Morris Minor Owners Club

Just started up the fuel pump, filled the tank with 10 litre, but he is only pumping air..
I did not removed the tank because the visual inspection from the outside give nothing to be afraid.
The car did not run for a very very very long time, the fuel pump was not working but clean inside.
what can be a reason for pumping air with 10 litre + on board?

Damaged fuel pipe. Connect flexible fuel line to pump and try pumping fuel from spare container, glass jar etc

I just put air pressure on the pipe to the tank, with the cap open, but nothing happens.
4 bar on the pipe, and no leak, or noise in the tank
Only some old petrol came out of the pipe when taking the pressure away.
Also putting a little air pressure on the tank, what always works with an engine with not electric pump, but no petrol out of the pipe.
Is there a valve or filter between the pipe and the tank who can be blocked?
I tried to find a drawing from the tank connection in the manuals, but no description.

might just need priming like Mike says, make the pump suck petrol from the container then reconnect to the tank and switch on.

Remove float cover on tank and have a look inside.

Disconnect petrol pipe at tank and blow pipe through from pump suction end.

The pump is working normal when not on the tank.
But it looks there is a valve between the pipe and tank who is blocked.
I hate to disconnect the pipe from the tank when I don't know what to find there
Visual is nothing wrong with pipe and tank, with 4 bar on the pipe nothing happens, no air noise, so the connection with the tank looks like one with a valve.
The other way, a part of cotton around the air hose, and about 1 bar on the tank, should give petrol on the other side, also when there is a valve between tank and pipe.
So I like to know what parts should be there, without lifting my car

No valve between pump and tank if car is standard. A previous owner may have fitted something as an anti theft device, but if you can not see anything from the outside the pipe may be blocked.

If you do disconnect the pipe at the petrol tank be sure to have a large dish under it to collect the petrol from the tank.

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On this drawing the numbers 39 and 40 are between the pipe and tank, what parts are these?
I could find the picture, but not a description...
And they told me the car was running when they took the engine out.
But that was years ago, the past 5 years he is only in my garage..

39 and 40 are the nut and olive on the petrol pipe where it enters the tank.

Isn't there a strainer on the end of the fuel line inside the tank, I seem to remember that these can block up as sediment dries out if the tank has been used for a long time.

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On the picture the pipe connection is higher as the bottom, so an inside pipe is there?
Is it possible to take this pipe out?
(This picture is normal on my computer, but rotated in real and yes, I have to clean the rust from the bottom on the backside..)
The pipe is visual but not easy to disconnect in the position where the car is parked.
I was working at the front with the wiring, and parked the car in the rear from my garage for more space at the front.

panky wrote:Isn't there a strainer on the end of the fuel line inside the tank, I seem to remember that these can block up as sediment dries out if the tank has been used for a long time.

Okay, this could be the reason, but how to clean?
The tank is filled with 10 L petrol since yesterday, is it just waiting now?

Not had the problem myself so just going on what I have read but unfortunately you cant get at the internal strainer. Someone did manage to poke a welding rod down the pipe and pierce through the strainer but obviously this will ruin it - but it is only designed to catch coarse particles so if there's no alternative it may be worth a go. But try leaving it for a while longer to see if the sediment softens and blow it through again. Have you disconnected the fuel line from the tank to see if that's clear?

There is a "U" bend pipe inside the tank. You need to disconnect the petrol tank pipe and push a flexible wire in to the tank to check if it is clear. Better to remove the tank to do this. I don't think there is a filter inside. I found a blocked tank once with a newspaper floating in side the tank and when the petrol got low it got under the suction pipe and shut off the flow. I don't think it would have done this if the tank had a filter. Not sure about the filter.

This means I have to move the car from his position.
And because it is the winter time, and a lot more is in my barn, it is a lot of work..
But I have floor heating, so it is not a cold job ;)

Good for you. have a oude genever when you finish!!

There is a filter in the tank, I had a second hand tank that hadnt been used for many years and this filter had blocked. I had ruled out pump and fuel lines by disconnecting the fuel line from the tank and placing petrol in a jar, the pump picked it up easily. I left it with petrol in for several days and then I used an old piece of petrol pipe into the tank and attached it to a foot pump and gently pumped it. Pumping eventually shifted the blockage. I think it was a combination of the petrol softening the filter and the gentle pressure from within the filter.

Heres a pic in steveys restoration of the inside of an old tank[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Have you ever seen such a rusty tank before!! believe it or not the sender unit from this tank freed up with some penetrating oil and gentle pressure to shift the arm

Okay, so it looks like a blocked filter inside...
Now how to find out a way to clean it without a lot of work ;)