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Last year I had my gas tank out and had 2 little leaks soldered at a tank repair shop. When I re-installed the tank I used a section of rubber hose to attach the fuel line to the line that eventually feeds the carb. (Just a 4-5 inch section) Since then my fuel gauge is reading empty all the time.

I grounded for a second or 2 the line going to the gauge and saw a reading towards full, so my gauge is fine. With a pretty full tank, I measured something like 2 M ohm resistance from the sender. Pretty much an open circuit. It could be when I had the tank fixed, they broke the sender, in which case I will replace with the 57 Ford unit. But it could also be that I have no more ground.

How can I be certain the tank has a good ground? There are some rubber cushions between the straps and the tank, and the tank is painted...Not going to drill a hole in the tank and run a ground strap. haha. I guess the correct way would be to run a new gas line from the tank to the fuel pump, but I don't really want to do that. I guess I could run a wire from the top of the tank near the sender unit to a ground...

Or, do you guys think I should just replace the sender and that would do it?

Dankesch?n!
Mike

You do have to get a good ground. Believe the original was by the fuel line and the few little areas where cushion wasn't applied and frame/body contact made. Fairly easy way while tank is out is to solder or otherwise attach a wire to the round ring that holds the gauge in, then ground that. Another way would be to make some kind of clamp arrangement that could secure a wire to the fuel line or fitting area at rear of tank.

Just ran a provisionary ground and got a reading on the dashboard, now just have to make 'somewhat proper' ground.

What about the sealing area where the upper and lower halves of the tank are joined? Is there enough sealed area to drill a small hole there and insert a screw?

-I should remove my my avatar....I'm embarrassed.

I haven't tried there but if it were as far out toward edge as possible would probably work.

You can just use a clamp. The one I used has teeth that bite into the paint and works fine on the flange.

It is OK to drill a hole in the corner of a gas tank outside the weld seam.

I have added a ground wire by soldering it to the edge of the tank with a soldering iron.

OEM Chrysler products used to use a strip of steel that clipped on.

I used a clamp and ran a ground...Might drill a little hole at a later date....After running my ground and about a 1/2 tank I was reading a half tank, Great! Then filled the car up, and now it reads empty grrrr. I am getting about 120 Ohms reading from the sender...New sender/float is on the way.
(I measured tank-to-ground resistance, and it was 'nichts', so the ground must be OK)
Perhaps it will start working again when I get below a full tank. Hope to test it out next weekend!
Tobs

Yep sounds like a sender. The resistance element is on a piece of curved bakelite that sounds as if it has deformed allowing poor contact in spots. Should never have more than about 80Ω or so.

When replacing the gas tanks on my 55 and 56 Patricians I drilled a small hole in the left rear flare where the two halves are joined. Then I connected a ground wire from the frame to the hole using a small stainless sheet metal screw. No problems, good ground.

I would think the best place to connect the tank ground would be a sender mounting screw? or am i missing something?