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MG MG Y Type - Fuel Pump

I've been trying to make the most of the recent few days of fair weather here in the South and so have driven my YT to and from work for most of this week.

On my way home yesterday the old girl coughed, spluttered and came to a halt about half a mile from home (on an uphill slope, thanks to sods law).
After putting my warning triangle a few yards down the road I came back, waited (a long time) for a sufficient break in traffic allow me to open the offside bonnet, tapped the fuel pump and it came back to life with a satisfying run of clicks.
The engine then started fine and home I went.

Now I had heard of folks occasionally needing to tap their fuel pumps, but I always figured it would be to coax them into life on first starting, perhaps after a few weeks without using the car. I never guessed it would pack up when coasting along at 30mph! And if it's just a physical jolt required to bring it back to life I'd have thought that the bumpy ride my car offers would be sufficient to keep the thing constantly ticking.

Anyway, I hoped it would be a one-off so drove it to work again this morning. Mistake. By the fourth time I had become quite skilled in recognising the initial cough from the engine that meant I was about to grind to a halt and should start desperately looking for the least dangerous spot to drift to.

So questions:
1) How do I get home (short of driving with the bonnet open whilst wielding a long stick to periodically strike the pump)?
2) What is likely to be wrong with the pump?
3) Should I try and fix it, or just buy a new one?

(Bearing in mind I'm due to be doing a lengthy, local run with the family this Sunday and in a couple of weeks I'm booked to be a wedding car).

Huge thanks in advance.

Cheers,
Saul.
Saul Duck

After many years of perspiration let me give you one piece of advice - BUY A NEW PUMP.

I go for the electronic type, rather than the points - looks identical to points type but so much more reliable.

As an emergency fuel pump, you can make up a plug to fit in the fuel filler which has a tube leading to the drivers lap - where it is fitted with a pressure bulb - like you see on a blood pressure tester - it only takes a few psi of air pressure in the fuel tank to force fuel through the pump to the carbs.

If it coughs sqeeze it a bit faster. The cheapest & best emergency fuel pump you will ever own - and fitted in minutes too.
A L SLATTERY

Hi Saul

Given your close proximity, if I were you I would take a day off work and drive over to Burlen in Salisbury (in a modern car) and take the old pump with you and have them test it/repair/replace it for you.

Burlen are on the Aymesbury Road north bound side just after a large rugby football field on the same side of the road as them and just before the Old Sarum mound. If they need some time to deal with it, walk up the road and round the Old Sarum mound - it is fascinating!

Paul
Paul Barrow

You also asked what's wrong. Probably the contactpoints are badly pitted. You can access them by screwing off the endcap of the pump. You can file the contact points and they will probably last for another thousand miles (mille miglia!).

Given the booking as a wedding car and your adherence to sods law, I'd buy a new electronic SU pump from Burlen.
Willem vd Veer

Saul,

Burlen for sure, did good job of my Carb rebuild, though unlikely to examine while you wait, though may be wrong!!


Richard
R E Knight

I would have thought a picture of the bride pushing your Y/T in Ys at Weddings would have made a great photo Saul!
Paul Barrow

Hello Saul

I had a similar problem many years ago and did what willem suggests. I used some extremely fine emery paper as I recollect it, and I fixed the problem.

If you are taking a bride to her wedding, however, a new pump would be a safer bet. Women can be a bit savage on occasioon. A whack over the head with a Bouquet would be the least of your problems!

Clive Evrall
J.C. Evrall

As a less expensive repair, new contacts can be fitted but the setting up needs a little care to ensure they wipe across each other , its no problem!

To prolong contact life a spark quenching diode or suppressor can be added, this is because the magnet coil is inductive and produces a hearty voltage when open circuited, also it likes to broadcast across all the car radio channels. Bryan
B Mellem

Hi Saul

I fully endorse all the comments raised above. Another approach is to buy an SU Pump Repair Kit from Burlen. They are about £25.

Tony Slattery's suggestion is a common sense approach. However, I am having real problems with the fitting of an electronic ignition and am slightly wary! After three attempts and returns to the supplier it is going back once more. It's a long boring story so we wont go down that route!

Have fun.

Jerry
J P BIRKBECK

This thread was discussed between 03/06/2011 and 05/06/2011

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