ital and marina mechanical pump

Post by **aupickup** » Mon May 29, 2006 11:33 pm

has any one had any dealings with a mechanical fuel pump on the 1275 ital and marina engines

thanks
au

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 30, 2006 12:20 am

Only in the sense of removing and replacing them, and swapping them from Maestro engines. What do you need to know?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:20 am

They are much more reliable than the electric SU pump. However some have been known to develop a leak of fuel into the engine oil with possibly very disasterous results.

Post by **Pyoor_Kate** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:07 am

Well, I've got one on my ital engine, had to change it when I got it (the original one disintegrated spectacularly). What did you want to know?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Tue May 30, 2006 1:19 pm

All Mini engines since about 1973 have mech pump - until injection came along of course. Now it's an electric high pressure pump inside(!) the petrol tank.

Post by **Cam** » Tue May 30, 2006 3:58 pm

Yep, my Minis had them and they were very reliable.

Post by **aupickup** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:19 pm

thanks for comments was just curious really, i think i will stick with my su pump

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 30, 2006 7:53 pm

With the mechanical one as a 'spare'?

Post by **Onne** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:13 pm

So that is why BMCecosse needs bigger brakes... all the spares

Post by **minor_hickup** » Tue May 30, 2006 8:55 pm

So is there anyone here who has opted for the mechanical pump on a standard minor unit? With all the troubles i've had in the past with electric pumps it seems an attractive alternative.

Post by **Onne** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:04 pm

problem is, only the Austins had the hole for one, blanked off. So that would count out the 918, the 803, the 948 and the morris 1098

Post by **bigginger** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:15 pm

But when one has a few Austin engines, it's curiously interesting.

Post by **minor_hickup** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:18 pm

Really? I thought mine had one.....must be going mad

Post by **Onne** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:26 pm

it looks like it's been blanked off, but there won't be a hole, just the shpe cast in the block.

Did Austin have mechanical pumps before joining Morris?
Because Morris used the same electric fuel pump in their pre-war models.

The Morris pre-series 10/4 has one

Post by **chrisd87** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:36 pm

Now that's funny - my 'Morris' engine has the fitting for a mechanical pump, yet the spare 'Austin' A40 engine I've just bought has the lump in the casting. Strange indeed...

Post by **Onne** » Tue May 30, 2006 9:56 pm

ae you sure it is the original?

Post by **chrisd87** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:05 pm

err... no!

Post by **Pyoor_Kate** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:14 pm

My experience of the Mechanical pump's been good so far. She takes a bit longer to start - presumably 'cos the petrol in the carb evaporates, and unlike the electronic pump which'd fill it before I tried to start the car, the mechanical one takes a few churns of the engine to get petrol in there.

Otherwise I've not noticed fuel starvation problems, but it's not really been as hot (can I answer that after Pride?) and the only difference has been the loss of the clicking (slightly sad) but also the loss of the stopping of the clicking (not in the slightest bit sad).

Post by **aupickup** » Tue May 30, 2006 10:39 pm

it was only austins that had the mechanical fuel pump aperture . and those engines were normally painted black
morris`s kept with the electric pump

Post by **rayofleamington** » Tue May 30, 2006 11:27 pm

and those engines were normally painted black

Ah yes, but paint colour and the sticker on the rocker cover are easily changed...

Otherwise I've not noticed fuel starvation problems,

The mechanical pump is fitted lower down, so there will be less vaccuum and therefore less likely to vapourise in the fuel pipe - unless the fuel pipe gets very warm!
I was toying with the idea of moving the pump to the other side of the engine bay if it played up in Africa. It was fine the whole time so it was left alone!
Either African petrol is different (why??) or that ambient temperature is much less important than good underbonnet airflow.