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MG MGA - carb overflow pipes on a 1500?

Hi Folks,

Just finishing up the rebuilding of a 1500 engine and am not clear on what to do with the overflow pipes from the carbs. Before the rebuild they had been cut off to length of about 4 inches. Now after being rebuilt by Joe Curto they are much longer. The Shop Manual shows the the pipes clamped to the block next to the breather pipe on a 1600. There is no equivalent picture for a 1500 in the Manual and the Moss catalog does not show the clamp.

Anybody know where they were placed by the factory?
Thanks.
brucep

G'day on mine they hang from the float chamber,butI can't say original or not.
Bob
59 1500 coupe
B WALKER

Same place...if memory serves.
They would fit in the same clamp along side of the breather pipe. Mine are short now too...Cheers
Jon Bachelor

I think that they are actually vent tubes for the top of the foat chamber. Fuel just comes out of them as a nasty side effect if something has prevented the needle valves from shutting the fuel supply off. I routed mine along the curved section of the frame near the carbs, and attached them with a clip. Just make sure that they are not positioned so that fuel will run on to the exhaust manifold in the case of an overflow.
Ralph
Ralph

Well, the shop (Sports Car Haven in St. James, NY) who rebuilt my engine and carbs pointed the front overflow at the fan and the rear one directly down on to the exhaust! I think they had a bad day (or wanted me to have one). The correct way is to point them down along the fender, away from trouble.

Luckily I re-arranged mine before the first shakedown cruise after my rebuild and bent/aimed them properly. As I put the A back in my garage the front needle valve stuck and poured gas out onto the floor!
- Ken
Ken Doris

On the 1500, they are positioned in the same place as on the 1600, being clamped to the block at the blanking plate for a mechanical fuel pump.
dominic clancy

The Book by Robert P Vitrikas shows the overflow pipes on page 37. They are also shown on page 50 but this I believe is the prototype engine. The pipes are available from MOss Part No AUC1866. Don't forget the special washer AUC1928.
Garth.
Garth Bagnall

Ralph,

You did not mean that you attached the vent pipes to the frame (chassis)? Did you?
They should not be attached to the chassis or body because of the relative movement that takes place. The engine mounts flex during operation.
The vent pipes should only be attached to the engine (originally to a nut holding the blanking plate for the mechanical fuel pump opening).

Mick

Mick Anderson

When I purchased my MGA the vent pipes were short lengths that pointed to the exhaust manifold. I purchased the right length, long copper pipes from Scarborough Faire. A medium size metal wire harness clip (easily found at an auto parts supplier) fastened to the motor location that Dominic Clancy describes above holds the vent tubes together at their ends, and looks like the original factory part. -M.S.
Martin Straka

This thread was discussed between 23/04/2005 and 05/05/2005

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