MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - really bad gas

No, not from that spicy dinner... My friend with a TC called me- a few weeks ago his fuel pump failed- clicked but no fuel flow, replaced it with spare, and both carbs overflowed. He replaced both old-style float needles with grosse jets, drained the gas he said was bad, and put in 5 gallons of "new" major brand high-test, drove about 10 miles no problem. The car sat a couple days, then wouldn't start. I went down this AM, no gas in bowls. Fuel delivery fine, gas smelled like really bad rotten paint thinner. Removed both Grosse jets- both were totally stuck and gunked up with a sticky greenish varnish, and the brass appeared to have greenish corrosion on one. Also one float was stuck with the same, and one piston was totallyl frozen/stuck from this nasty sticky greenish stuff, and the other barely movable. Regular (the bad for the enviroment stuff that really works) carb cleaner would barely touch this stuff. This is what you may expect if a car had been sitting for 5 years or something. While it had been years since the carbs were last done, I drove this car about two months ago and it ran really well. Lastly, I took the failed fuel pump home (a couple year old electronic SU), and one of the valve disks was majorly stuck to the seat. Cleaned that and it works fine now. Anyone else seen anything like this? Maybe he didn't drain the first bad gas completely, or the new gas was bad? Another ethanol horror story? George
George Butz

George - Did your friend put a sealer in the fuel tank a number of years ago? I put sealer in the tank of our TD when I restored the car 25 years ago. Two years ago, I suddenly experienced the same symptoms - check valves glued shut in the pump and gross jets that had never given me any trouble, glued shut. Turned out that the sealer was breaking down in today's fuel formulation. I had to have the tank dip stripped and painted. This time I opted for a zinc phosphate treatment to avoid the problem again. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

I am beginning to wonder what kind of crap they are selling us "as" gasoline these days! Maybe it's my imagination but nothing I own seems to be running as good as it did before the gas prices came back down a bit. (down as in under $4.00 a gallon). I can't blame this on just "one" source as I don't buy fuel from just one station. Problems with gas in the TF (as discussed in another thread on this BBS),my truck does not have the power it had before, and both of our Mit's GT's don't have the get-up-and-go that they used to. Heck, I was barley able to outrun the local cop the other night in the GT the other night ...and he "shuts down" @ 125 MPH so this has never been a problem before! Normally I can blow his doors off!
(kidding!)
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

David, I fully understand your worries about the car's inability to outrun anyone.

Have you considered nitro or water injection as an adjunct? I believe there are several websites which will be able to help you.
G.E. Love

Hmmmmm ...
Have "NOS" on the TF ...never thought about putting it on the Mit's! Might have to look into that!
Cheers,
David 55 TF1500 #7427
David Sheward

David D, I don't know about previous sealer use. I think he got the car about 20 years ago, with a just completed restoration. If it was used, it had to have been before or during restoration. George
George Butz

I retired after 34 years working in an oil refinery and you would be supprised what can happen to the fuel once it leaves the refinery. We have had customers short load a truck with good fuel then go fill it up with a cheap low grade component to make a few extra bucks. They don't care about customer satisfaction and there is no way for the station to trace which load was bad. That is why you cannot transport jet fuel to airport using airport transfers tonbridges by truck, it must get there by pipeline! Have a good day!

John
John Progess

Which one John? Brother has been a Cheveron for many years. Don't know how much time he spends at the plant now (computer stuff) and seems to be going to the plant in Hawaii everytime I turn around. Dad who has been retired for 15 or better just went back there as a 75 year old safety consultant.
LED DOWNEY

LaVerne,
I retired from Flying J, just in time it appears as they have filed for chapter 11! I was lucky and got my ESOP cashed out when I left. Unfortunately I have many friends that were not so lucky and their retirements are now worth $0. What a shame! Have a good day!

