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MG TD TF 1500 - More on: Clogged fuel line & ticking pumps!

Morning all:
Well I finally got over to my daughters to address the "rappidly ticking/no fuel" problem on the TF!
Allthough the tank has been professionally cleaned twice now?...filter was clogged and nastie! Bad Gas?
Some "remaining gunk in the trunk"? "Mixed fuel types"? I just don't know what caused this! One thing I will say: Little $2.49 "clear fillter" was worth it's weight in gold! Took the nastie filter off and put a clear fuel line on to pump the old gas out of the tank....it "looked" clean...very clean....but not taking the chance of using it in the "T" again..(maybe the lawn mower...but not in "Izzy".)
Installed another "clear filter" ...5 gallons of fresh gas (not that the other was "old" (less that a month in the tank) and she fired right up!
Anybody that does not run a fuel filter on their car ...well I would be glad to send you a picture of what my old one looked like!
IMHO if your not running one of these little buggers (clear fuel filter) you are nuts!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

People are telling horror stories about the new E85 ethanol gas mixture. The ethanol absorbs moisture and in short order produces a glob of something. Boat owners are having to drain the system and change filters after each use.
Don't know if you folks have it in Ohio but it may bear investigation.
This is another "fix" that is worse than the original problem. Cost more to produce it than you save, and it has adherent usage problems, which aren't going away.

Dallas

Dallas Congleton

David - Is there any chance that the new sealer is pealing off the walls of the tank? I had an interesting situation occurre with our TD recently. The wife and I decided to take the TD to the dance at the Elks and we got about a block from home when the car sputtered and died - classic symptoms of a fuel pump gone south, even pressing ht etickler buttons onthe float bowls didn't producing any ticking of the pump. Since we were close to home, I walked back and got another pump, then proceded to swap it out by the side of the road in evening clothes. Turned the key on and the pump sprang to life, the car started, sputtered a bit and finally settled down and we were off to dance the night away. When we got home, I stuck the pump on hte test stand and it worked just fine - hmmm. The next morning I took the TD out to place it in the Elks car show and got the same distance as the previous evening and it started sputtering (magnetic anomoly at that particular geographic location?). This time I just stuck it in reverse and sputtered my way back into the garage, got the MGB and went to the car show to do my duties as judge. When I got home that evening, I removed the float bowl lids and found empty bowls. Removing the fuel line from the rear lid and directing it into the bowl, I turned the ignition on and barely got it turned off before the bowl was filled to overflowing - Ah ha! Pulling the Gross jets, that have been functioning perfectly for 20 years, I was unable to blow through them. After some cleaning with a heavy duty solvent, they are no longer sticking. This all leaves me wondering if perhaps some of the sealer I used in the tank 25 years ago isn't desolving and causing a problem - or maybe, it is just old, tired Gross jets - something to think about. It also prompted me to write a tech article for our local newsletter that says, "just because the pump is not ticking, doesn't mean that it is bad". Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

I'm not sure what's going on here. Saved the old filter and going to cut it open to see if I can figure out what is in there that clogged it up. It is so "black" you can't even see through it now. I was very suprised that even when I got to the bottom of the tank the gas being pumped out was very clean. (I pumped it out using the fuel pump, a clear hose, and a filter on the hose.) The filter from that was still clear & clean even after pumping the tank dry!
Strongly suspect I just got some bad gas, or some that did not want to "play well" with what was in there before? I try not to "mix gas brands" ...but that is not always possible. For sure it has made me glad I run that little clear filter in the line though...I certainly would not have wanted what was in the filter in my carbs or being burned in freshly re-built engine!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

Could it have been a rubber 'something' that just turned to mush and travelled through?
(Anything rubber in the fuelpump, or sealing the gasline connections?)
gblawson - #27667

I will find out today when I cut it open.
As an "OBTW" ....I lost one of the washers for the banjo bolt when I took the line off a few weeks ago.
Had an old "spare" from when I re-built carbs...but still have a small leak as it did not seal well.
So i went to order a couple of "fresh ones" ....looking up the part #'s it dawned on me (like the wet slap at thr end of a cold fist) ...I did not recall seeing the "last line of defense" in there! I don't think there were filters on the lines at the banjo joints! Ordered those also!

I will be curious to see if this was a clump of rust, as I have found some of that in my tank before.
Talk about dumb...dropped a screw in the tank and had to use a magnet on a stick to get it back...pulled out a nastie "clump of crap" ....but have made sticking a magnet in the tank part of my spring "get-ready" since! Not a bad idea when dealing with 50 year old tanks!

I will let the group know what I find today when I diesect this little bugger!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

OK gang...another dumb question!
Got my new fancy "on a spring fuel line filters" for my carbs (part # 370-270) as well as 4 new washers for the banjo bolts (part # 370-650) from Moss.
1 "rust colored fiber" / 1 "gray colored" /2 "tan colored" ones! (was kind of suprised that they are 3 different "materials" for one part #!)
Does everybody feel I should apply a bit of oil on these washers before installing them to get a good seal? All 3 "kinds"?
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

David - On a few occasions I have had a fiber washer "honey" fuel through them. Usually just tightening them a bit more is enough to stop any leakage, but I have had some that required a bit of sealer around the inside edge of the washer. I have always used Glyptol, applied with a toothpick to affect the seal. Most of the time, the fiber will swell enough to seal off any leakage. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

David, be careful with the washers. The o.d. of the ones that go directly against the shoulder of the banjo bolt must be small enough to fit inside of the recess in the fuel fitting. The ones between the fitting and the carburetor are not a problem. I've never oiled them.
Bud Krueger

I have always had trouble with these banjos leaking with new washers. The new ones I got from Moss and Abingdon recently were of marginal fit-can't remember where, but none were exactly correct. The face of particulary the float lid corrodes and pits, making sealing difficult. I have always had to re-tighten the banjos several times over days or weeks,as the washers compress. Just wipe your finger underneath to check. I will try the sealer next time-sounds like a good idea. George
George Butz

I have always used a light film of a gasoline resistant non hardening type gasket sealant such as Hylomar or #2 Permatex. I normally apply to both sides of the fiber gasket. The theory is to fill any surface deformations or scratches in either the fiber gasket or the fittings. May not always be necessary, but it doesn't hurt anything, and helps seal the banjos without having to possible over-tighten them.

Dallas


Dallas Congleton

This thread was discussed between 12/08/2006 and 17/08/2006

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