a problem. It also depends on the exact sequence of events. I'd expect the carbs to be empty after five years, unless you turned on the ignition for some reason with the old fuel in the tank before draining the tank. If you changed the fuel first, then it was something else.
PaulH Solihull

This thread was discussed between 11/01/2013 and 13/01/2013

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