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MG TD TF 1500 Fuel Tank outlet screen BBS discussion at MG-Cars.net
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MG TD TF 1500 - Fuel Tank outlet screen
| The fuel tank screen having totally decayed on the tank outlet whilst I've a inline filter immediately adjacent to the tank do forum members feel this is sufficient. Replacement filters (the one in the tank) do not appear to be currently available and I feel external filters will be OK |
| JK Mazgaj |
| Don't see any problem with that. Having an external filter is probably advantageous as you will be able to see when it needs replacing or cleaning. Suspect that it needs to be one of the larger ones with a high surface area of filter. Dave H |
| Dave Hill |
| You only want a screen on the tank outlet for debris. The SU pump draws under power and delivers by spring, a blocked filter will stall the pump and destroy it. Those pumps are powerful, I collapsed a Sprite fuel tank when the when I fitted an unvented cap. A filter before the carbs is OK. Ray TF 2884 |
| Ray Lee |
| Doug Pelton at From the Frame Up used to sell fuel-tank screen replacement kits that were very good. Tom Lange MGT Repair |
| t lange |
| I put the Moss Billet Fuel Filter in line before my fuel pump. I thought I was just adding a bit of shiny bling but it turns out that I have a great deal of ugly black stuff in my fuel tank. Obviously you can't see in the metal filter without removing it and opening it up. I now do this about every 150 - 200 miles and I always find a lot of black crystalline stuff in the filter. I tell myself that this shows that the filter is doing what it's supposed to do and it's easier to clean this one filter that to clean the three downstream filter screens. Someday I'll clean out the tank and probably coat it with something that will, hopefully, outlast me. The point is, if you put a filter ahead of the pump you MUST check it and clean it regularly.
Jud |
| J K Chapin |
| Your filter near the tank will be fine, better than having to go inside to check it- Also, you've picked the best spot , near the tank, a lot better than after the pump as it should pick up on any rubbish before it gets fed through the pump--there is a filter/screen inside the pump as well so if the filter is placed after the pump the poor little screen in the pump has to do all the work and being hidden inside it's seldom checked willy |
| William Revit |
| As one of our very experienced pump specialist (Dave DuBois) said years ago..the design style of the S.U. Pumps made them impervious to damage caused by debris...a plugged fuel filter upstream will fry the S.U. pumps every time. Don’t put an upstream inline filter in a system with an S.U. Pump. Check the archives. Regards, Tom |
| tm peterson |
| That's an interesting point Tom (Illinois) My TF has a filter between tank and pump - not a SU (can't remember it's name) but runs continuously will think of changing layout. Current question is on my TC under restoration which has a SU. I must confess a filter on the bulkhead/firewall is a good deal more convenient. I will add that I had it recommended many years ago to keep a tank full during any prolonged layup due to condensation causing rust. My TC is having a new tank (was instore for years before my purchase) as even after attempts at cleaning still showed signs of rust which meant the tank was deteriating from inside out and I had no way of testing it's long term integrity. |
| JK Mazgaj |
| I agree that a blockage before or after the pump will total the pump.A filter in the engine bay is easy to get at,one under the car is not. A blockage in either will give you fair warning when fuel flow is reduced. If it stalls on the delivery stroke OK, if on the suction your pump is gone Ray TF 2884 |
| Ray Lee |
| A blockage after the pump will not harm the pump. Every time the carburetor bowls are full there is a “blockage” after the pump. It will cease the pump, not harm the pump. Peter |
| P G Gilvarry |
| The replacement screens are not exactly cheap! https://www.ukmgparts.com/product/td-midcat-8-subtd8-fuel-tanks/petrol-feed-adp-filter-td-tf-99612 Regards Declan |
| Declan Burns |
| Sorry. If the pump stalls on the suction stroke, the coil is energised and will heat up. The float valve is only an intermittent stall. The SU/Butec manual warns of this The last thing you want on a TF is a fuel pump fail, it is bad enough in the garage, on the road a nightmare. Ray |
| Ray Lee |
