Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing fuel line blocked

I have a 1967 Morgan 4/4 that inherted a few month ago. Every now and then the gas just stops going to the engine. I think it might have rust or debris in the fuel tank from spending it's winters in a garage. I am thinking of having the gas tank replaced. Has anyone else had this issue?

Pull out the pickup tube. There is a fine screen on it. There is also a drain on the bottom of the tank. Drain it, flush it with some gas. It is hard to flush the tank out with it in the Morgan. But by pouring a pint of gas in and draining it out into a glass jar, You might find out how bad it is. Taking the tank out is easy except rusty fasteners. Tank drops out the bottom. The boards that hold the tank are cut in such a fashion that You can wiggle them out. If You think it is a go install gas filters in the back by the tank and change them quite often. Fuel hoses are probably rotten, replace them. Old dirty gas must be disposed properly, find out how this is done in your locality.

Take off the fuel filler hose and look in the tank, you probably need to replace it anyway. Mine was full of rust, probably from water entrained in our wonderful ethanol. I got a tank from UK, freight was $100.

I had a tank built by a Craftsman in Seattle. I didn't know it but He used special sheet metal that was coated with something. Tin I think. I was lucky, this Craftsman knew what He was doing. If I had to do this today, I would buy it from Morgan Dealer. There was no bargains. My Craftsman charged about the same as if I had bought it at a Morgan Dealer.

Water in a fuel or oil tank is pretty much inevitable unless you live in a very dry place. Each time the full level falls air is drawn into the tank. That air contains water vapour, if/when it gets cold it will condense and sink to the bottom under the fuel which stops it evaporating later. It should be less of an issue with significant amounts of ethanol in the fuel as it will disolve and so not accumulate.

If you have the cotton braided lines replace them as they perish
I had similar problem it was a small split from the tank to the fuel pump so fuel could not be drawn up into the pump.
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If you can find a radiator repair shop they should be able to clean it out for you and give it a pressure check at the same time.

You could remove the fuel gauge sender and peer into the tank to see how bad it is. Although removing the securing screws may be a challenge

As Brownbaker suggests check the fuel hoses and give them a clean out. I'm lazy and use an airline between tank and the connection to the fuel pump and into a collection bottle Amazing how much crud comes out!

A fuel filter is a must, my preference is for an inline type between pump and carb. Nothing special just a throwaway one which is changed every year as part of the service.

If you have the Weber DCD/DGV twin choke downdraught, there may also be a mesh filter on the fuel inlet. This may need a clean as well.

Arwyn