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MG MGB Technical - SU fuel pump life revisited, Thanks to David DuBoi

A little while ago we had a thread going about SU fuel pumps. Im glad I saw it, and want to thank David DuBois for his input.

When I left Eureka, California for Louisville, KY, I got only about 130 miles south (just turned to CA hwy 1 off of 101 at Leggett for those who know the area) when the car quit. I ran sandpaper between the pump points to get it going again, but lost some confidence in the pump as a result.

Thanks to Davids comments and link, I had the part numbers for a replacement, as well as the knowledge that I could keep both pumps onboard.

I bought a spare pump before leaving Calif. as insurance, and sure enough, the car quit again about 50 miles west of Oklahoma City. Cleaning the points this time didnt resurrect the SU, so I installed the new pump. Turns out that the problem weak ground line, and probably was all along, but I was testing with a test light instead of a VOM meter so I didnt see the problem. After fixing the ground, both pumps worked, so now I have the double pump set up. It would have taken me a lot longer diagnose and fix the problem without Davids info, and time on the side of the Interstate does seem different. The peace of mind in the dead of winter from carrying and extra pump that you know will work; priceless.

So, thanks for the help David. I still have roadside wiring on the car, but its back in Kentucky now and Ill add the deluxe wiring soon.

Charley
C R Huff

Charley - Good to hear that my articles and comments were a help. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

So the 2 pumps need independant grounds then.
David Witham

David W,

Yes, both pumps need a ground, and both need a hot line. At the moment, to switch pumps, I would have to remove the wires from the SU and put them on the new pump. With some extra wiring and an on/on/off switch I could change over at the flick of a switch.

Charley
C R Huff

This thread was discussed on 26/01/2008

MG MGB Technical index

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