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MG TD TF 1500 - Gas weep

Happy Holidays to all! Now to the question. I am having a tough time stopping a fuel weep from the banjo connection the front carb. I have changed the fiber washers twice, cleaned the carb seat and inspected for cracks with a magnifying glass. Has anyone used a sealing compound on this joint? Thanks, Tom
Thomas McNamara

Never used sealant. Make sure the sealing face of the lid is perfectly smooth- no pits and especially any radial scratches or pits. If needed, re-face with very fine sandpaper on a glass or smooth countertop. I have had one crack- very hard to find. Many of the fiber washers are ill-fitting, check that as well as the bolt sealing surface. Lastly they do need to be snugged a few times over a few days as they must compress and then ooze. George
George Butz III

George: Does it help to soak the fiber washers before hand to soften them up so they fit better?

Thomas: The other question is are you sure that the needle is not sticking and overfilling your bowls? If you can see fuel leaking just by idling while parked in a flat area check your float levels and also the float needles.
Christopher Couper

In retrospect the fiber washers would not soften, but if they were a paper like product they would. I thought the bowl gaskets were paper and not fiber so that is why I suggested the soaking first. I know that the bowl lid gasket is fiber.
Christopher Couper

Good point to check float/fuel level. The fiber washer quality has been all over the place over the years, with many that just don't fit well. Not sure what is out there at the moment. Actually the bowl lid washer is paper...or at least used to be. George
George Butz III

My last order from Peter Edney, the gaskets for the bowl lid was paper and the fiber banjos as well. No leaks....

Frank Cronin

BTDT. If you check you'll probably discover that the washer that you are using to go under the banjo bolt is slightly too large in outer diameter. It would work fine on the joint between the banjo connector and the float bowl lid. This has shown up a number of times in the past. Bud
Bud Krueger

I had the same problem on my jag. The commonly available washers in the selection packs I had weren't a good fit.

In the end I had to re-work/widen one that was too tight to make it fit and then it worked.


Dave
D Moore

Doesn't anyone else tap out their own paper washers/gaskets now. I've even tapped one out of a cereal packed for water pump on a TD when it started leaking on a trip. It was still in place 6 years later when I sold the car.
JK Mazgaj

JK: I would have thought you would live North of Hadrian's Wall instead of Cornwall based on your statement.

Says a person with Scottish ancestry. :-)
Christopher Couper

JK- been years but I have done that. In the late 70s there was a local shop that did all British cars and Citroens. I needed a paper transmission gasket, and the owner showed me how to use a brown paper shopping bag and a ball-peen hammer to make it. It worked really well. George
George Butz III

Incorrectly-fitting fiber washers is a very real issue.
But another possible reason why the washers leak is that the bolt on the lid is not being tightened enough. DO NOT just put a stout wrench on the bolt while the lid is attached to the float bowl and carbs; that's a good way to break parts.

Take off the one lid that leaks, remove the float fork and seat, wrap it up in a cloth and hold it in your hand. Use your thumb to hold a box wrench on to the bolt head you wish to tighten, and smack the end of the wrench a couple of times with a wooden hammer handle. That usually puts the torque exactly where you need it to be. I would also try to screw the bolt on with no hose in place; sometimes there is a bit of corrosion deeper into the lid threads, and the bolt is binding.

Tom Lange
MGT Repair
t lange

Hi Christopher. I also remember using a cord from a set of P.Js over 50 years ago as a substitute fan belt on a mini traveller I owned way back then. It was about 3 in the morning and obviously before mobile phones. It got me home and that was on the A2 in Kent where I then lived.
JK Mazgaj

Dear all, just a final word on my fuel leaks. After much ado, I changed the banjo bolts on both carbs and the fuel weep went away. Upon close inspection, both "old" banjo bolts had some pitting where the fiber washers sit. I hope this helps someone else. Tom
Thomas McNamara

This thread was discussed between 16/12/2019 and 14/01/2020

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