Simple Fuel Tank Question

[mcjeff72]

Gentlemen, (and whatever ladies would read this stuff more than once)

I bought this boat at the beginning of the summer. For $200 at an auction, I towed home a worn out dirty old 19 ft Galaxy with a 165 Mercruiser, after a $10 coil wire and some gas, the GM motor started right up. I tore out some seats, painted the trailer, and took my daughters tubing. After a few trips, we spun the coupler, and I found out that the floor was rotten(the front of the motor had dropped). I rebuilt the floor, and when the motor went back in the boat(someone else pulled the motor and reinstalled it for me) the fuel guage stopped working.

This is probably a stupid question, but I'm a little cautious about hooking electricity to a fuel tank. Here are some pictures, but, should there be a ground wire attached to the tank also? At the moment, I only have a single wire, and the guage doesn't work.

Anyway, the boat runs great now, and the girls are happy to ride the tube. What about any suggestions for intalling a bow mount trolling motor---I worked an entire afternoon on setting up my Minn Kota from my fishing boat, and when I got on the water it was too short(36') I would like to do some bass fishing from this boat without spending a fortune on another trolling motor?

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Simple Fuel Tank Question

I'd buy a new gauge and sender. I bought one from Perko, it wasn't more than like $30 or so. That tab on the tank with the hole in it is for the ground wire that is to be connected to the fuel fill neck. That is so the tank is grounded to the pump when you fill it with gas. The pink wire in the middle is the sender wire. There should also be a ground wire that goes to your negative ground run.

If you want to check this one out first, you need to test the sender and gauge to see if they still work. You can check the gauge by making sure you have 12v going to the gauge then grounding the post marked S (sender) to a known ground back to negative. The gauge should pin to full. If it does the gauge is good. Your problem is either disconnected wires or a bad float sender.

 

[mcjeff72]

Re: Simple Fuel Tank Question

Now that you mention it, I remember when I stripped the boat and took the tank out(to rebuild the floor), ther was another wire. You are saying that the wire that is coming from the fill neck should be attached to the tab(aluminum-welded on to the top of the tank), and there should be another wire going back to a solid ground. Where should this "ground" wire attach to the tank?

Thank you very much for your quick reply.

 

[mcjeff72]

Re: Simple Fuel Tank Question

I think that everything is fine, and the guage works right, I don't think I have it hooked up correctly-Is the pink wire in the pictures the 12v coming from the guage, and where would the "sender" wire attach??

I'd buy a new gauge and sender. I bought one from Perko, it wasn't more than like $30 or so. That tab on the tank with the hole in it is for the ground wire that is to be connected to the fuel fill neck. That is so the tank is grounded to the pump when you fill it with gas. The pink wire in the middle is the sender wire. There should also be a ground wire that goes to your negative ground run.

If you want to check this one out first, you need to test the sender and gauge to see if they still work. You can check the gauge by making sure you have 12v going to the gauge then grounding the post marked S (sender) to a known ground back to negative. The gauge should pin to full. If it does the gauge is good. Your problem is either disconnected wires or a bad float sender.