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MG TD TF 1500 - Cleaning the Oil Pressure Tube

I know very little about how to make a TD run but I can pretty much take apart, clean and put back together most anything. When trying to make sure the tube for the oil pressure guage was unobstructed, I found that a single strand of wire from Cat 5 cable with its 4 twisted pairs of wire for internet connection, was just the right size (leaving the insulation on) to use as a 'tube snake'. It is flexible enough to bend with the shape of the oil pressure tube but stiff enough to push through, 1/2 inch at a time.

Pateince is required though. I had to insert the wire until it didn't want to go anymore, then pull it out, clean off the little bit of oil that was on the tip, and start the procedure again. Eventually, the wire fed all the way through the other end and I was able to work it back and forth, cleaning the old oil off the wire after each pull.

I have some picture to attach but they are on the home computer that is having trouble connecting to the net lately. If I can get it to work tonight, I will post pictures.

Just trying to repay with a tidbit of something that I learned since I have recieved so much great input from this bulletin board.

As always, Thank you,

Patrick
Patrick Earles

Patrick, you couldn't just blow some air through to make sure it was clear? Regards, Tom
tom peterson

Tom,

I did try and blow air through there but it had very limited flow. The other problem is that I don't have a compressor to really put some pressure through it. The oil was so old and thick, I'm not sure even a compressor could push enough air through there to clean it out.

Patrick
Patrick Earles

Brake cleaner will clean it out quickly if there's any flow through the tubing at all...not sure it will get as clean as your method though.
Gene Gillam

I had to use a method similar to Patrick's when I cleaned out my fuel line. It was plugged tight. I straightened out a wire coat hanger and eventually got the dam broke free enough that air and brake cleaner cured the rest. I still had some small bits of debris that got trapped in the filter in the fuel pump when I tested the rebuilt pump on the bench with some diesel that I had on hand. I just stuck one end of the fuel line in the five gallon jug and hooked the other to the pump.

I haven't tackled the job of cleaning the fuel tank yet, but all that debris had to come from somewhere. I'm not looking forward to the tank cleaning job, but I'm thinking that the plugged fuel line could have been what led to my TD being parked forty years ago...

Kirk

Kirk Trigg

Patrick:

Do Not forget to clean out the gauge where the pipe attaches. It can get gunk in it and be the cause of a lot of nightmares relating to oil pressure.
Bruce Cunha

Bruce,

Thank you, I will make sure it is also cleaned.

Attached is a picture (with a second one following) of the tube with the tube snake in it. Hope this helps.

As always, thank you,

Patrick


Patrick Earles

The other end.
Patrick Earles

This thread was discussed between 28/08/2013 and 02/09/2013

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.