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MG Midget and Sprite General - Firt Time Starting

Going to try and start engine for first time on friday (had car 4 years) PO rebuilt engine and it has not run since 1996 so hopefuly everthing gose ok any advise on first time starts?
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Stand back :)!

Make sure that there is plenty of oil everywhere and don't keep turning it over if it doesn't fire up.
rachmacb

Prime the pump gallery, external pipe and filter first. Then spin it on the starter with the plugs out until oil pressure builds up.
David Smith

Exactly as David suggests but to clarify

Remove the banjo oil pipe from the rear of the block and team oil straight into the block at that point. That will prime the geared oil pump.

Try to get oil into the filter if you have the spin adaptation then fill it before fitting.

I always initially start a new engine up by removing the oil cooler and running with the pipe from the block to the filter. If you dont want to mess around like that then fill the cooler before starting.

As David says remove plugs and turn engine over until oil pressure is achieved.

New engines always seem to start up extremely weak so give it some choke.

Bob Turbo Midget England

Due to the daft angle of the oil filter on the 1500 which prevents it being filled before being fitted to the engine, and the lack of external oil pipes, all you can really do is remove the plugs, as said before, and spin it over on the starter until you get some oil pressure.
This could take quite a few turns of the engine somake sure the battery is well charged.
Once you have pressure and if everything else is OK, timing, fuel etc then it should start, and let it warm up at a fast idle keeping an eye on temperatures and pressures (and leaks).
Good luck!
JB Anderson

Good point mate had my 1275 head on!!
Bob Turbo Midget England

The best way of priming a 1500 with oil is as follows:

Set TDC No 1 Cyl Firing (both rockers loose).

Remove Distributor from pedestal( 2 nuts - DO NOT undo the clamp bolt or you will mess up the Ign Timing).

Remove Distributor drive gear (make a note of its orientation as well as that of the oil pump spindle).

Fit a cut down flat bladed screwdriver shaft into an electric drill and engage in the oil pump spindle drive slot.

Spin the drill ANTI-CLOCKWISE until you have oil pressure indication.

Refit Distributor drive gear in original orientation (Note: You will have to rotate the oil pump spindle to the correct orientation in order to get the Distributor drive gear to engage properly).

Refit Distributor. Check rotor arm is pointing towards the Plug Lead contact for No 1 Cyl.

Start engine (Note: If a new camshaft and/or tappets have been installed bring RPM up to 3000 for 20 minutes - DO NOT let the engine 'bog'. If using original cam/tappets bring to a fast idle until engine warm).
Deborah Evans

Definitely add a touch of oil in the clys to add some compression ....make sure you run the engine for 1/2 hour at 2500 to 3000 rpm when you 1st start it to break in the camshaft...then run it hard with abuse in various rpm modes for 500 miles to seat in the rings or you might glaze the cly ....don't treat it nicely during this stag.

Prop
Prop

"Definitely add a touch of oil in the clys to add some compression."


That's a good way to ENSURE the bores glaze!
Deborah Evans

Debs.... I know what your talking about.... But i had to do that on my 1 St start up. I couldntbget enough compression...that wad on both sets of new pistons....but i didnt use much .... This was.someones elses advise i used ....but on my left hand if i hadnt needed to do that id agree with you....just not sure where that.line is
Prop

Lol seems like a good reason not to listen to advice from people who know not what they are doing to me!

Did you start it then?
rachmacb

tried all morning and i can,t get fuel pump sucking from tank new pump works fine on a short line but wont fetch fuel from tank.
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Could be that the fuel lines are "gunked up" - in which case, be thankful!

You can try by putting the petrol straight into the carbs.
rachmacb

new fuel lines fitted
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Hi Mark sounds like you could be drawing air in from the fuel tank/lines. Try a flexi pipe from a can of fuel to the pump to see if that is successfull and go from there.
Alternatively try blowing down the fuel pipe to see if you can here bubbling in the fuel tank.
Bob Turbo Midget England

tried both of them sucks from can and tried blowing in tank and some fuel comes through also connected direct to tank outlet and blew in tank fuel came out of pipe but did not syphon stopped as soon as i stopped blowing tank is new also ran a pipe direct to fuel tank inlet and did not suck fuel through
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

think i know what it is fuel pick up pipe is lose inside tank so letting air in hence no syphon pushed small bore pipe down it and it syphons hope you can get accsses through sender unit .
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Mark, the connection at the tank relies upon the fitting being drawn against the inside of the tank wall by the olive fitting outside.

Many of us have had air leakage (but no petrol leakage) from the outside of the junction.

Try loosening the compression nut and retightening with a couple of twists of PTFE tape around the tank face.

I have heard that PTFE tape degrades in contact with petrol but if you use it just on the outside of the connector you shouldn't need to find out if it's an old wives tale, 'cos there won't be any petrol contact anyway, just an improved seal due to the extra pressure being imparted.

Had this years ago when the tank fuel level was below the pickup height (notable when in convoy from Brum to MIDGET 40, yes 40 at Brooklands. Had the loss of "suck" that went away after I topped up the tank when coming home to Brum)

Cost you tuppence for the eight inch length of Puffty tape, better than messing inside the tank after having to drop the tank to get access to the fuel gauge sender.

Go on, you know you want to...
Bill 1

Make sure the fuel pump is BELOW the tank level.... Esp on after market pumps.


If the pump is above the tank and not at the correct downward angle, it wont pump.

Prop
Prop

tank sorted PO used wrong fitting on tank so it was not mating with pick up pipe made a seal out of a piece of fuel pipe and put it between pick up pipe and fitting now i can siphon out of pick up pipe now lets see if i can pump petrol. Football tomorrow so sunday we see if i can get it started.
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

"Make sure the fuel pump is BELOW the tank level"

That will be diffecult as its a 1500 with the mechanical pump on the engine.
Arie de Best

I don,t believe it started first time! oil pressure just above 60psi all seems ok now to balance carbs .
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

Good job there are folks around that actually know what they're talking about - and more importantly, step in as soon as Prop has posted.
Steve Clark

balanced carbs by ear seem ok but have managed to get hold of a balancer for motor bikes .It is a dual dial with two pipes coming of them what i am wondering is it ok to put the pipes in the PCV pipe take off on the carbs as these are downside of the throttle butterfly so should give correct vacuum or am i mistaken.
mark (1977 1500 Midget) Preston Lancs

This thread was discussed between 25/08/2011 and 28/08/2011

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