My gas guage sending unit is toast!

[Boomyal]

It was rusty when I pulled it out, but it had been working. After sitting for a year it just died. I never liked it anyway cause it was almost useless. It was a swingarm and float style.<br /><br />Do they make units in a tube and might they be more accurate? I know you have the issue of sloshing gas but my tank does have a couple of bulkheads in it.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: My gas guage sending unit is toast!

It doesn't matter whether its a swing arm or tube style. Either type cannot accurately measure fuel level in a tank that is not uniform in shape. Look at it this way -- if a tank is shaped like a pyramid with the point at the top, roughly 1/3 the fuel is in the top half of the tank so when the float says half full, you really have 2/3 of a tank. A square tank obviously is linear, but only if it sits perfectly level in a boat. This of course is a rare event since a boat rarely sits level. Best bet is to replace the sender and calibrate it with the tank empty. You know when the tank is full, so why not set it up so you know when the gauge is accurate when its empty. Tanks with the biggest problem are those that are long, shallow, and rather wide (like mine). Gauge is worthless until nearly empty. Best bet is to install a fuel flow monitor so you know exactly how much fuel has been used.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: My gas guage sending unit is toast!

All sounds right Upinsmoke. Mine is more like an inverted pyramid. My tank is long (42"+-) about 30" wide and about 8" deep in the center. The top is flat and the bottom tapers up to about 3" sidewalls. Now that you bring it up, I can see why the bottom half of the tank goes so quick on the guage.<br /><br />Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Do you have any links on fuel flow monitors and are they reasonably accurate.

 

[Solittle]

Re: My gas guage sending unit is toast!

There is, or should be, a data plate on the top of the tank near the filler neck or sender hole put on by the manufacturer of the tank. Contact them with the tank model number (on the plate) and buy the sender speced for your tank. I did that for my Wellcraft a year ago.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: My gas guage sending unit is toast!

Originally posted by SoLittle:<br /> There is, or should be, a data plate on the top of the tank near the filler neck or sender hole put on by the manufacturer of the tank. Contact them with the tank model number (on the plate) and buy the sender speced for your tank. I did that for my Wellcraft a year ago.

There was a heavy aluminum tag spot welded on top of my tank but it's covered back up now. Not to see the light of day until the boat disintigrates around it. There was also a MFGR's tag on it. They are out of business.<br /><br />I did confirm that it is the sending unit today. I grounded the positive lead and the gas guage pegged.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: My gas guage sending unit is toast!

My boat is 30 years old. I replaced my sender with a VDO sender. They had the exact replacement to fit the hole and depth.<br /><br />Google it, way too many suppliers to list here.