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MG TD TF 1500 - Fuel pump NOS problems

I just installed a NOS Lucas fuel pump on my 53 TD. Put power to it with no results. No ticking. Ran continuity test and ground looked good. Used a shot piece of wire and went from battery post direct to stud on pump. Nothing. Opened up and polished contacts with some 600 grit paper. Still nothing. Put power direct to the small bolt head at bottom where points spring is attached. Still nothing. Ran continuity check on wire from stud to this screw head and it check ok. Checked ground continuity also again. Was good. Battery showed 13.6 Volts. I am running with negative ground. Seams like I read that it should make no difference. Any help as to what to try next?
RER Rosa

RER - Do you really have a Lucas fuel pump? Or is it the OEM SU fuel pump (I suspect it is a SU pump- we can't blame Lucas for everything)? When you say a NOS pump, how long has it been sitting on the shelf? As for polishing the points, if the pump has been sitting unused for a really long period, 600 sand paper is not going to make a dent in the film on the points contact. See the article, Cleaning Points in the SU Fuel Pump Articles section of my Homepage at: http://homepages.donobi.net/sufuelpumps/ and really scrub the contacts with a small sharpening stone as covered in the article. If this doesn't work, then the pump will need a complete overhaul. If you can wait until October, I can restore the pump and convert it to solid state for you (I don't do any fuel pump work during the summer months). If you need the pump working right away, e-mail me at SUfuelpumps@donobi.net and I'll hook you up with someone who will work on the pump for you (sans the conversion to solid state). Cheers - Dave
D.W. DuBois

You are correct on it being an SU not Lucas. It looks just like the "L" pump on your homepage specs. Can't say why I said Lucas. Just a guess, I guess. Sold to me as New Original Stock. I guess I am just frustrated that it did not work. Have no idea how long it has been on the shelf. I will try your recommendation on cleaning the points. The good gent that sold it to me said I could return it and he would check it out, fix it or swap it out with another good one. So I'll get it fixed one way or the other. Trying to work my way thru all things critical to do a first time start up after approximately 30 years of putting this car back together. You've helped me before Dave and I am very thankful.
RER Rosa

What happens when you flip the rocker manually? Do you see a little spark? Does it try to do anything then versus when its not connected and you flip it?
Christopher Couper

I bought a NOS (circa 1966) couple of years back, checked it before putting it on & and it clicked right off. What would cause RER's problem? Speaking of SU fuel pumps, how are the new pumps from China now that they bought out SU too? Jack
JR Jack

"What would cause RER's problem?"

Usually points that are not conducting or from a diaphragm that has become so stiff that it won't move through it's normal range of motion.

Jack - Where did the info about SU being sold to China come from? Would this be coming from the rash of points being made in China? If so, those are coming from Moss Motors rather than from Burlen Fuel Systems. Cheers - Dave
D.W. DuBois

Hello Dave - good talking with you again. Yes, I heard this several years back now when I was talking to a Moss phone order person. I also heard this again last year at John Twist's Summer party from one of John's service techs, maybe he too heard it from Moss. I certainly don't want to spread false rumors, like a lots of false things that get broadcast on this chat room, that is why I asked the question. Jack
JR Jack

Hi Chris, I pulled it off the car and shipped it back already. Sorry I can't try your suggestion.

Hi Dave, Will today's gas eat the rubber in a pump of this vintage?
Thanks
RERosa


A search leads to Burlen Fuel Systems Ltd. as the present owner of SU.

http://sucarb.co.uk/history-burlen

Information on the Fuel Pumps can be found here:

http://sucarb.co.uk/technical-su-fuel-pumps-history



Jim B.
JA Benjamin

" I heard this several years back now when I was talking to a Moss phone order person. I also heard this again last year at John Twist's Summer party from one of John's service techs, maybe he too heard it from Moss."

That is interesting. The next time I send an order to Burlen Fuel Systems, I'll ask them. In the meantime, I have not seen any change in the parts that I get from them and if they are having the pumps sourced from China (which is always possible. But if they are sourcing them from China, they are holding the manufactures feet to the fire - I have not seen any differences in the pumps other than a very slight change in some of the castings). The only parts that I know for sure coming from China are the knock off points that Moss is importing from China (this directly from Kelvin at MM). I have heard several complaints about these points (including from my primary competitor), but I cannot form an opinion since all of the pumps that I do are converted to solid state and don't use any of the points. I will say that Moss still carries the original points sets from BFS along side the one from China, but for a substantial difference in price. Cheers - Dave
D.W. DuBois

This thread was discussed between 05/06/2015 and 06/06/2015

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