Motorist Prayer

[iddy]

Oh Lord, please don't let me breakdown today,
Please don't let it happen in the dark,
And please don't let it happen on a hill waiting to turn right.....

Doh, too late

The little Strumpet has let me down again!!

I know I've mentioned this before, and I'm gradually working my way through the various solutions.
Up until today I didn't know for sure if it was a fuel fault, now i know it is. After the farce on the hill in the dark and holding up traffic some kind soul helped me to push the car off the road. 30 seconds later she starts and I drive a mile home where she cuts out just outside my house. Making the most of this oppertunity I removed the float cover...no petrol in the chamber. Put cover back on and up she starts. Now this has happened quite a few times, and I first gradually changed all the electricals -coil, condensor, points, cap etc. etc. one at a time to try and find the fault (I only suspected fuel at this time).
I'm in the middle of negotiating buying a used carb which I'm using to swap the float/lid from. The fuel line isn't kinked so I'm assuming only the pump is left.
Pump question: Why does the car start after a minute or two after cutting out. The pump fills the empty chamber no problem, so why does it run dry.
Also, when I was stuck in the middle of the road for 10 minutes I left the ignition on so the indicator would work - the pump work. When the car was pushed to the side of the road and left with ignition off for 30 seconds she fired up straight away - then eventually stoped again outside my house.
Before I spend £50/£60 on a new pump is there anything else it could be?
Cheers,
Idris.

[iddy]

Also, when I was stuck in the middle of the road for 10 minutes I left the ignition on so the indicator would work - the pump work.

It should read - the pump wouldn't work.

[rayofleamington]

Why does the car start after a minute or two after cutting out. The pump fills the empty chamber no problem, so why does it run dry.

I can only think of 2 options:
1) the float needle is getting stuck so petrol can't get into the carb.
2) the pump is stopping, whenever it feels like it (fairly well known problem) and starting up again later on. I had one that would stop, but then start running as soon as I opened the bonnet (it was like candid camera )

With the ignition on when this is happening, if you remove the fuel pipe from the carb and nothing happens, then it is #2. If you remove the pipe from the carb and petrol squirts around (whilst you swear and try to put the pipe back on as quick as possible) then it is #1

Good luck!
If it was me, I'd check the pump points and replace if they don't look good.

[iddy]

I've decided to roll my sleeves up next week and try and sort it out.
I've just sent for a needle and seat, a new float and a gasket for the petrol sender.
I'm going to take the tank off and flush it out, change the needle, seat and float, and look at the fuel pump points.
It's been suggested to me to rig a bulb and wire from the pump to inside the car, and if the pump stops getting power the bulb will go out (this is to see if it's an electrical fault). Does this sound ok?
Idris.

[Willie]

Yes, but if you do all those jobs at once you will never know what the fault
was! Change the float chamber needle and seating first and then see how
it goes(you may have trouble finding a suitable spanner to remove the
seating).

[newagetraveller]

Yesterday I drove up the road and the car stopped dead.

I took the cover off the petrol pump contacts and wriggled them about for a while. Then I got back in the car and it started. It has been fine ever since.

The same thing happened with this paticular car in 1975 so I suppose that I have been lucky.

[Chris Morley]

I'm going to take the tank off and flush it out, change the needle, seat and float, and look at the fuel pump points.

Like Ray, I suggest you do the points first - that's the most likely problem. His way of checking is logical but be careful to ensure that petrol doesn't drip or spray on anything hot. How about giving the pump a tap with something heavy? That often frees off the points when they are stuck.

There's no point messing around with the fuel tank unless you find that the fine mesh fuel filter (in the pump) keeps getting clogged with dirt and rust flakes. You haven't mentioned that you've checked this filter.

[iddy]

OK the tank can wait (phew). The reason I have my suspicions about the tank is that the car will run all day on the flat, it only plays up when I go uphill, so I thought there might be something slopping about in the tank.
Although, logically it uses more petrol going uphill.
Anyway, I've sent off for the needle and seat, and float.
Regarding the pump - do I just remove the tape and then unscrew the end? And do the points look similar to distributor points?
I've never heard another Minor running, so I don't know what the pump is supposed to sound like. Mine is a quite loud thumping noise, and if it was to run continuously (as it does when filling the empty float chamber) you would be hard pressed to have a conversation with a passenger

I'm of to watch Wales thrash the South Africans (I wish )

Cheers,

Idris.

[iddy]

OK,
I've changed the Float, needle and seat, and I've taken the pump off and cleaned the points (although they looked ok). I thought it had cured the problem because the pump was a lot quieter and not pumping so frantically, but the car is still cuttting out (empty float chamber) and a clout with a screwdriver on the pump gets it going again, so I've resigned myself to buyind a new pump.
I've been looking on ESM's website and they have an electronic pump as well as the points type, though they both look the same in the photo's. Am I right in thinking that the electronic type is more reliable? I have a negative earth by the way.
Thanks,
Idris.

[Chris Morley]

so I've resigned myself to buyind a new pump.

That would probably be more money down the drain after purchasing the needle & float. Almost certainly you only need a new set of points (in fact the points you have may actually only need some re-adjustment).

I seem to recall reading that some people have had sudden failures with the new electronic pumps? In theory they should be much better, but when something goes wrong you'll need to either a) fit another pump or b) call for the towtruck.