The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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 Post subject: More on won't start
PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:53 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:06 pm
Posts: 1164
Location: Bristol
I found it interesting to read on the discussion board that a dry fuel pump is unable to self prime and that a hand priming pump will solve the problem easily. It was also recommended that before a long term layup the petrol tank should be filled to the brim as this puts the fuel level above the pump (assuming a level a garage).

I have not seen it stated in any maintenance manuals that a dry pump will not self prime, however I did discover this the hard way when I had to replace the metal fuel pipe section that goes over the top of the rear axle, when it developed a crack in one of the bends. It did take me some time to discover this because at this point the pipe work is above the top of the petrol tank so petrol was not leaking even when the tank was full and the car was standing in the garage. It only became a problem when the engine was running and air was drawn into the pipe. After I replaced the pipe I could not get the pump to draw petrol from the tank. Initially I changed the pump but this was not the problem so in the end I decided to prime the pump or to be correct I disconnected the inlet rubber hose from the pump and sucked petrol, primed the petrol pipe work from the petrol tank, having done this the engine started up after a few turns. More recently my son in law, Matt Cotton, replaced the petrol line on his auto sprint and he found the car would not start but once I told him to prime the fuel line the problem was resolved.

I do not know if the pumps would have drawn petrol, if I had left the engine turning over for a long time and I am assuming that the Professional mechanics in the group will be muttering did you not know there was a need to prime the system, but for the amateur mechanics in the group like me I decided to go into print.

With the introduction of E10 fuel and with the start of the classic car season approaching I assume a number of owners will be replacing the rubber hose sections that join the various sections of metal petrol pipe work together under the car so you have been warned you may need to prime the fuel line having replaced the hose sections so you may like to purchase a hand priming pump before you start. If you are considering replacing the rubber hoses, for info the pipe work under the car has an outside diameter of 5/16th inch and from the pump to the carbs it is smaller only having an outside diameter of ¼ inch. You may find that you can’t reuse the old spring type clips because I found that the outside diameter of the replacement rubber hose is smaller than the original. I also believe that the replacement rubber hose needs to be manufacture to meet SAE30R14T1 but I believe that there is a lot of fake hose about so be careful from where you purchase the hose from.


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 Post subject: Re: More on won't start
PostPosted: Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:00 pm 
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TDC Cheshire Area Organiser

Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 pm
Posts: 1405
Location: NANTWICH.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/8mm-Fuel-Pri ... SwQ9BgPhuh

This is the bulb i have fitted to my 1850 Richard, not a daily driver so it saves an awful lot of strain on the starter as well. Worth every penny. 8)

Tony.

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 Post subject: Re: More on won't start
PostPosted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 7:33 am 
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:26 am
Posts: 2473
Re hose, R14 is the low pressure version, R9 is teh injection one which should be easier to source.
I know of several people who have bought such hose from AFS on ebay, only to find it is fake. Well, split/leaking within a year.
My advice, take it or leave it, is to buy from Moss, demon tweeks, Merlin motorsport and suchlike. Cohline, Gate barricade or Mocal are brands I would trust, but sadly there is a lot of substandard hose that has the "good" names printed on it.

This is something the club could sell? I imported (via a friend coming from the USA) a roll of Gates hose, much higher spec than R9/14 as it was approved for California, the fussiest place on the planet. All perfect 7 years on.

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Clive Senior
Brighton


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 Post subject: Re: More on won't start
PostPosted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 6:09 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
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Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 6:38 pm
Posts: 473
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
I think a dry pump will self prime eventually, but if it's pumping air it'll take so long to drag fuel up from the tank the battery will probably give up before the carb is fed. Especially if there are a couple of filters in the system.

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1976 Triumph Dolomite 1850HL "Trevor, the Tenaciously Terrible Triumph" - Rotten as a pear and dissolving into a field in rural Aberdeenshire.
1977 Triumph Dolomite 1300 "Daisy, the Dilapidated Dolomite of Disaster" - Major resto, planned for completion 2021.
1983 Triumph Acclaim L "Angus, the Arguably Adequate Acclaim - On the road as a daily driver.


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