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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 MGA - Fuel Pump

I'm restoring my SU pump. Is it the same as MGB?(helps looking on eBay)
Art Pearse

Art, MGA fuel pumps are different to MGB's. The one fitted to MGA's was a (then) new type and a friend (who has runs a very successful MG business) will not attempt to repair them. The armature windings on these (designated HP due to their increased delivery) apparently deteriorate (they get hot, especially in our climate) and overhauls do not last. I have used modern electronic replacements in several different models (including an MGC) with excellent results. The ones I use are Fuelflo (made in NZ?), much quieter than others and so light that they do not need mounting, the rubber hoses will support them.
Barry Bahnisch

Art - The pump used on the MGA was the AUA 54, AUA 150, AUB 182 or the AZX 1332. the AUA 54 has a long coil housing on it, whereas the other three pumps have the shorter coil housings on them (and are all basically the same. All of them are a basic L type pump and all three had an output pressure of 3.8 psi. The very early MGBs used the last three pumps pumps and the later MGBs went to the AUF 300 and later to the AZX 1307 pump, which is completely different and had a higher volume output. These pumps could be purchased with a 2.7 psi or a 3.8 psi output. The AUA 300/AZX 1307 pumps mount differently than the ones in the MGAs. You can see the differences in these pumps by going to the chart, SU Fuel Pump Specs in the SU Fuel Pump Articles section of my web site at: http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/ You can also get parts for your pump from Burlen Fuel Systems http://www.burlen.co.uk/ or Joe Curto http://www.joecurto.com/ or Victoria British http://www.victoriabritish.com/

While the owner of SU Midel in Australia claims that the coils suffer from high temperature, I have never observed this kind of degradation and have never been able to get any kind of an explanation of what he has observed (this doesn't mean that it doesn't happen, but in 30 years of repair/restoring the SU pumps here in the US, I have never observed it. The Fuelflo pumps (yes, they are made in NZ) are not available in the US and in my communications with the makers, they are not planning to export them here (too bad, they look like an excellent pump). Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Art, Before you start I recommend you treat yourself to the SU Workshop Manual, available from Burlen and you should have no trouble; it covers repairing the carbs as well as the pumps. There is also a SU Reference Catalogue detailing all the parts. Also if you want high quality parts to the original SU specs. buy them from Burlen. ....................Mike
m.j. moore

The SU site lists a few, and mine looks like the AZX 1307.
Where can I see the model type on the item?
Looks like the repair kit contains all I need and more.
Art Pearse

Art - "Where can I see the model type on the item?"

The model number will be on an aluminum tag on the flange of the coil housing if it has one (the tag is very often missing).

"Looks like the repair kit contains all I need and more."

Yes it does, but if you rebuild your pump, go ahead and replace all the components with the ones in the kit. By the way, if you are looking at the repair kit from Victoria British, you might want to compare the price with what Burlen Fuel Systems offers. You may well find that even with shipping and charge card foreign exchange rate, the price from BSF is significantly cheaper, and they will probably get it to you faster than V/B. If you do go ahead and order from V/B (or Moss), rest asured that you are getting the same thing as you will from BFS, which is where they get the kits. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Dave, I was looking at SU (Burlen). With the UK pound at current low it is a good price in CAD dollars.
Art
Art Pearse

Art,

A couple more thoughts.

You have the option now of converting your pump to a solid state mechanism without points. Burlen can provide you with a conversion kit. If these pumps have problems, it is normally in and around the make-and-break points, so eliminating them is worth considering.

When you rebuild the pump be sure to pre-tension the diaphragm as per the workshop manual. If you don't stretch it when you set the throw-over point it won't move fuel properly. I think Barney also deals with this issue, so have a look there too.

Regards

Malcolm
Malcolm Eades

I must disagree with Malcom's statement, "be sure to pre-tension the diaphragm as per the workshop manual." This is no longer necessary with today's diaphragms. The latest assembly and adjustment directions in the Burlen Fuel Systems shop manual no longer contains this step and I found, many years ago that stretching the diaphragm in accordance with the instructions in the shop manuals on the T series cars and MGA inhibited the proper operation of the pumps rather than enhancing it. In the past 30 years, I have restored hundreds of SU fuel pumps and converted them to solid state and I never stretch the diaphragms and have never had a problem with them pumping correctly (unless I screwed up so other step that I should have taken. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Art - I should have offered this in my previous post, if Burlen Fuel Systems doesn't send along an assembly and adjustment procedure with the rebuild kit, e-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi.net and I'll send you the procedure. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Many thanks Dave. It is ordered now.
Art Pearse

This thread was discussed between 16/04/2010 and 18/04/2010

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.