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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fuel pump replacement

Hi , any recommendations for a direct replacement of the SU pump with an electronic version ? Don’t want to go down the Facet cube type route. There is a Hardi version and various other after market types from Mini suppliers . Anyone tried one and been happy with it ? Thanks
Mike Fairclough

SU do an electronic version of the standard pump - I wouldn't go down the route of any of the plastic bodied pumps!

Why go electronic? A brand new points pump will last just as well.
Chris at Octarine Services

The Facet silver top is very good. Mine is 35 years old now and has never let me down.
Bob Beaumont

I want to try and keep to a straight forward swap if I can . The car often spends long periods not running and sometimes the pump needs a little encouragement, not too bad as it’s in the boot . I have replaced and cleaned the points in the past just looking for something a bit more reliable
Mike Fairclough

Mike,
you'll find many posts on here with me recommending the Hardi fuel pump (mine was Q&H), fit and forget.

I've had a cylindrical Facet before, noisy thing that's why they have the rubber bobbins for fixing (more piss-poor rubber to worry about, 35 years ago the rubber was better).

I installed my pump almost as soon as I got the car 13 years ago to save worry about the rusty one that was fitted.

There three suggestions and recommendations.

Nigel Atkins

Something I didn't know when I fitted mine was that the inlet and outlet pipes can be turned to align better with supply pipes - and I'm not sure that you need worry about which way up you have the supplies but check that.
Nigel Atkins

My last midget had this fitted to it when I bought it. I couldn't stop the carbs from flooding...until I fitted an SU pump.


Dave O'Neill 2

I'm not sure that's a Hardi, does it have Made in Germany on it?.

The Hardi have, (from Moss) -
"All HARDI-Pumps have a special control system that enables the adaption of the pumping capacity to the consumption of the engine. This means, it will pump fast at high consumption, slow or not at all at low consumption and therefore a great deal of energy is saved."
Nigel Atkins

I was just going to say Dave has it got a manufacturer name on it ? The Hardi one seems a good option “ no name” alternatives are not much cheaper
Mike Fairclough

Thinking about it that pump wont still be around, Dave will have stripped it to make starter motors and sold the rest for scrap.






:) I'm joking. But just after posting I thought the pump has probably gone by now.
Nigel Atkins

The original S.U pump on the Midget developed a leaky diaphragm at 120,000 miles, when alcohol was first introduced in gasoline (1980). The second pump failed on the road in a remote region about 160,000 miles later. I had a used spare from another car and was able to make one working pump out of the two at midnight in the rain in order to make it home.

I have an electronic S.U pump on the Midget now and I believe the one on the B has points. They seem to be good for 100,000+ so I recommend a new S.U replacement, either electronic or with points.
Glenn Mallory

I'm running an electronic SU on the Midget and the 'B' I look after also has an electronic SU version.
Nothing wrong with the points version but with infrequent/long lay up periods I think they have more of a tendency for points to get sticky.

Beware of other pumps as they often run at higher pressures and then you are into problem solving a problem that shouldn't exist.

R.
richard b

I have a Pierburg for 15 years now, right pressure and flow, no membranes no troubles so far. When I had the SU's I used to carry a spare one with me.

Flip


Flip Brühl

This thread was discussed on 24/05/2020

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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