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Fuel pump removal without gasoline everywhere?

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Davester,

Know all about laying on a cold garage floor (and my garage is heated). The bursitis (sp?) in my shoulder keeps reminding me!

Tony,

My solid state SU clicks, like a points one, can't remember if I got it from Moss or MGOC (back when the exchange was favorable). Probably same source for either. Like I said, it runs like a Swiss watch.

Colin
 
I also had a brand new pump fail in less than 400 miles...which left me, the wife, and the 1969 MGC on the side of the road in Michigan while I changed it out.

Just because it's new don't mean it's good.

Just because it's been dependable for 100k some miles don't mean it can't fail.

Maybe it's no big deal if your MG doesn't venture too far from home...but mine do; I choose redundancy.

:smile:
 
If redundancy (within limits) makes a guy feel good about his car, I say go for it!

True I don't venture as far as I used to (heck, I've run MG's across the continent left to right & back & also top to bottom) as I get older but I've never been one to get into the redundancy mode...wonder if has anything to do with driving MG's since I was in high school? & I'm 62 now!
 
I suppose if I carry a spare fuel pump then I should also carry a spare alternator since I've had far more of those fail than anything else.
 
& then you're like Dale in Puerto Rico - he carries at least one spare of everything, sometimes 2 or 3, & weighs the rear of his TR6 down with about 300 lbs of the wrong stuff. Whatever you have in your trunk is invariably not what breaks.

I travel with a cell phone, Moss catalog & credit card. Hotels & mechanics are cheaper than me cussin' myself under a car on the side of the road in miserable weather!
 
davester said:
I suppose if I carry a spare fuel pump then I should also carry a spare alternator since I've had far more of those fail than anything else.
Click to expand...

Dave, toss your stock alternator in the closet and buy a new one at an Autozone. Pay the core charge and be happy. This way, when it DOES crap out while on the road, you just pull over at an AZ and bingo. Free lifetime replacement. Now, you'll always have a spare alternator, just not taking up space in the car!
 
I was being facetious. Perhaps I need to use smilies more often. :crazyeyes:
 
Jagboy69 said:
davester said:
I suppose if I carry a spare fuel pump then I should also carry a spare alternator since I've had far more of those fail than anything else.
Click to expand...

Dave, toss your stock alternator in the closet and buy a new one at an Autozone. Pay the core charge and be happy. This way, when it DOES crap out while on the road, you just pull over at an AZ and bingo. Free lifetime replacement. Now, you'll always have a spare alternator, just not taking up space in the car!
Click to expand...

Just remember to keep the receipt in the car....and hope that there is an Autozone nearby....I didn't see one on Highway 1 in Nevada. :smile:

I carry a bicycle brake cable (read accelerator cable), an alternator, a fuel pump, and a dizzy ready to drop into the MGC. I had opportunity to use the fuel pump and the alternator...on road trips. I was fortunate on the trek down to Sebring that the accelerator cable broke in the driveway at home the day before I left for Florda.

On any of our 1000 mile/24 hour rallies, I carry more spares and tools.

As the Boy Scouts say: "Be Prepared".
 
For the 6 months we were traveling across the continent, all across Canada & on every road in Alaska, here's what I did to prep my MGB which was my only transportation when away from the RV: on jackstands for full maintenance on brakes/suspension, new points in fuel pump, complete engine tuneup, cleaned all ground points & cleaned every Lucas connector I could find, backflushed cooling system, replaced fuses....loaded it on the trailer behind the RV & drove it most every day for 6 months. All that maintenance took a few weekends to complete.

Only problem I had was out on the Alaska Highway about 200 miles from the RV - air pump locked up...my fault as I forgot to do maintenance on it when I did everything else....solution: cut the belt to pump & forgot about it until I got home! I even had to borrow a knife to cut the belt!

I don't carry spares - I do the proper maintenance according to my owners manual! Heck, I don't even carry tools!
 
tony barnhill said:
I don't carry spares - I do the proper maintenance according to my owners manual! Heck, I don't even carry tools!
Click to expand...

Proper maintenance will not always prevent a roadside breakdown.

Proper maintenance may not necessarily prevent an electrical part from failing.

You've lead a charmed life, Tony.

:wink:
 
rick_ingram said:
tony barnhill said:
I don't carry spares - I do the proper maintenance according to my owners manual! Heck, I don't even carry tools!
Click to expand...

Proper maintenance will not always prevent a roadside breakdown.

Proper maintenance may not necessarily prevent an electrical part from failing.

You've lead a charmed life, Tony.

:wink:
Click to expand...
Possibly, Rick...but, I'd bet there are more folks who don't have many problems than those who do....& I've been broken down on the side of the road from part failure once or twice...hehehe...I just don't dwell on them but, instead, expect parts to operate as designed.

&, if something does break, most parts can get to me anywhere in the country overnight...plus, a rollback can take the car to the nearest garage & me to a nice hotel while I wait.

But, this is one of those "you do what works for you" threads...I remember the college days where you parked on hills, grabbed good used tores from the local tire dealer, etc. to keep it going just to get to class.
 
I carry basic tools on extended trips, and only carry spares when touring in the '49 TC since you can't find anything for them at the corner auto parts store. I almost never have spare parts in the MGBs and have never needed them in 20 years (knock on wood). I did have a fuel pump go out once, but I was able to whack it with a wrench to keep it going long enough to get home. I was glad I had a points pump that night rather than solid state! Turns out it wasn't the pump's fault anyway. It had been submerged in water for much of nearly ten miles.
 
Did you ask the US Park Service guy to hand wrenchs. Heck he just wanted to be involved Rick. He never saw a grown man play with such a little car before.
 
Did he utter the most feared phrase in the English language?

"I'm from the government and I'm here to help"

Colin
 
I had assistance from a highway patrolwoman once. At first she was trying to kick us off the road but after a while we broke down her tough act and got a smile from her. A few minutes later she was holding up wires for us. :smile: (full story here)

IMG_7804.jpg


IMG_7802.jpg
 
I had a state cop offer me his service revolver to put my car out of its misery.

I'm pretty sure he was joking.

I think.

Colin
 
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