Need to drain the fuel tank on my 51 TD. Is there a drain plug on the tank or should I simply run a hose from the fuel pump to a container while having the pump powered?

There should be a plug next to the fuel line plug on the bottom.
When you drain, it will leave about .5 gal in side.
Only way to remove all is remove the tank and turn upside down.

---

1953 MG TD TD23816

Thank you Mike.

I use the fuel pump method, and am always satisfied with how much I get out, into gallon jugs. I find when I use the drain plug it goes everywhere, all over my arms, and there is always more gas in the tank than I have tubs to fill...

Tom Lange
MGT Repair

Wayne,

I’m sure that the tank on my new purchase (1953 MG TD) will need some work. Are you going to do some restoration on yours ? If so, what techniques make sense for these cars ? Are the rinse and seal kits worth trying, or are there better approaches ?

Thanks,
Chuck

There is (or was) a filter on the fuel line inside the tank. I would use the fuel pump and drain it, then pull both the drain plug and the fuel line and filter.

Purchase one of the cheap flexible camera's on line. They run around $10. Use this to inspect inside the tank. There are 3 baffles in the tank and a hole in the bottom of each baffle. You can go in through the filler, through the sending unit, and through the drain hole. This will get you into each area.


When I did my tank, I found that someone at the factory left a rag or a bag in the right tank section. As the only opening to this is the drain plug, it had to have been put in at the factory.

Chuck congrats on your new 53. If you are going to clean your gas tank I would drain any gas and check for any rust. When I checked mine it had surface rust throughout. After checking this forum I did as suggested by many. Pulled the tank, filled the tank with white vinegar (about 14 gallons if I remember correctly) and let it sit for a week or two occasionally shaking and rotating the tank. Drained the tank again and completely flushed it out using a garden hose with spray nozzle. I got out more than a quart of rust particles. Keep flushing until the tank is free of any rust then dry completely. At this point I used a sealer named red-kote to seal the tank. I am completely satisfied with the results. No more rust and all the fuel filters are staying clean. Since the td is new to you, may want to verify that the low fuel sending unit is functional. If it has to be replaced while the tank is off is the perfect time. Hope this helps.

And when you have the tank off fit a drain tap-it will make life easier the next time.
Regards
Declan

What kind of faucet did you put Declan?

Sincerely, Thierry de l'Ardèche, South of France

It was a drain tap from some obscure tractor that I bought on eBay. I bought a 3/8" BSPP brass plug and drilled it to accept the tap and sweat soldered both together.
You need a tap that does not leak! There are modern taps for suitable for petrol on eBay with BSP threads.

Regards
Declan

I don't know if this helps that drain tap looks like the same one that's on the bottom of your raditor.....dennis

Dennis,
A radiator drain tap may or may not work for petrol. That is why I mentioned "suitable for petrol" above. I added sealant on the tap shown above for that reason. When I drain the tank I have to break the seal and renew it on re-filling.
Regards
Declan