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It's definitely not suspension. It squeaks in time with the rotation of the tires/axles/driveshaft. Faster as the car goes faster, and slower as it slows down. I'm going to put the car up on stands and listen to it while it's in gear. Now I'm wondering if maybe it's the driveshaft joints?

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Thanks Howard. I had read that somewhere before but had forgotten. I'll try it today when I get home and see what happens.

-Kevin

Had a couple minutes before work to ground the fuel gauge to check it. I unplugged the wire in the trunk, then grounded it out. The gauge definitely moved, but it appears to be very jerky. It won't go up or down smoothly....I have to tap the glass to help it return to empty.

So should I just get a new gauge?

-Kevin

Does the temp gauge work properly? If so, the regulator and voltage supply to the gauge would seem to be OK and gauge could be faulty. Just for grins though check the connections on the back of the gauge. I know it is hard to tell looking straight on but compare the two gauges from several angles and see if there is a chance the cluster was removed at some time and during that process the fuel gauge needle got bent and is riding against the glass or face of the gauge. If you can visually see that it is OK then finding a new gauge would probably be a good idea.

Howard, the temp gauge works normally as far as I can tell. It's smooth with no jerkiness. I've used a temp gun to confirm engine temps many times and it appears the gauge is reading accurately.

I've also tested the poles on the back of the fuel gauge in the past, and confirmed it is receiving voltage. When I had the instrument cluster out previously I noted the fuel and temp gauge needles were riding on the face of the gauge, so I carefully bent them back up. I can tell by looking at the fuel gauge that it's not touching the gauge face at all, and it's definitely not touching the glass. My assumption is the internals are slightly messed up....could've been corrosion or sandblasting I suppose.

I'll get a new gauge then!

-Kevin

I spent a frustrating 30 minutes last night trying to correct a fuel leak where the hardline attaches to the fuel tank. Mine has a tendency to slowly leak there, but I finally got it to seal a couple months back. When I took the tank off this time I can't get it to seal again. Now there's more gas in the tank, so I'm probably going to have to drain some so it's not gushing all over the place when I try to correct the problem.

Once I get it right I plan to never drop the tank again.

-Kevin

Do the new tanks come with a drain plug in the bottom?? Did you figure out what the problem is with the fuel gauge/sender??

While you have the fitting apart, check the line very carefully to be sure there isn't a crack in the flared end. In disassembled relaxed state there may be one that's nearly impossible to see but tightened, if one is there, it may open up.

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Yes they do have the drain plug. I just need to get a container big enough and clean enough to catch all the gas and reuse it. It's all fresh non-ethanol and that stuff is expensive right now, so I don't want it to go to waste.

Not sure what the deal is with the fuel gauge. I ordered a NOS one that I will replace the old one with. The sender is brand new, and I confirmed it works last time I had the tank out.

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I'll definitely be checking for a split. Wouldn't surprise me if it did have one. If so, then I might cut the line shorter and use a flex line from the fuel tank to the hard line. It's a pain in the rear to get the hardline to line up with the tank sometimes. Hopefully not though. I got it to seal last time, so I'm hoping I can get it again. I think the fitting is cross threading as it goes in. I'll get it figure out once I drain most of the gas.

-Kevin

Being under the car, up or down, and draining gas from the plug is not fun. Maybe get 3 5-gal plastic gas cans and use a syphon. Then a 2-gal and funnel that fits easily under the car after you get out as much as possible. Loosen the tank so you can tip it toward the drain and into the funnel. Ace has the stuff.

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Recommend doing this work outside. I was working on my non-Packard and had fuel syphoning from a disconnected line that I could not reconnect were it would not leak. Gas was spilling on the garage floor. I quickly pushed the car out onto the driveway. Fortunately the car was built with a shutoff valve on the fuel line. I shut off the valve and washed off the spilled gas off of the garage floor. Fortunately there is no exposed flame in the garage (water heater/furnace), but I was fearful of the gas igniting and burning down the house. Be careful and store the drained gas in a proper container. Safety first.