Re: Fuel Gauge Woes....

Posted by IrishPackard On 2010/3/30 14:38:40

Hi All,

I think I have sorted out the fuel gauge problem.

I dropped the fuel tank, an easy job, but I can't believe 3 bolts hold all that gas in place. Removing the fuel line was not so easy; it must have been installed 'pre-body'., the union was over the tank so I had no choice but to cut it, not much of an issue, I was planning to replace the line anyway. The line from the tank to the pump is steel and showing some light rusting internally. The pipe into the tank from the union is brass.

I removed the sender unit, the cork floats were in poor order and the mechanism seemed to function all right. I wired up the sender to the gauge and moved the cork floats up and down. There was no movement on the gauge.

As the rheostat is riveted together, I drilled out the rivets and separated the two half's. Upon inspection, I saw the contact arm had developed a hole where it runs along the rheostat. It was also paper thin from years of friction.

I cut the damaged end off the arm, bent it and cupped it slightly that it lightly rubs on the inner rheostat ring. Before reassembly, I tested it and it seemed to be working fine, even up to the full mark.

The only question now is the floats, I have polyurethane varnished 2 Champagne corks, and I presume these will do the trick there.

Pat.