| Flatbob | -- 05-20-2010 @ 3:37 PM |
|
Installed repo. gas tank sending unit in new Drake tank and indicates 2 gals. more than actually in the tank. I bent arm per instructions but must have done something wrong. Bending the arm up more would give lower reading on the fuel gauge, correct? Don't suppose there's a rule of thumb on how far to bend it or is it just a trial & error exercise?
|
|
| trjford8 | -- 05-20-2010 @ 6:36 PM |
|
The repo senders don't work all that well with the original gauge. You will have to bend the arm with the trial and error method to get it close to being accurate. It is best to get the gauge to read empty before it is too close to being empty.
|
|
| Flatbob | -- 05-20-2010 @ 7:04 PM |
|
Ok, will try and give myself a 1 gallon margin.
|
|
| 37RAGTOPMAN | -- 05-21-2010 @ 5:15 AM |
|
measure the depth of the tank, the arm should not swing more than that in either direction,there should be stops tabs on the sender, bend the arm so it is the same,not going higher or lower then the tank depth, this should work, it is very hard to explain here, you could also make up a fake tank out of strip of sheet metal. " simulater tank "like a SQUARE "C" placing the sender on the top of the strip of metal and see how far it goes down and what it is reading, this way you can bend and judge I hope you understand, hope this helps 37 RAGTOPMAN. you can also wire this up and watch the gauge to see how accurate it is reading, finding a original sender would be the way to go, what was wrong with old sender,? just using a new modern float usually is all they need, and maybe a little cleaning,
|
|
| supereal | -- 05-21-2010 @ 7:04 AM |
|
Be sure that the float clears any baffles in the tank, or it will not read correctly. Like Tom, we prefer to have some "early warning" when the fuel level gets low. Good quality repro senders are, if carefully calibrated, about as accurate as the original King-Seely units. The Ford dash gauges, overall, are just not precision instruments, mostly showing activity alone, whether oil, amps, or fuel. If you crave accuracy, it requires installation of modern gauges. That's why you don't see original dash boards in street rods.
|
|
| TomO | -- 05-21-2010 @ 8:26 AM |
|
Supereal, I have to disagree with you about the inaccuracies of the Ford King -Seely gauges. My experience has been that they are just as accurate as the ones on more modern cars. I have checked many oil pressure gauges and sending units by installing an adapter to check them out with an air compressor and found that most of them are accurate within a couple of pounds of pressure. The battery gauge on my car correlates very well with my Simpson 20 volt meter and the meter on my generator / regulator tester. I will agree that the markings on the temp gauge may be vague, but most of the ones I have tested show 160 degrees is in the normal and 212 degrees is hot. The gas gauge is just as accurate as the one on my modern car. It shows empty when I have 2 gal left and full when full till I use 2 gals of gas. Tom
|
|
| supereal | -- 05-21-2010 @ 10:59 AM |
|
I am sure, Tom, that your cars are in top shape and avoid the common gauge problems. We often find ratty wiring, loose or corroded connections, and system voltage that is far out of spec. The bimetal movement of the gauges tends to damp fluctuations. The King-Seeley system, by biasing the senders with internal coils did work better than the repros, I agree, but unless you are lucky to find a NOS sender, we have to be content with the new type. Some have had luck stabilizing the gauge system with a instrument voltage regulator from the early Mustangs. I'm not thrilled with the accuracy of the newer vehicle gauges, either. If it were not for our scanning equipment, it would be difficult or impossible to chase malfunctions in most systems.
|
|
| TomO | -- 05-23-2010 @ 8:31 PM |
|
Super, NOS sending units may be hard to find, but the gas and oil pressure sending units are easy to disassemble and repair. There are services that do this advertised in Hemmings. I have repaired both types for my own use and for a few of my friends. In most cases the contacts are corroded from lack of use and cleaning them usually make them as good as new. IMO, the after market ones sold for our Ford made cars are pure junk copied from the one made by Rick's antique parts in the late 60's. They are hard to adjust to get a reasonable reading and then they tend to bind in cars that are not driven frequently. Tom
|
|
| supereal | -- 05-24-2010 @ 8:03 AM |
|
I think the increased accuracy of the K-S units was likely due to the biasing with the internal coil, as said. I've bought some at swap meets, but never had much luck in repairing them. The variable resistor types, as you know, tend to be non-linear, making the gauges less accurate than they were. I am surprised that no one has produced a repro 50# oil pressure sender. Perhaps it is supposed we all went to the later 80# pump.
|
|
| EFV-8 Club Forum : | https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum |
| Topic: | https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=18&Topic=1275 |