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MG TD TF 1500 - Priming oil pump

I am about ready to start the engine of my 53 TD after a 2-3 years restoration. How do you prime the oil pump? Is it true that the oil pump must by primed after every oil change? I changed the oil filter to a modern screw-on type.

Thanks,

Stuart
Dr. S. J. Ramos

Search the archives on this topic. I could not get pressure while cranking after a rebuild until I used a turkey baster. That worked fine. Be careful to give your starter time to cool down between long cranks.

Dave
52TD
mgaviator

I used some vasoline in the pump and it took right off. You should not have to prime after oil changes. I have the Marino filter on my 51 and have never had a problem other than when I tore the pump back off once.
Tom

Stuart,

I had packed my pump on rebuild with vaseline, and then turned the engine over several times by hand to set the distributer properly. I lost my prime in the process. There are a series of oil pumps which you can't prime due to a change over in the TD, later TDs do have the pump with the priming orifice. Chances are your later TD will have the priming plug on the pump, mine didn't.

My solution was to put the car in gear, jack up one side of the rear end, and turn a wheel backwards (with the sparkplugs out) while feeding oil into the block at the lower fitting of the oil line which goes from the block to the head. Worked like a charm. As Tom says, you will not need to reprime your pump during normal oil changes.

http://travelaire.photosite.com/MGTDRebuild/engine/using_a_board_to_turn_the_wheel_backwards_to_prime_the_oil_pump.html

good luck,
dave
Dave Braun

hi Dave,
why did you turn the wheel backwards?
greetings, Huib
Huib Bruijstens

Huib,

Since the pump was not primed, I sent oil through the pump backwards from the oil gallery by gravity. By turning the wheel in reverse with the gearbox in forward (fourth gear) I was able to turn the engine and the pump backwards, priming the pump from the oil gallery to the sump. Turning the engine over with the starter (and the car in neutral) verified the prime was effective.

take care,
dave
Dave Braun

A 1 1/2 gallon garden sprayer with a 'T' fitting attached to the hose and inserted in place of the union between the flex hose and the oil pressure gauge pipe used to put the first fill of oil in the engine just prior to trying to start it, primes the pump and get oil into all the gallerys. There is no need to prime the pump at oil change. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Stuart,

On a 1953 engine, you just need to remove the priming plug and crank the engine with the starter. The plug is the larger hex head bolt on the top of the pump cap.(Not the one on the filter top.) This will let air escape as oil is drawn into the pump. The pump will self prime.

You can remove the spark plugs to make cranking easier on the engine. It is best to have an assistant crank so you can watch the oil level rise in the hole. When you see oil, stop cranking and install the plug. Once the plug is in place, further cranking should show oil pressure after the filter and galleries fill.

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

Hi: Thank you guys, as always your comments and advices solved the problem.

Stuart
Dr. S. J

This thread was discussed between 30/01/2007 and 31/01/2007

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.