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MG TD TF 1500 - Priming the TF Oil Pump

Any procedure to prime the TF oil pump ? Just add oil until it overflows out the fill hole?
Getting really close to start-up.
thanks,
Tyler
C.T. Irwin

Thats one way Tyler. Most people pack the pump with vasoline to help prime on start up. Some use a pressure fill which is what I prefer. You can usually rent an oil pressure tank from a good ( good being the operative word) parts house and presure the system by tying it into the the oil pressure feed line. Others make there own tank with a weed sprayer.

LaVerne
LED DOWNEY

Tyler,

My TD sits on blocks for approximatly 5 months of the year and when it comes time to fire it up, I have always had problems priming the oil pump to have oil in all the lines. I finally found a way to solve my problem and hope that it will work for you.

I attach a small funnel to an 18 inch piece of plastic hose. I detach the oil line to the oil pressure guage and clamp the other end of the plastic
hose to the small threaded fitting that held the line to the oil guage. The funnel is suspended above the level of the top of the motor. Remove the brass plug in the oil pump [near the filter] and fill up the funnel with oil. You will have to keep the oil in the funnel up until there is oil coming out the hole in the pump. Put the plug back in the pump and remove the valve cover on the top of the motor. Keep the funnel full of oil until there is oil coming from the rocker shaft. Replace oil guage line on fitting and you should have oil in all the oil passages. If there has been a small loss of oil from the guage line, I have found that it will not be a problem once the engine is running. This can take about 30 min. and some form of a pressure system would be quicker but as I only have to do this once a year, I find the time element is not that important. I works for me.

George Raham
TD 4224
G. L. Raham

I use a small garden pump-up sprayer. Fill it with the proper amount of oil and attach the line where the oil pressure gauge line is attached. Fill the engine that way and all galleys will be filled including the oil pump and filter.
Sandy
conrad sanders

I thought that late TDs and all TFs oil pumps, had a drilling in the body to make them self priming. have you tried to turn over the engine on the starter without the ignition, if you get oil pressure then your pump is primed.

John*
J Scragg

Tyler,

There's a couple of ways to do it...one easier than the other.

Hardest way is to remove the line from the top of the oil pump and the little plug above it. Jack a rear wheel up, put the transmission in 4th, and rotate the wheel backwards by hand while someone else squirts oil into the two holes. When you can't put anymore oil in while rotating the wheel you're primed and ready to go.

The easiest way is to do what Sandy said...get a small garden pump (aobut $9 at Home Depot) and attach a 5/16th inch I/D hose from the nozzle of the pump to the fitting on the side of the block that goes from the block to the head. The hose fits tightly over the outlet that goes to the pressure gauge on the dash. I used this method about three weeks ago and wish I'd discovered it years ago...oil pressure was almost instantaneous when I cranked the engine over.

Gene
Gene Gillam

I believe Mr. Scragg's of France is correct. The later TD's and TF's had a self-priming oil pump. I refer you to the following book for a discussion about oil pumps and their modifications.

“The Complete mg workshop and Tuning Manual” by W.E. Blower

Good luck,
Roy
Roy Challberg

I'm not sure if Tyler did a rebuild or is just bringing the motor back from the dead. If it's a rebuild the I would always recomend a pressure fill of the oil system and an additionl "no spark" spin of the motor until I got an oil pressure reading. If simply a fire up after long storage then a " no spark" spin usually is ok although I'd still like to see some fresh oil pushed around by a pressure feed before I start spining it myself .

LaVerne
LED DOWNEY

At least to my TD the way to prime the oil pump is to crank up the car with no ignition on for some 10-20 seconds, then pressure starts rising.
DLB Denis L. Baggi

Thanks folks,
I like Sandy's method. Seems pretty easy, too. But I've got bigger problems: I'm pulling the engine back out tonight to see if a water jacket leak in the block can be repaired.

thanks,
Tyler
C.T. Irwin

LaVerne,
Send me an email. I'll send you a reply with preliminary info about our 3-day meet, this year in Chama (your neighborhood).
Tyler
C.T. Irwin

This thread was discussed between 13/04/2009 and 21/04/2009

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