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Fuel Pump Disaster


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#1 finch661

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 12:56 PM

Hey all, bit of a disaster today.  My mini cut out (luckily i was still in the driveway).  Usual checks found i was not getting any fuel to the carb.  I removed the pump and found that the little arm on the pump has broken off!

(trying to attach a pic of it). 

 

Now replacing the pump is no problem, but what about the bit of metal that's now in my engine block.  Naturally I don't want to drive it.  Engine out job? Where could it have gone?

 

thanks

 

Rich



#2 panky

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 01:43 PM

Nestling at the bottom of the gearbox. Try dropping the oil and see if it flushes out (wishful thinking) If it does move toward the drain you may be able to fish it out with one of those magnets on a stick but more than likely it's an engine out.



#3 KTS

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 02:01 PM

..as above, if you're really lucky it'll have found its way to the bottom of the gearbox and it's a small enough piece to get out through the sump drain

 

unfortunately the oil strainer sits pretty much directly underneath the fuel pump, so chances are it's sat on top of that, if it hasn't pinballed around the inside of the block when it came off

 

if you can get hold of a boroscope and have a look through the pump opening you may be able to spot and then recover it, which could potentially save having to remove and split the engine

 

if you can extract it, you want to match it up to the fuel pump to make sure there aren't other bits unaccounted for

 

 

 

Edit: not sure how common this issue is, but gives me one more reason to consider fitting an electric fuel pump


Edited by KTS, 07 April 2019 - 02:05 PM.


#4 GraemeC

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 02:54 PM

I think it is far more likely to be on the crownwheel side of the centre web (I'm not sure which engine KTS is looking at for the fuel pump to be above the oil strainer - they're about as far apart as you could get in the Mini).

You should be able to remove the rad and then the speedo housing and get into the 'box that way to retrieve it.



#5 imack

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 02:58 PM

Found a fuel pump arm in the bottom if my 1275gt gearbox. I'd have thought there's no chance of getting out of the sump plug hole, the arms too big. More chance of fishing it out of the fuel pump hole with a magnet on a flexi shaft. Maybe even via the dizzy hole.

#6 KTS

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 03:37 PM

I think it is far more likely to be on the crownwheel side of the centre web (I'm not sure which engine KTS is looking at for the fuel pump to be above the oil strainer - they're about as far apart as you could get in the Mini).

You should be able to remove the rad and then the speedo housing and get into the 'box that way to retrieve it.

 

..i was looking at the engine in my minds eye  :shy: 

 

i've now reminded myself that the Haynes manual is much more accurate source of information...



#7 nicklouse

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 05:08 PM

they have been fished out of the dizzy drive in the past.



#8 Homersimpson

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Posted 07 April 2019 - 06:46 PM

I bought a cheap boroscope off eBay that plugs into a phone and it's really good for the money. might be worth trying?

#9 finch661

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 07:48 AM

Hi guys, thanks very much for the advice, i think i will try fishing it out first.  I bought one of those cheap boroscopes off ebay (as mentioned above), hopefully will be able to see something. Dont really want to remove the engine and split it! 

 

Here's a pic (finally managed to attach it)

NTd3Xdt.jpg


Edited by finch661, 08 April 2019 - 07:49 AM.


#10 cal844

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 09:11 AM

That's broke the plastic tag off the end, you might get that out but you may struggle

#11 finch661

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 11:12 AM

That's broke the plastic tag off the end, you might get that out but you may struggle

Mine never had that wee plastic tag!



#12 cal844

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 11:53 AM


That's broke the plastic tag off the end, you might get that out but you may struggle

Mine never had that wee plastic tag!

Ah all the pumps I've changed have had them ? I guess they may be generic items

#13 finch661

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 12:53 PM

 

 

That's broke the plastic tag off the end, you might get that out but you may struggle

Mine never had that wee plastic tag!

Ah all the pumps I've changed have had them I guess they may be generic items

 

i bought a replacement pump a while ago  and it had the plastic tag.  It wouldnt work with my engine though!

I think electric pump is the way forward!



#14 nicklouse

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 01:08 PM

These plastic pads are a "new" thing. never seen one yet. what we had to worry about was the two different spacer thicknesses to mount the pump on. get it wrong and you had a much bigger piece of metal un the gearbox or a poorly performing pump.



#15 finch661

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 08:41 PM

These plastic pads are a "new" thing. never seen one yet. what we had to worry about was the two different spacer thicknesses to mount the pump on. get it wrong and you had a much bigger piece of metal un the gearbox or a poorly performing pump.

that might explain why the new pump didn't work!






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