MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Capillary tube routing - '73 RWA

Can anyone tell me with certainty which route was used by the factory for the capillary tube?
The question has arisen before but not been answered, and photos in Horler show two routes.
This question is only important as I'd like to take a concours trophy with this car. After that I can make some sensible mods.
cheers
Mike
Mike Allen

Mike.

I think if you can contact Dennis Wharfe of the MG Car Club

http://www.mgcc.co.uk/

He is the Chairman of the midget Register and also a Concourse judge.

He should be able to advise you on this.

Mark.
M T Boldry

Thank you Mr Boldry.
Matters of concours significance are often far too anal for this forum. I really don't want to become one of 'them', this is just a challenge for now.
Mike Allen

I've had my '73 RWA since 1975 and believe it (was once) original. The pics in Horler pp. 100 and 105 are all wrong. It runs along the side of the block below the plugs, roughly level with the head gasket. There should be a bracket and clip at the back end of the head, hanging down off the outer heater tap stud. Here the capillary turns through 90 degrees across to the sloping part of the footwell just below the solenoid, with a coil or two to allow for stretch due to engine rock. It then lies in a foldover clip with the wiring loom, and it then follows the loom across to the inner wing and up around the pedal box, then back across towards the centre of the car between the bulkhead and the fusebox. Then through the bulkhead, sharing the hole with the oil pressure pipe.
HTH
David Smith

So, the key here is that you do not want to route it as it was originally done, you want to route it so that it satisfies the concours guide.
Trevor Jessie

Don't forget the chrome plate!

A
Anthony Cutler

Ha!!! So that's what the bracket off the heater tap is for!

What do you do with all the slack, if you follow that short route?
Nick

Coil it up, as David suggested - like this...


Steve Clark

Can someone explain to a poor yank what the heck a "capillary tube" is?
S.A. Jones

Didn't take high school chemistry Seth?

It is the tube that connects the temperature bulb to the bourbon tube in the temp gauge.

Not sure if there is any capillary action, or if that is what it is called due to its size.
Trevor Jessie

Gee David, why didn't they take it down the tunnel and back while they were at it? Perhaps it goes across the top of the footwell because they saw another opportunity to make it difficult to keep that area clean.
Thankyou. I'll bet there aren't too many of those heater tap brackets left lying around (I have one, but they don't get a mention in Moss catalogue).
cheers
Mike
Mike Allen

That would explain why my last one lasted approximately 1500 miles before breaking - I dont have the bracket off the water tap to support it properly (and the tie wrap that was there clerly wasnt enough!)

As co-incidence would have it I was wiring the replacement electric one this evening. hmmmm.......
Dean Smith ('73 RWA)

Mine is pretty much original, AFAIK.

I have the bracket on the heater tap stud, as well as another bracket and clip on the rear dynamo mount IIRC.

I will see if I can take some photos in the next few days.
Dave O'Neill 2

This thread was discussed between 06/04/2009 and 07/04/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.