What Happened to Mirium ? Fuel Pump?

Post by **JustinMinor1000** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:40 pm

Today I took Mirium into Reading (Yes on a Saturday .. I cannot tell you how much I hate doing this but I had to).

She had to queue for about 45 mins to get into the car park and I was very wary of letting the revs fall to low because she is a dynamo car. Even though it was raining I was very carefull with the windscreen wipers as well.

She started to run a bit funny as we approched the barrier (coughed a bit) and then just as we were going up the ramp on the other side she stopped completely.

I tried to restart here but to no avail when I lifted the bonnet and forced the pipe from the float chamber it turned out that the pump was not producing any pressure (Ie no fuel at all).

I went to call the RAC. That done I gave it another try (Ie car left for half an hour) She started on the button.

Cancelled the RAC and no trouble getting home ...

Does anyone have any idea what happened ?

(Irrelevent info but she started on unleaded with the additive this week)

Justin

1969 Minor 1000

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:17 pm

if you got the pipe off the carb and nothing came out (I presume the ignition was still on) then clearly your petrol pump had stopped.
Either it was a random points failure or it had overheated. If it was overheating then it is likely to happen the next time you drive for that long.
The Geman 'Hardi' pumps seem to be well known for that - SU pumps can also fail but if they stop it's normally just points.

Post by **PhilCatch** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 7:17 am

Get a reliable fuel pump , i.e. not an SU. I use Facet pumps now having had the same problems as you. If you need reliability dump the SU, they are just not good enough even when new. Regards, Phil

Post by SR » Sun Oct 03, 2004 8:21 am

ello phill ,is the facet pointless/electronic ,how much are they,cheers stve

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 11:46 am

PhilCatch,
Had you replaced the points in your SU and still had trouble?

Post by **ColinP** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:08 pm

Justin,
Couple of additional thoughts:

a) You were "revving for a while" - erm, I wonder if this caused some local overheating with the fuel line (vapourisation). I've not suffered myself, but others have. Wihtout some air movement, you'll find it does get rather warm.
From my experience with a dynamo car it isn't the wipers/idling that causes the big drain on the battery, it's the headlights. There's probably not the need to rev the engine....

b) Use the Park & Ride or train. Check to see when Reading are paying at home! Learn all the back roads. I know Reading's a beast, but it is manageable (pity about Chatham St car park - I could always get in there) We're to the East - where are you?
Colin

Colin

Post by **rayofleamington** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 12:32 pm

I wonder if this caused some local overheating with the fuel line (vapourisation).

Well I would presume that he would have notice the fuel pump racing - especially when taking the pipe off the carb. Mind you, I guess not everybody would take note of that

Post by **brixtonmorris** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 9:47 am

cant belive new su pumps being unreliable
they even have double points fitted these days
they even look so well made

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:01 am

Get a reliable fuel pump , i.e. not an SU. I use Facet pumps now having had the same problems as you. If you need reliability dump the SU, they are just not good enough even when new. Regards, Phil

You might have a point Phil the SU pumps only seem to be good for 20 + years............

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 10:52 am

You might have a point Phil the SU pumps only seem to be good for 20 + years............

Most of mine hve been good for well over 30 years / 150,000 miles and then probably another 30 years extra with new points fitted....

Post by **Cam** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 11:02 am

Well, I had a Facet pump for about 7/8 years and it packed up. I am using a replacement one now......... trouble is with a Facet pump if it stops there is not much you can do with it...... whereas an SU pump can usually be coaxed back into life to get you home.

I always carry a spare SU pump just in case my Facet one packs up again!

Post by **Multiphonikks** » Mon Oct 04, 2004 12:24 pm

Justin,

You didn't happen to be in the four door I saw on the ring road heading toward oxford? I was in my partner's Honda and waved... before realising that when I'm not driving a minor waving to another minor driver looks really silly and rather suspect.

It really does sound like your pump is giving up. Does it tick? If not, or it suddenly goes quiet then I think you're going to need either new points if it's an old pump, or a new pump.

Same random behaviour affected Hebe earlier this year when her pump failed. She started to play up a few days earlier (dying on the M4 on ramp), randomly loosing power and then picking up again on the M1, and finally giving up the ghost at the National.

Post by **JustinMinor1000** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:00 pm

ColinP wrote:Justin,
Couple of additional thoughts:
b) Use the Park & Ride or train. Check to see when Reading are paying at home! Learn all the back roads. I know Reading's a beast, but it is manageable (pity about Chatham St car park - I could always get in there) We're to the East - where are you?
Colin

Colin

The UTTER horror of that day had to be experienced to be believed. For me hell is Reading town Centre on a Saturday, I could see mirium being carried away on the back of an RAC transporter with me lying on a stretcher crying "The Horror, The Horror ..."

It was my weekend down from Manchester and I had to get a waterproof coat for the next week of shooting ... Origionally I was going to go on the train with my daughter, then she wanted to go to a friends house in dunsden green, So I thought "Well it can't be THAT terrible ... " and took Mirium ..

Lord have Mercy on my Soul ....

Oh and I lost the jacket on Wenesday ..

Post by **JustinMinor1000** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:05 pm

Multiphonikks wrote:Justin,

You didn't happen to be in the four door I saw on the ring road heading toward oxford? I was in my partner's Honda and waved... before realising that when I'm not driving a minor waving to another minor driver looks really silly and rather suspect.

No ours is a two door blue one.

I think the solution might be to get a fuel pump from from a scrap yard and fit that. then send the SU off for a rebuild (or simply clean the points) and keep it as a spare.

Does anyone have a "reccomended" donor car for an electric fuel pump ?

Justin

Post by **Kevin** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 11:27 am

Does anyone have a "reccomended" donor car for an electric fuel pump ?

Another Moggie of course

Post by **Matt** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 1:48 pm

one which has the pump nearer the engine than the tank.... the minor uses a puller pump and other cars use a pusher one (like a spridget)

Post by **57traveller** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 4:54 pm

Item 2492975181 on eBay at the moment - up to £15 at present though

Post by **andypocock** » Sun Oct 24, 2004 3:29 am

This is all very interesting. My newly rebuilt Minor engine is doing much the same and I had put it down to rubbish unleaded fuel vapourising. However I'm now begining to wonder if it's something with Minors and Reading.

Andy
Goring on Thames