petrol pump maintenance

[james.ed]

Hi all,

I've had the mog for a year and a half now, and I've had a few oil changes and checked points and so on.. but I've never touched the fuel pump (it did get a hit at post snow to get it back to life, but that doesn't count as maintenance). got some hefty drives coming up this summer.. is they're any maintenance I should be doing? and if so.. simple instructions please! would prefer to check now than fail on the hard shoulder.

Thanks

[chickenjohn]

Check and clean the points (with very fine sand paper) every 12,000 miles is what it says in the manual.

Easiest way to do this is remove the fuel pump from car ( disconnect battery, undo the fuel pipes, electrical connections and the two small size whitworth/bsf mounting bolts,) ,and with the fuel pump on the bench undo the nut , remove tape and take off the black cap and you will see the points.

There should be some metal (at least 1/16") left on the points. SLide the sand paper between the points to re-face them, them put it all back together and refit to the car.

The points can be cleaned with the pump on the car but it is a lot more fiddly, especially if you have never seen inside the cap before. Best to remove it and you can see what is what.

[rayofleamington]

Certainly replace the points if a quick job with the emery doesn't recover the surfaces back to flat.
If they look like a moon crater, you'd be daft to try a serious road trip without at least taking some replacements with you!

[bmcecosse]

Carry a spare pump with you - you will never have any problems with the one on the car. Clean the points anyway - and there is a little filter in the base which should be cleaned out too.

[rayofleamington]

A spare pump is useful IF you can unscrew the pipe fittings on the original and IF you have enough tools to do the job.
I've seen the fuel delivey pipe shear when someone tried to change a pump... WD40 and patience and some mole grips on the pipe can usually free the pipe off as the nut is turned.