For owners replacing a single damaged or corroded section rather than the entire system, individual pre-formed copper fuel pipes are available for each stage of the delivery route. Each pipe is formed to the correct profile for the MGC's specific underbody and engine bay routing, which differs from the MGB owing to the longer engine bay and different component positions. Individual pipes are labelled for identification, and the correct pipe must be specified when ordering, the system comprises multiple sections with different diameters, lengths, and formed bends, and they are not interchangeable between positions.
Pipe Sections Available
The fuel delivery route runs from the tank at the rear of the car, forward along the underbody to the fuel pump on the right-hand side of the engine block, then from the pump outlet forward to the carburettors. Each section of this route is available individually: the tank pipe connecting the tank outlet to the first union, the main feed pipe running forward under the car to the pump, and the pump-to-carburettor feed pipe routing through the engine bay. Overflow pipes and a T-piece distribute fuel between the two carburettor float chambers. Unions connect the rigid copper sections at each junction, with Petroflex flexible hose sections bridging the gaps where rigid pipes meet engine-mounted or body-mounted components that move relative to each other.
Inspection and Replacement Guidance
Copper fuel pipes corrode from the outside in, particularly where they are exposed to road spray and salt along the underbody. Corrosion is often concentrated at the clips and fixings where moisture is trapped against the pipe surface. Any pipe showing green verdigris, pitting, or thinning of the copper wall should be replaced, a pinhole leak in a fuel pipe is both a fire hazard and a source of fuel contamination as dirt is drawn into the system through the hole under the pump's suction.
When replacing individual pipes, the flexible Petroflex hose sections and their clips at each junction should be inspected and replaced if they show any sign of deterioration, as these are subject to the same age-related degradation as the rest of the system. owing to the forward-mounted radiator and the torsion bar front suspension crossmember structure. Petroflex flexible hose sections between rigid pipes accommodate movement and vibration between body-mounted and engine-mounted components. Union nipples and nuts provide secure fuel-tight connections at each junction.