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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Run of wires in boot

Anyone got a photo of the correct, or good, route of the fuel sender and fuel pump wires in the boot please.

I'm going to rewire from where they branch off from the other wires, then through the hole in the boot floor, along the side of the fuel tank to sender and on to fuel pump.

At the moment those two wires go through the small triangular opening in the boot bracing panel and then through a hole in the boot floor. It all looks a little over tight and unclipped to me.

Cheers.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

I'll take a photo but can't guarantee it's not the original fitting as a friend and I did it. It is a new loom though so hopefully we've got somewhere near where it should be!
Jeremy MkIII

Thanks Jeremy.

I'm not sure how much my wiring route is right or wrong but the branch off for those two wires' route looks wrong.
Nigel Atkins

You maybe don't want to stray as much from original as I have done.
My loom has a branch off behind the B post that goes from behind the inner wing and into the boot area, then down through a grommet more or less at the crest of the rear axle hump, to feed direct to the fuel pump.

It then has the fuel sensor wire continuing within the loom for the rear lighting wires to inside the boot area where the branch is for the number plate wires. Centre rear of the boot floor. From there, two wires exit the boot floor between the rear skirt and the rear of the tank. They plug into the two long tails fixed to the sender unit, one is for the sensor and one for an extended earth wire with the connector inside the boot.
GuyW

Nigel,

the first image shows the wiring disappearing through the boot floor.
The second shows where that wire branches out from the main loom.
I'm not sure if the wiring is for both sender and pump and will need to get under the car (bit difficult as it's on grass atm). Ignore the purple and purple/white cables as they're for the boot light.





Jeremy MkIII

Thanks Guy but I'm following existing to make it as easy as possible.

I went to clean the car today and only got as far as cleaning the bonnet as I noticed one side was out of line. After sorting the hinge fixing on one side I discovered the bonnet catch pin had walked itself down. That pissed me off as I spent a fair bit of time and effort getting the bonnet closing and front seating spot on and I thought I done the locknut passed two levels of paint to bite to bear metal as it was but no, it came loose.

And I know I checked the hinge screws for tightness even if I can't remember about the catch pin.
Nigel Atkins

Jeremy,
thanks for the photos, so much easier to see against clean white paint.

It had me confused as usual, my car's not like yours in that area, certainly no cable strap that I've noticed and the branching doesn't seem to go as high as that. Not much point me taking a photo as it's black wrapped wires against black rust wax stuff.

It's the bottom bit on mine that doesn't seem right, see photo.

Some of the muck there might be French sand from a deeper puddle than expected, 12 years ago, I'll get it out before the next concours event.



Nigel Atkins

So, it appears that my fuel pump wires follow the conventional route as they are like Jeremy's. Only mine is clipped down the side of the rear bulkhead panel trim.

It's my fuel gauge sender wiring that is non standard then. That and the addition of earthing wires in both cases.

I also see that you still have the T shaped fuel pump vent in position Jeremy. I always wonder why one would vent fuel vapours into an enclosed boot. Seems an odd detail to me!
GuyW

Guy,

My understanding is the pipe is not venting vapour - just the air being pumped by the diaphragm or else the diaphragm would not move, well I hope so as the second vent is for the air movement in the points cavity - not that there are ever any sparks in there !

R.
richard b

Nigel, glad to be of some limited assistance. did you notice anything else in the first image?
Guy,
the T piece, yes I just copied what was there from the original. My rational was if it was good enough for BMC/BL then it'll do for me - maybe they knew the boot wouldn't be airtight for long once the rustbug got a hold?
Jeremy MkIII

My very original '72 had fuel pump vent tubes in both of those 'hump' grommets, not wiring.

Bearing in mind the photos were taken in 2009, the only wiring I can see is in the rear corner.





Dave O'Neill 2

It's the wiring going through the triangular opening, as green arrowed in photo, that I can't think is correct on mine.

Mine originally had the two t-piece vents same as Dave's.

Jeremy, the sealer?



Nigel Atkins

And is this hole for a cable clip perhaps or just from production?



Nigel Atkins

No, that doesn’t look right.
Dave O'Neill 2

Mine has the two vents 'on the hump' as Dave's.

The fuel tank sender wire is in the righthand inner wing drop down portion exiting sideways through a grommit and cliped to side of the tank.

Its a bit late now to empty the boot and climb under to check for the fuel pump wire !

R.
richard b

But should the wires run to the rear corner of the boot below the light cluster and then head towards the front, the other side of the boot bracing panel, and drop through the hole they're through now?

