Morris Minor Owners Club

Took Doris the Morris out tonight for a quick spin and suffered a weird problem.
After a few miles she chugs to a lumpy stop,leave her for literally a minute,start agin and away we go.
Chugs to a halt again after a few miles,leave her catch her breath again, start her first time no bother and off we go, chugs to a halt again after a few miles.........you get the gist.
I fitted a brand spanking electro-mechanical S.U. fuel pump at the weekend and will swap back to the old one at the weekend to see if the problem goes away.
Just wondered if anyone had a faulty pump at all or if its just a coincidence and could be something else?

Why did you change the pump in the first place ? Could be a vacuum developing in the tank - so take it out again, and when it stops nip round to the fuel filler and take it off - listening for an in-rush of air as you do so........

bmcecosse wrote:Why did you change the pump in the first place ? Could be a vacuum developing in the tank - so take it out again, and when it stops nip round to the fuel filler and take it off - listening for an in-rush of air as you do so........

Yes good question, for a man who believes in if it aint broke dont fix it I broke my own code this time.

Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.....

bmcecosse wrote:Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.....

Assuming it is vacuum then taking the filler cap off will not cure it ? should I run the engine with the cap off to equalise the pressure?
Or will I need to turn the engine with the fuel line disconnected from the carb and pump till it flows freely?

Removing the cap is the test..... If you find a vacuum then you need to find out why this is happening...... the cap should have a small breather hole - clear it!

bmcecosse wrote:Removing the cap is the test..... If you find a vacuum then you need to find out why this is happening...... the cap should have a small breather hole - clear it!

A afont of totus scienta

If there is a vacuum developing you need to sort this asap. One car I had with a mechanical fuel pump and the wrong petrol cap fitted actually sucked the steel tank in so much that it 'pancaked'.

bmcecosse wrote:Removing the cap is the test..... If you find a vacuum then you need to find out why this is happening...... the cap should have a small breather hole - clear it!

Against the odds I am pleased to confirm that after tonights jaunt up and down our local mad 4 mile dash, the Brand spanking fuel pump is (in my opinion) faulty.
I ran the car for 9 miles before the problem started again, let her cool and ran her for 4 miles before it kicked up again, same issue, coughing as if starved of fuel,then let her cool and this time 2 miles on she packed up again.
I checked the fuel cap each time and found said breather holes but they appeared clear,there was no inrush of air.
So I limped home and put the old New Zealand built Autopump fuel pump back on and took her out for 16 miles without so much as a clearing of her throat.(if it aint broke dont fix it)
I have yet to have it checked out by the manufacturers but if my theory is correct I shall let all and sundry know.
Thanks very much for all the input,it enabled me to successfuly fault find said problem
Which means I can fit the temp and oil pressure gauges at the weekend
I am real pleased I fitted it now, as it was to be my running spare, which would have been a joke if the old unit had failed out on the north yorks moors, in the pouring rain, with the missus aboard.

The electronic pumps don't have good reputation - send it back for a refund. The SU 'points' are good for 40/50 years or so without problems - probably long enough ???

bmcecosse wrote:The electronic pumps don't have good reputation - send it back for a refund. The SU 'points' are good for 40/50 years or so without problems - probably long enough ???

Yep long enough, and I have a spare set of contacts somewhere too.
I have sent them an e.mail and will return it.
I would like to fit a new pump because although it aint broke, I would like to get rid of the unsightly plumbing the previous owner concocted to fit the antipodean unit.
The more I think about it, a hot electronic component breaking down makes sense.
I do seem to have a vague recollection of a recent thread from someone mentioning recalled pumps on Bull Motif, maybe mine was one of that batch, I shall check with Tom Roy where I got mine.Thanks again.