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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fuel tank pick up

Chaps

Fuel tank capacity in the book suggests 6 or 7 gallons - mine is probably 7.

Assuming this to be so, this is about 32 litres.

However - when the car starts to judder and lose fuel to the carb - the most I can get into the tank is about 20 litres.

Pick up pipe fault - not long enough or broken off perhaps?

Additionally, and do bear in mind all the mods - HIF44, Metro head, bigger inlets, uprated cam etc....is 31 mpg a reasonable figure?

My thinking was this is a tad high for fuel consumption and it probably does run slightly rich - turn mix screw out by half a turn perhaps.....?

Mind, I do give it some now and then.....
Mark O

7 gallons= 26,4 l,
I can safely get 26 liter from the tank which is a wee little bit more than 27 l. You can cheque the fuel level with a stick, as soon as it begins to judder. Or have a look with a scope to see the pick up.
31 mpg= 1: 13 this is normal if you drive spritely or MG like.
Look at the spark plugs, measure the CO or go to a rolling road to see if it runs rich or not. All the best.
Flip
Flip Brühl

Flip,

Your conversion is for US gallons which are smaller than UK gallons, Mark's conversion is correct for UK gallons.
David Billington

I have the same thing with my tank.
I can have the pump ticking away wildly, then swerve left to right a bit to slosh the remaining fuel about then it stops for a while.... can get a good couple of miles extra like that....
Andy Phillips (frankenfrog)

Chaps

Yes UK gallons please.....none of your American rubbish here thank-you!......I have heard of the end of the fuel pick up corroding and dropping off, which may explain matters.

Guess I will have to remove the suction to the pump and take a look inside the tank.

Mark O

The problem is with all that meterics and right handed driving....haha

Have you re postioned your fuel pump in the right rear wheel well... moved it up higher ???

Im not sure about the SU pump, but on my after market pump. It has to be lower then the bottom of the fuel in the tank, otherwise the pump no longer works ...if the pump is 1/3 from the bottombof the tank, then ill only get 2/3 of the tank in usable fuel before the pump stops working

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed on 21/04/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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