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73Dart340Sport

73Dart340Sport

73dart340
FABO Gold Member
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Okay. Origionally I started with a problem in the fuel gauge. I pulled the fuel tank to get at the fuel sending unit. Now that the "NEW" tank is installed I'm back to square one!

After removing the tank and pulling out the fuel sending unit, I connected it to it's jack, and using an alligator clip, grounded it to the ground strap that runs from the fuel line to the sending unit inlet. When I moved the float by hand, the gauge worked fine. I reinstalled the tank in the car, put 6 gallons in, and.......same problem once again. When I turn the key on, the fuel gauge registers just over empty 1/8 to 1/16 full.

Does anyone have any suggestions so that I can fix this problem?

Thanks in advance!!!
 
sounds like it is working. You should have checked the empty setting and adjusted float arm as needed before adding any fuel. All this gauge should do is show empty at around 2 gallons.
 
I think I understand where you are going. However, I now have 6 gallons in the tank, so it is not empty. When I installed the sending unit, the wiper was in its resting position, fully extended, and it (should have) shown empty. When I reinstalled the tank it was empty, and the float and arm were at the bottom of their travel as checked visually (I should have powered up the gauge to confirm). Now, with 6 gallons added, it only registers 1/8.
 
which is fine. It'll show full for quite a while before showing less than too. Nature of the beast. To get "2.874565 gallons until empty" in digital display means buying a newer car. :)
 
ROFL.. that hasalways been my experience.. I would get like 50mpg from the first half tank, and 4mpg from the last.. Once below 1/4 tank, it was time to head DIRECTLY to the nearest station.

Grant
 
I think maybe I have been looking at the float, and it was not bottomed out. I'm going to try to trouble shoot tomorrow. Thanks for the input!
 
Ber aware...the float shouldn't actaully touch the tank bottom.
Good Luck with it
 
I had a similar problem with my new tank ... I put 5 gallons of gas in the 18 gallon tank and the gauge read around 1/8 or less ... Well today like a dork I ran the car out of gas .. banged on the bottom of the tank and could hear the float bouncing off the bottom... Once I got home I pulled the sending unit out and bent the float so that it was just above the suction sock ...poured about 12 or 13 gallons and now it reads 3/4, so just about right ..
 
Is the float hanging up on something? Is there a baffle in the tank in the way? Is it going in straight or the wrong way?
I put new tanks in cars and had all of these problems.
Check the simple stuff first. Good luck.
 
Okay!!! I got an old dipstick and pried the float and arm to full up, and got a full reading so the gauge is working! Before I fill the tank, are there any suggestions regarding pulling the tank and bending the arm? Also, I put a brass ford float on in place of the plastic one. does anyone have any experience with the brass?

Other than that, I followed everyones advice and bought a new fuel tank. With it and a rebuild on my Demon carb, the car runs well!!

Thanks for everyones input!
 
Definately the brass float is best (plastic is for toys). Neither should touch the bottom of the tank though.
On level ground I like two gallons to pull the gauge needle up to just the + side of empty mark. Remember the gauge works on pricipals of heat and electrical resistance. One effects the other. A half mark showing during one season may be a whole mark showing during another.
 
If the float touches the bottom of the tank, is it grounding? Or is it giving a reading of actual empty when the car chugs its last gulp?
 
73Dart340Sport said:
If the float touches the bottom of the tank, is it grounding? Or is it giving a reading of actual empty when the car chugs its last gulp?
Click to expand...

The float arm should rest against the stop and not allow the float to get a hole rubbed through it from bouncing against the tank. Imagine very little fuel sloshing in there and plastic or brass against steel.
 
Another question. I understand that I shouldn't ever let my tank go below 1/2 due to condensation (something we experience in the sun-belt having to do with a large spread between dew-point and temperature) buildup on the surface of the tank. Do you suggest using fuel stabilizer if the car is driven infrequently?
 
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