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MG TD TF 1500 - Engine Stoppage

Today, while driving not far from home, at approximately 45 mph, my engine quit. I was able to roll into a filling station driveway, but had to push it up to the pump. I checked the fuel level in the tank with my trusty yardstick marked for gallons, and the tank was virtually empty. After filling the tank to approximately 12 gallons, the engine started, and I drove away from the pump, but it died again before I was able to drive off the station driveway. I started it again, it ran for a few seconds and stopped again. My wife brought my Acadia down to the station and towed me home. I haven't had time to check it out, but I suspect that my filter is now clogged with debris from the tank bottom, causing the engine to quit very soon after starting....does that make sense to anyone else? The engine was running just fine on the highway, with an occasional sputter, which didn't really alert me to anything, but thinking back, it now seems logical to me that the filter was beginning to clog. The car had been sitting in my shop since last November when I removed the carbs for rebuild. Over the winter I re-bushed the front end, and tweaked other items. After reinstalling the rebuilt carbs, the engine ran fine on the lift. Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks, gang!!
Cheers,
Frank
Frank Bice

Frank - "...I suspect that my filter is now clogged with debris from the tank bottom,..."

It is very possible that you have a good layer of debris in the bottom of the tank that was stirred up when filling the empty tank that produced a layer of the debris to coat the outlet screen in the tank, that you will need to clean out. The problem Of course, is that you need to remove and store 12 gallons of fuel while you are cleaning the interior of the tank. The next thing on the agenda is to remove the filter plug in the fuel pump and insure that the filter is clean. I don't know if you TF is the 1250 (with the pump on the firewall) or the later TF 1500 with the (pump under the car in the back). If the pump is under the car, the tank will need to be emptied before removing the filter plug. Cheers - DAve
D W DuBois

Someone did just post here that there is a plumbers adjustable bung (screw pinch type)that you can fit to the filler neck and it will provide a good enough seal to allow you to remove the fitting at the bottom of the tank and not loose too much gas. Obviously a very carful operation.
But you could at least verify the filter over the fitting is intact and clear it, if need be. At lease then get you driving till the gas is all gone :)

Just a thought.
Rod
R. D. Jones

Yes, I had exactly the same stoppage issue on a Ctroen BX years ago. Engine started, ran a few minutes, then petered out, then the whole thing could be repeated over and over again. I fixed it by changing the in-line filter. There may have been a filter in the tank, but it wasn't the source of the problem (perhaps a much coarser filter in the tank). The tank filter is not the only filter on a TF either.
Some TF 1250s also have the SU pump at the back and not on the firewall.
Dave H
Dave Hill

The filter in the tank can be temporarily cleared by blowing air down the line from the carby end. Once the tank is empty, either by driving the car to deplete most of the fuel or by draining the tank, then the issue of crud in the bottom of the tank can be dealt with simply by removing both the bung & tank filter & blowing air into the tank via the filler. Adding suction at these two outlets via a vacuum cleaner also helps. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

Frank,

It could also be a filter in the fuel pump as Dave indicated.

Also, from your description, it seems that this is the first drive since the carb rebuild,, maybe something in there?? sticky needle valve, leaking float, ??? Do you have "ticklers" on the carbies??
Check the carbs before you go through the trouble of draining the tank,

IMHO, your problem developed too quickly after leaving the gas station pump (75 feet?)so that would probably rule out a posible blocked vent on the fuel tank filler cap...

Steve
Steve Wincze

I would never use a vacuum cleaner to suck on a fuel line.
Do you believe in the BIG-BANG THEORY.Fuel vapours and electric vacuum cleaners will recreate it.
PLEASE DO NOT TRY IT THAT WAY.
Sandy
SANDY

Mine is the 1250. Thanks to all for your comments...as soon as I have time, I will follow up and report back.
Cheers,
Frank
Frank Bice

I strongly second the advise of Sandy in Florida.
John Quilter (TD8986)

I was able to clean the crud out of my tank that way however it had been free of fuel for over 40 years. Any fuel vapours were well & truly long gone. Point taken however. Cheers
Peter TD 5801
P Hehir

This thread was discussed on 30/03/2015

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