| I feel that the stock fuel filtration system is sufficient. There are already three screens in the set up. At the tank, the pump and the float bowls. If you are experiencing debris at the screens and in the bowls then pull the tank, clean and seal it. After 65 plus years it’s past time to do proper maintenance to prevent a rotted out tank. Just my two cents worth... Bill Chasser TD-4834 |
| W A Chasser |
| I respect your point on tank sealers had bought a POR type to use on the existing tank but changed my mind. However I have also read of tank sealer failures but had got to the stage where I had adapted my cement mixer to both clean and then seal the tank but as said decided on a new one. Even the guy who had previously cut open one of my car tanks refused to do so because of a "solidified" deposit in the bottom of the tank that did not want to shift. Fear of an explosion!! Basically my original comment was that did I really need a in tank gauze filter. Have now decided not. |
| JK Mazgaj |
| Ray, watch your ammeter the next time you drive. When the float chambers are full there is no current flow, suction causes current, hence a blockage on the suction side will burn out the pump. Permanent blockage on the pressure side would have no current flow, no risk of burn out. Peter |
| P G Gilvarry |
| Agreed, that is what I said originally, then stupidity took over! I blame lockdown. Ray TF 2884 |
| Ray Lee |
| I just love to study how they made it in those days long time ago. Observing an old screen is facinating: with a magnifying glass you can see de details, for instance how the seal is shaped and how the cap of the screen is placed. So, it's just some fiddling around and some carefull soldering. I bought some copper petrol filterscreen and started.
I first made the tube, inserted the cap and finally soldered the screen tube into/onto the brass bolt. Attached is a picture of old and new screen. The tricky-est part is the soldering to the brass bolt without applying too much heat that would flow the solder in the screen again. The other image shows some details of how I made it. The caliper was just an easy tool with accidently the correct diameter. It clamped the cap screen and allowed careful bending of the edge so that this cap could slide through the tube into its endposition. Greetings from the Netherlands, huib   |
| Huib Bruijstens |
| Great result. Well done. |
| JK Mazgaj |
| Great work Huib! Regards Declan |
| Declan Burns |
| Classy,precise work Huib. Like it. Cheers Rob Grantham TF3719("Aramis"),TF9177("Athos"). |
| Rob Grantham |
| Way beyond my pay grade. Very nice work Huib. |
| Christopher Couper |
| I used a paintstripper with a deflector to direct the hot air towards the brass bolt and to keep it away from the just soldered fiterscreen-tube. You just do not want that solder to run down.
I prefer to solder with hot air rather than using any kind of fire/flame with its pretty high temperatures. It is much easier to controll this way. And after all it is just about soft soldering, not welding. The device at the top is just to prevent the tube from tilting over. In this way I could do it slowly and patiently waited till the solder flowed the screen-tube and brass bolt together. For soldering the tube I used my smallest electrical soldering tool (tip shaped) and thin soldering wire (only 1 mm).  |
| Huib Bruijstens |
| I have a very unusual and very unique filter for my TD. This is a factory rag that was left in the tank when it was built. How do I know this? It is in the section of the tank that only has the drain plug in it. No way of getting it out without cutting the tank open.  |
| Bruce Cunha |
| Huib got me thinking. Here's my version. The screen is from an East German 2-stroke Moped ready made with a brass tube already on one end and a cap on the other end. The connector is a standard 3/8" to 1/8" BSPP cone fitting drilled out to accept the tube on the end of the screen as a push fit. Regards Declan |
| Declan Burns |
| Great find Declan, well done! One remark: this device looks longer than the original. Just check: inside the tank are these particionplates and one of them is just near this position. It limits the length of this filterscreen. Just check the free space/depth other wise you would damage the screen whilst inserting it without noticing. |
| Huib Bruijstens |
| Thanks Huib, I have no way of checking this at the moment. Regards Declan |
| Declan Burns |
This thread was discussed between 07/04/2021 and 15/04/2021
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