Fuel tanks.

[David.H]

Brought the RK out of hibernation today. It has languished in son in laws garage with almost no use for 2 years.....! Sorry car!
Put fuel in,checked tyre pressures, oil & water......turned it over a few times  full choke, started on second push of the button.
Set off for home (about 45 miles) and came to a standstill in busy Burford before the bridge. Suspected fuel & the carb was almost dry. Checked filter & jet, reassembled & the bowl filled up ok
So set off for Stow. Going well until half 
way up the hill into Stow when came to a stop again.  Bowl top off,  dry. Aha, filter dry as well. No fuel coming to the tap,so tap has to come off. Real juggling act...tap off, finger on the downpipe to stop 3 gallons emptying onto the drive where I stopped and sure enough the tap was "bunged up with muck". Where is a little Dutch boy when you need one!
Reassembled it all and drove home without any more trouble.  Tomorrow I will drain the tank into a filter & see what comes out.....

[David.H]

I did drain it and got several small (but efficient at blocking) bits of "Stuff" out of the tank. The fitting above the tap has a large & a small "entry" hole, no long & short pipes though, the tap is a single rotary "gate" type , not a push pull. Why a large & small hole?

[bob46320]

Perhaps the large hole should have a short piece of pipe in it about 1.25" high representing 1 gallon left below the top of the pipe. That would be the main feed and with a cork plunger type of tap, when in the "reserve" position, fuel exits via the small hole.

[David.H]

Yes,
possibly the gate type tap should be a two way pull push,but they usually go through the bulkhead I think, my AG has one,and the pipe  There is no hole on my RK. Perhaps the fitting under the tank outlet is wrong!!
Ah well, all clear for now!
David

[Mike Costigan]

The RK did not have a reserve facility on the petrol tap; the tap was a traditional twist-type as shown here, located on the face of the tank. Later cars (RL onwards) had the tap fitted on the underside of the tank and did provide a reserve facility:

   

(Austin Harris LAT photo)

[Howard Wright]

Hi David

It might seem like a lot of work but I would bite the bullet and take the tank out and give it a good flush through.  

I had exactly the same problem on my RK and despite clearing out the tap hole several times with the tank in-situ I was dogged by fuel blockages just the other side of the tap.  Since taking out the tank and giving it a good flush (with a few round stones and a bottle of drain unblocker) I’ve had no problems.

Cheers

Howard