MG Car Repair: Primeing the Carb, electric fuel pump, mechanical pumps

Question
I have a 76 MG midget and had to rewire it and all seems well. I have a good spark at the plug but was told I might have to prime the carb. How to I prime the carb on one of these cars. It does not have an electric pump.

Answer
Hi Doug.  There is no easy way to prime the carburetter float chamber on a 76 Midget.  In the old days, mechanical pumps had a priming lever underneath.  You lifted the lever a few times by hand to prime the carb.  The Midget pump does not have a priming lever.

I suggest that you make sure your battery is fully charged, then just keep turning the starter motor until fuel rwaches the carb and the engine fires up.

Modern fuel is causing a lot of trouble with engines that have mechanical pumps.  You would be well advised to consider fitting an electric fuel pump at the rear of the car and bypassing your mechanical pump entirely.  If your engine tends to cut out when it gets hot, remember my advice.