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MG MG Y Type - filling without spilling?

Every time I fill the Y with petrol it burps out quite a lot of it, as a sign of being full. Is that normal or is there a way to prevent/cure this?
I'm not so worried about my (shabby) paint, but in these enviromentally pestered times the station-owner and other clients where already frowning upon my messy practices and when I try to fill slow, other clients tend to get impatient.
Willem van der Veer

I would say fill slowly. Try to guess how much you need - full tank should be about 8 gallons (imperial) or 36.37 litres, so you could fill quickly to say 25 litres then ease off. To heck with the impatient people - you have a class car, they dont. Envy is a terrible thing. If they are in a hurry, they shouldnt have left everything so late. Its their fault, not yours.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My Y has the same problem. I find myself filling slowly and trying to listen for the sounds of fuel in the filler neck, and I still get the 'burp'.
Paul Briggs

I've tried everything. I still get the burp now and then.
Steve Simmons

Well, slow filling it is then! At least now I know it's normal.
After a bit of soul-searching I must admit it's not the other clients that get impatient, but it's myself. The familiar comment "If they are in a hurry, they shouldn't have left everything so late" must have triggered that thought.....

(do you know the two key-words to a succesfull marriage? : yes, dear)
Willem van der Veer

To wrap this I have added a Hint to the website ona ready reckoner for reading the fuel guage.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Nice one! Maybe we can make a (white on clear?) window sticker of it in "period" lettering, to stick on the left rear quarterlight?
Willem van der Veer

Willem, the world beats a path to the door of the maker of a better mouse trap - the project may be yours! The cost may be prohibitive - I have no idea, but maybe black on clear may be easier to read.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My MG Y has his original engine. I can't find the
normal 15/60 Castrol motoroil. Can you give me good
alternatives?
karl verstraelen

Karl

I would suggest Castrol GTX 20/50 will be fine.

Do we have your car on http://www.mgytypes.org on the Ys on Parade? I didnt recognise the last name? If not, please feel free to add it using the form (click top left of any Ys on Parade page on the modem) or email me at the above address with the details.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Karl's car has now been added to Ys on Parade - wow, what an original car!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Karl,

For oil in my YA I use the "Classic" 20W60 oil from the Dutch carpart chain Brezan, it is relatively cheap and comes in 5 or 1 litre containers.

Ah, on the Internet I see they also have Belgian branches!:
http://www.brezan.nl/verkooppunten/belgie.html
Willem van der Veer

Back to fuel and tank: At least now I know there's nothing wrong just with my car, but a problem they all have. I wonder if it was one in the times when the cars were made. Maybe even filling station pumps were slower then...But Paul Barrow's hint reminds me of mentioning a minor flaw I have been living with easily, but perhaps someone knows of a remedy. My fuel gauge reads "full" until the tank is about 1/3 full, then the needle drops quite quickly, "empty" being, well, just that. How can the readings be made more linear, more consistent with the actual fill level of the tank? I also asked myself why MG installed such a small tank (smaller than the TD's, for instance). There would be room for quite a bigger one.
Remo Peter

I have the same thing on my YT except that it reads full snd then drops to half after which it is quite accurate. I can live with that and it is a great improvment on the TC etc where you can't rely on low petrol light and have to have a stick to measure.
I suspect the 8 gallon tank was used because that was the tank from the Morris 8/10 and when the car was made a 200 mile trip in a day was not envisoned as a usual event in England. Terry
Terry O'Brien

I would suggest that it sounds as if your float is sticking. Try taking it out (if you can - you may have a problem there, I dont know and have never done it. Mine is and always has been OK! The float arm may just need some attention at the head of the pivot.

Paul
Paul Barrow

This thread was discussed between 09/09/2004 and 21/09/2004

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