[Spridgets] 78 Midget fuel system

[Karl Vacek]

Sure did.  It’s a hose between two steel tubes on this car.  I’ve suspected for years that there was a little leak in one of the (5? 6?) little hoses in the fuel line, so I once again changed them all.

 

I put a camera into the tank through the filler hole on the top of the tank.  The inlet tube is part of the fuel sending unit on this car, and there’s what looks for all the world like a white nylon mesh filter with a plastic cage around the inlet tube, as part of the fuel sending unit.  Nothing like that in any parts books, not even the BMIHT CD parts book.

 

This is a California-emissions 1978 car.  Not the first thing that’s different from the parts books, Moss, etc. 

 

But it’s all okay and air blew through beautifully after I had the tank open to look.  And now there’s fuel flow to the pump.  I don’t know – I didn’t change anything, just looked in there and put the same air hose onto the fuel line as I’d done a couple of times before.

 

FM Principle

 

Thanks for the info !!!

 

Karl

 

 

From: Rich Hill [mailto:ra_hill at icloud.com] 
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2023 4:15 PM
To: Karl Vacek
Cc: Spridgets
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] 78 Midget fuel system

 

There’s a section of plastic tubing on the side of the transmission. Make sure that’s OK. Although if you’ve replaced all the hoses, you’ve probably done that one. 

 

Rich

‘79 Midget

‘58 Sprite





On Jun 22, 2023, at 7:52 PM, Karl Vacek <kvacek at ameritech.net> wrote:

 

We've had this car since 2006 -almost second owners.  About 17,000 miles, very original.  Jill stopped driving it a couple years ago so I'm renewing everything in preparation for selling it.

 

It's a 1500 (Spitfire) engine and all the emissions stuff.  Which is all there and everything I've checked is working.

 

We bought it from a kid who owned it for about as month, just putting in the cheapest fuel pump he could find and jamming the wrong size battery between the heater and the firewall.  It's always seemed to lose fuel pump prime and needed lots of cranking for the first start after sitting a day or two.  I only just now finally replaced each and every hose in the system (not the evap circuits, but for now I've unhooked the evap tank line.

 

Running with fuel directly to the carb I only got a little spit from the pump, and off the car it seemed dead.  Soooo - I bought a good new fuel pump, the one with the infinitely clockable top, which also actually has a filter unlike the POS the kid put on the car.  Pump seems to suck but it's still not pulling fuel though the line from the tank even after getting some fuel in the lines and running the engine a few minutes on direct fuel to the carb.

 

I want to check the rest of the fuel supply system but I cannot remove the feed line from the tank - it's a non-existent size for flare wrenches, Kroil hasn't worked it's usual magic, and my Knipex pliers wrench can't turn the fitting either.  Not to the cave man stage yet - this is a very original, rust free car, so I'm not using a pipe wrench or etc. 

 

I want to directly blow through the fuel line to make sure it's clear - blowing from the front with the gas cap off is inconclusive.  I'm working alone and I'm just not sure it's passing as much air as it should.

 

Aside from cutting the line off (really original car that we want to sell as soon as I'm done renewing everything) I'm stuck.  I can't really drop the tank (to fill it with water and have at the fitting with serious heat) without destroying the original fuel line. 

 

What is the pickup like in the tank, presumably leading down from the bulkhead fitting to the bottom.  No in-tank filter that I see in the parts books.

 

My last hope is to remove the huge filler hose in the trunk and put a camera in there tomorrow.

 

Any other suggestions ? 

 

Thanks!

Karl

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