John
John Progess

That sucks John. Hard to believe a refinery could go bellie up with the prices we paid for product last year.
LED DOWNEY

Good grief ...the "Ranch King" is even running poorly! It nearly stalled from lack of power when I hit a squirrel, and top speed is under 50MPH... by the GPS!
Didn't think I ever get the grass cut.
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

More info: Local machinist/shop owner just had lengthy conversation with a high-end carb restorer/rebuilder on the coast. He has recently seen horrendous problems due to ethanol. Destruction of rubber fuel lines and fuel pump diaphragms one problem. He believes the gumming and corrosion is partly from the ethanol disolving old coatings, varnish,crud, and water attraction and separation. The ethanol is highly hygroscopic (attacts water), which if it concentrates enough it separates out. He also feels some high test gas has 15-20% ethanol to increase octane, and is the worst culprit. His recomendations: if not driving often, only keep a couple gallons of gas in the tank, use regular and avoid premium (high test) unless you need it for the octane (which would be most of us unless tuned or blown motor), and likes the old "Seafoam" cleaner/stabilizer/detergent to prevent and clean fuel gunk. Interesting, and likely exactly what happend to the TC in question. George
George Butz

Funny you mention "seafoam" !
Planned experiment for Monday:
Same 5 gal can of Gas for mower.
add seafoam and see how the ranch king does.
Thought I would experiment with the mower first instead of the cars!
(Wasn't real sure what it would do if mixed with this new improved crap gas!)
Let you know Monday if I notice a difference.
David 55 TF1500 / 2004 Ranch King
David Sheward

Was a day ahead of schedule,(unusual for me!) Bit of seafoam in the Ranch-King and it felt like a supercharged stage 4 today.
Squirrels are afraid ...very afraid!
(I am kidding about the squirrels ..actually I feed the little buggers...still like Beavers better though!
This gas sucks
Cheers,
David
David Sheward

Dave,
Have been a SeaFoam fan for years...a great cleaner...both in the fuel & oil pan...
FWIW!
Bob Doc
Bob Dougherty

Everytime this thread pops up to the top I roll on the floor laughing when I see the subject line...sorry...just thought I would mention!
gblawson(gordon)

First of all, I was the former Manager of Union 76 Automotive Events (NASCAR). When the company decided to back away and let Sunoco take over a good friend who headed up fuel production started his own racing fuel company ,"Rockett Brand". I left to go into a different segment of the industry.

A couple things about fuel: Our T Series do not need "premium fuel". In 1950 gasoline did not have the 20% aromatic hydrocarbon content which gives premium it's high octane number, it was tetra ethly lead.

And yes the oxengates (alcohol) in current fuel can break loose accumulated deposits.

What I do in my '51 TD is run Regular gas with a quart of 118 octane racing gas per tank full. That little racing gas doesn't really increase the octane but provides protection to the valve seats. A lead substitute would probably do the same thing.

J. McLeod

J, what a cool job that must have been!! I'm glad you brought that up as I totally forgot my source said exactly the same thing about the racing fuel, and besides the lead it has zero ethanol and won't absorb any water. George PS- any idea what was in the "rocket fuel" Waltrip was caught with at Daytona a few years ago?
George Butz

J,
Good point, was thinking about heading over to the drag strip (live just a few miles from National Trails) and filling up one of my 5 gal can's to use as a mix. Hearing somebody else is doing that makes it sound even more like a good idea. Soon as I get a can emptied of this crap gas think I'll give that a shot. Till then the seafoam sure made a difference.
David
David Sheward

Aviation gas (100LL) has 4 times the lead as the old auto regular had. If your local airport will sell it to you mix it 25% with auto fuel regular grade. It will also boost the octane, (not that we need that of course).

Dave
Dave Clark

I used to visit my local small airport to get gas when I was off to races...!


gblawson(gordon)

Be careful with AV-gas. You can get 100 or 130 octane but the problem is that it has mostly "light ends" which is not good in automotive applications.

I called the technical director at Rockett Brand, Tim Wusz (714)282-1741 http://www.rockettbrand.com/index.html

He suggested a quart of 118 octane fuel to 15 gallons of regular gas. He said that would most closely approximate the gasoline sold in the 1950's. It gives you the lead to protect your valves without raising the octane very much.

Remember the higher the octane number the harder it is for fuel to ignite. High octane in a low compression engine can actually reduce performance.

As far as "cheating" in NASCAR,you wouldn't believe some of the stories I have heard from officials. Everything from filling the frame with lead shot for weigh-in and letting it pour out when the race starts to having a regulation 22 gallon fuel cell with a five gallon filler neck or 50 feet of one inch diameter fuel line. Injecting additives into the fuel, air holes under the restrictor plate. If it can be done, it has been tried.
J. McLeod

This thread was discussed between 26/07/2009 and 07/08/2009

MG TD TF 1500 index

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