If so, are there any clips to hold the cabling?
Nigel Atkins

Don't look under the car thanks Richard as I'm attaching to the side of tank (well using p-clips really) and have a route for pump supply - it's just what's best to keep wires out of the way in the boot.

I'm going to use (crimped) standard bullets to join existing wires with new so will put them in a convenient place inside the boot rather than under the car as at the moment (a wire previously broke and this has been on my to-do-list for a couple of years).
Nigel Atkins

We discussed some time ago about the vents in the boot for the fuel pump, when I asked how it "should" look like. I thought about it recently as I purchased the parts for mine, but still didn't put them: might be for when you clean the under and arches of the car ? Some people said to avoid to the pump to breath "mud" when driving on wet and dirty roads.

Also, I don't have the black panels as Dave has in his boot: should I ? Is it custom made or geniune ?

Sorry Nigel for the thread drift :p I am also interested in the question you asked, as my car has been fiddled with in this area (not by me, I promise :P)
CH Hamon

The black panels are the bumper reinforcements - no’s 71 & 72


Dave O'Neill 2

Yet again Dave beat me to it.

Cedric, if you had a good electronic pump like the Hardi you would not need to worry about such things - any more problems with your pump?
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,

not the sealer but a corner of the Good Book! :)

Dave

your (very nice) 72 car looks like it has a Liverpool number plate, is that where you got it from?
Jeremy MkIII

Jeremy,
I was looking at the wrong photo - but - that was because I was trying to avoid looking at that illegal speaker, and I bet it's part of a pair to make stereo, not even mono. And a claimed 130w, my last car speaker was a genuine 2.5w deluxe, single mono - you couldn't hear it if the engine was running, for safety obviously.

But, but, to refer to that publication as the good book, just too much. Better than no book, but not 'the' good book.

I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight with these thoughts in my head!







(I'll take a photo of the top corner of the boot on mine tomorrow as I'm sure it differs).
Nigel Atkins

<<And is this hole for a cable clip perhaps or just from production?>>

This hole is for the bolt that secures the fuel separator on the U.S. version midget (1971 in this case.) One hose vents the tank, the other is routed forward to the charcoal canister under the boot.


Glenn Mallory

Yes, we tend to forget about all these variations.
Dave O'Neill 2

Jeremy

Yes, I believe it was registered in Liverpool.

I bought it in Widnes, from a guy whose sister had it from new.
Dave O'Neill 2

Dave, so you were the second owner. Funny coincidence as ours is also registered in Liverpool (TC) and bought from its original lady owner in Southport.
Jeremy MkIII

Glenn,
thanks for that I'd have never have thought of that, like Dave has put so many variations.
Nigel Atkins

Jeremy,
your photo made me look more closely at that area in the boot and looking under the inner top cavity I saw a circular hole (more than 20mm, my largest grommet size) just inboard of the boot light switch bracket.

Using this I thought I could tidy up the wiring to the boot light and its switch as it never looked right just hanging over the boot wing inner support panel. So off I went to get a cable-tie to use as a feeding rod but after doing so I found the three wires directed themselves though the opening easily without any aid.

I've no idea how the wires are supposed to route, and no doubt the insulation on the single purple/white wire to the boot light switch will be sawn through unseen on some rough edge up there somewhere, but it all looks neater now.



Nigel Atkins

Does anyone please have a spare s/h boot light switch they don't want/need (I only really need the arroweed bullet connector piece)?

I put a new boot light switch on a few years ago but the elbow part is oversized and whilst I can get it to fit snugly on switch side the bullet side remains loose as the dimple indents for the bullet seem wrong.

I can't remember what silly price I paid for this duffy modern made part but now they're a ridiculous price and no guarantee they'd be any better. Boot light switch - 13H391.

I could I suppose try soldering but that's more farting about with something that burns skin in a restrictive area and more bending getting backache.



Nigel Atkins

Can you not adjust the fit with a pair of pliers?
Dave O'Neill 2

I've tried that a couple of times before and again today.

Not quite as straightforward as it sounds because of the cut out section at the elbow which takes the dimples offset when as you squeeze so need realigning, carefully from elbow cut our and full end.
Nigel Atkins

Let me have a look in the morning Nigel. There's a chance I have one. If so it's yours.
Greybeard

Thanks Dave ! Don't recall having seen them in my boot... I need to check this closer :)

My pump is alright Nigel ! So happy that i took care of her that one of my chamber is leaking fuel now :/ I might need to create a thread soon :p
CH Hamon

Thanks Grey.

Cedric,
by chamber do you mean carb float chamber (fuel bowl), yes start a thread.
Nigel Atkins

This thread was discussed between 16/05/2020 and 17/05/2020

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