Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

[dragracer]

We just bought an old '91 Celebrity 180 and the fuel gauge wasn't working. I took the sending unit out and the cork float seemed to be saturated with fuel so it wasn't floating like it should. I soldered up a brass float but it was too heavy or something and didn't work. So I ended up just buying a couple of big cork "stoppers" and putting them on the little arm and that seems to work ok for now. I'm afraid these "stoppers" are going to get saturated with fuel like the original did before long. I'm just wondering if there is a source for a replacement cork float for my tank or am I pretty much gonna just have to keep putting stoppers in it to make it work? Any ideas or opinions??

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

David...most of the newer ones today used a hollow plastic float, you are probably better off replacing the sending unit with a new one, Teleflex makes some that are pretty adaptable to most tanks, here is a link to their technical website to give you a little more info, most senders suffer electric failure with the resistance not changing as the fuel level changes but it sounds like you have a mechanical failure. Teleflex Fuel Sender

 

[dragracer]

Re: Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

OK thanks much for the info Bob. There is nothing wrong mechanically or electrically with my sending unit. I can move the arm up and down and watch the fuel gauge and it goes all the way from empty to full....so I know it's working. I have it working pretty good right now so I guess I'll just leave it alone for now and then just replace the whole thing if it goes bad again. <br /><br />Only concern I guess I have about replacing it would be a question of whether the mounting holes in the old tank would match up with the holes in the new sending unit. Are they all pretty much a standard size or would I have to modify it to make it fit my tank?? The other thing is the round hole in the top of the tank is only slightly larger than an inch in diameter. So any unit with a float bigger than that would not work either.

 

[Boatin Bob]

Re: Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

Yes...the holes aren't that large, I replaced one last year that had a plastic float and it just fit through the hole and then you had to move a certain way to get the electrical part in. I believe most of them are the standard 5 or 6 holes (can't remember) I think the real important part is that you have to match the ohms of the sender to the guage. I think the normal is 33 to 240 ohms but there are a few other configurations out there.

 

[dragracer]

Re: Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

Cool! Thanks! Can I check the unit by simply putting an ohm meter on it and seeing what the readings are at extreme up and down??

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Celebrity - Fuel Sending Unit Float ??

Exactly. 240 ohms at empty, 103 at 1/2, and 33 at full.