Fuel safety cut out question.

[ALABAMA ANDY]

Hi all.

Just wondering..... has anyone on here done away with the Fuel Safety Cut Out tube switch thing under the bonnet.
Mine is tempramental & luckily I have a spare one kicking about which I fitted & seems ok.
Trouble is my area is swamped with speed bumps & im worried that if I hit one too hard it could activate the switch & kill the engine.
Im guessing I could just join the wires together as it just acts as a big switch ?

Also while i'm at it.......
Any ideas on wireing a cut out switch for the fuel pump (for security not safety).
Ive been told that if I just wire in a simple "on/off" switch, the power of the SU fuel pump will burn out the switch.
Is this true ?
Any help would be great.

Thanks, Andy.

[Goldstar]

Not sure about question 2 Andy but someone with a bit more electrickery surely will. I would be interested to know the answer too.

With regard to the inertia cut off. I would be surprised if it would activate on a speed bump unless you were driving it like you nicked it. I will see what the ROM says about the G needed to activate it (if anything). I would put up with that though for the protection that stopping the fuel, and therefore the engine, gives me from an engine bay fire in the event that I was trapped in the cabin after a crash. I would also think any insurance company would be looking for the switch in that same example. Stick with it is my thinking.

Paul

[DJT]

Andy,

They are a very simple design and easily opened up for cleaning. It takes a real thump to trip them. More than a speed bump taken sensibly. There are pictures on here showing one dismantled. Don't be tempted to remove it for the reasons above.

[ALABAMA ANDY]

With regard to the inertia cut off. I would be surprised if it would activate on a speed bump unless you were driving it like you nicked it.

I see what your saying, its just that dropping the bonnet was cutting the fuel pump.
Swapping the switch for a spare did cure it, but was just wondering if our modern bumpy bumpy bumpy roads could set it off ?
My last Stag was 21 years ago when hardly any roads had speed bumps.

Andy.

[Goldstar]

Sounds like a dodgy switch. As Dave says usual issue is dirty (rusty actually) ball bearing and/or contacts. Easy to take apart and sort.

Nice looking home for your Stag by the way

Paul

[ALABAMA ANDY]

Nice looking home for your Stag by the way

Wish it was......
Pic taken a couple of weeks ago (final days in the bodyshop).

Andy.

[Stagdad]

Regarding q2 I have had a hidden switch in the fuel pump wire for 6 years and it hasn't burnt out the switch but it has caused the odd red face moment when I forget to reset it and stop 100 yards from setting off.

cheers Steve

[73stagman]

I believe there was an article re question 2 in a recent SOC magazine? .... can get you a copy if you want? (Of the article... not the magazine!)

[ALABAMA ANDY]

I believe there was an article re question 2 in a recent SOC magazine? .... can get you a copy if you want? (Of the article... not the magazine!)

That'll be great if you could.
I bought a 25amp switch today to have a go at wireing in a cut out.
But I think i'll wait untill I see if you can find that article instead.

Andy.

[Staggard]

That'll be great if you could.
I bought a 25amp switch today to have a go at wireing in a cut out.
But I think i'll wait untill I see if you can find that article instead.

Andy.

No worries fit the switch, The PO of my car is a micro electronics engineer and he actually built the alarm that's fitted to my car, which includes a cut out circuit to the fuel pump if the alarm is triggerd. Graham

[Mike Stevens]

A 25A switch will be absolutely fine. The pump current is nothing like that - more like 4 or 5A.

Just don't forget it when switched off or put it where your knee could knock it off while driving!

Cheers,
Mike.

[73stagman]

That'll be great if you could.
I bought a 25amp switch today to have a go at wireing in a cut out.
But I think i'll wait untill I see if you can find that article instead.

Andy.

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