Gas Tank Issues

Just_Fare

Active member
Hey folks,

I've had a few minor gas tank related issues over the years and thrown some money at it but now I'm getting a little frustrated by the whole operation. Firstly, the fuel gauge has never worked in my Fairlane. My mechanic had determined that the sending unit was faulty so he replaced it with a new, working unit. I worked outside the fuel tank but not inside for reasons that baffled the two of us. So I bought another sending unit, again it worked flawlessly until it was installed in the tank. If any of you have a suggestion or theory, I'd like to hear it.

Secondly, and possibly related is that I can't seem to fill the tank. Originally the car would have come with a 16 gallon tank, but I can't seem to get any more than 7 or 8 gallons into it. I know this because a couple times when the car ran totally out of fuel it would only take a little over 7 gallons. Maybe someone swapped out the tank for a smaller one? Who would do that? There doesn't seem to be any signs of damage to the tank either but it would have to be a serious dent to reduce the capacity by half.

Any help is appreciated,

CC
 
On the fuel gauge unit if it works when outside but not after it’s installed, then you probably don’t have a good ground on the fuel tank to chassis. Good luck (y) :nod:
 
Just_Fare":28tisrzt said:
Hey folks, I've had a few minor gas tank related issues over the years...Firstly, the fuel gauge has never worked in my Fairlane...

Secondly, and possibly related is that I can't seem to fill the tank...can't seem to get any more than 7 or 8 gallons into it. I know this because a couple times when the car ran totally out of fuel it would only take a little over 7 gallons...
CC
1) Gauge'n sending unit need to have the same (sorry not much on ele issues) "X" (it's not volts or amps, nother ele term) to wrk. When I coordinated these 2 mine registered correctly (impedence?).

I would think "not related":

2) Can U imagine 16 gal? Wuz the tank about that size - or itty bitty? I use alot of sheetrock mud buckets - it would B 3a those v one. A big difference to some of us. Weren't there when it wuz dropped (2 C it) slide under now'n peek? Feel around da side (to da top) 2 get a sense of depth?
Wild Guess:
There may B a kink in the filler neck'n U fill @ different speeds (on a cold day too fast?) & get 'feedback'/"slosh-back" which trips the automatic shut off in the handle/gass fill nozzel making U imagine the tank shrunk?
Solution = fill to 5 or 8 gal at 'wide open' go as slo as possible frm that point forward?
 
With the sending out of the tank, Check the mechanical limits of the sender lever. Lower empty, upper travel full.
When inserting the sender into the tank make sure the pickup is at the bottom of the tank. Tank empty.
As Bubba stated make sure the tank is grounded.
When installed, does the gauge read empty? If not remove sender & bend the float arm so the gauge reads empty?
Then install 8 gallons & see if gauge reads 1/2. Lets hope so.
Did you check the dash gauge? It should read the extremes when the wire from the tank is grounded & the opposite when disconnect. I am not sure if the dash gauge voltage regulator effects the fuel gauge. Best of luck.
 
you know whats odd im kinda in the same boat but i will say that eh car usually has more in the tank than what i put into it but my issue is that the guage doesnt read right and ive replace the sending unit with a brand new one didnt think to check the sender to the gauge with it out of the vehicle but that will happen when it runs out of gas next, i have a new tank however it has the filler "flipped" so the filler tube doesnt sit in far enough to line up the neck and i need to just cut out the spot flip it over and weld it back in and it would be perfect but im lazy and just havent gotten to it yet but maybe later this summer ill make it happen and clean up my ground and have a gauge that reads correctly finally cause right now it only goes to just above full putting over 8 gallons in it when it likely had 2-3 in it or more already
 
omh match, grounds'n filler neck - can't B much more 2 ck, eh?
But those would B my 3 !
:idea:
 
I tried filling the tank slowly the other day and it did indeed accept more gas, much more. I don't think that I managed to get it actually full but the gauge did read almost a quarter of a tank. My suspicion now is the the arm on the sending unit should be bent to compensate. That said, we did make sure that it was bent the same as the broken one which was removed, not that that really says much. Anyway, when I get it back from the bodyshop (idiot in a parking lot dinged my old girl) I'll try putting more fuel in and see what happens. As always, thanks for all the help.

CC
 
"... thanks for all the help..."
don't dissapear yet. Let's complete 1st.
I wanna C assurances it's "there".
So now we got a fair-to-good list:

ck lill arm's "angle'o dangle".
ohm match (spec sheets on each the sender and gauge),
grounds of 50 yr ol rusty vehicle (IVR and tank),
filler neck kink,
xxxxxxx .

BTW: now the tank's full, nice'n heavy - droppin it for nother look C will B tough. Some have a transfer tank to drain into B4 removal (it's heavy , tippy'n can spill lots). A 1/2 inch garden hose can transfer fast but we keep a spare fule pump'n battery just to transfer. Don't need the hight difference (no lift?) for the transfer then.
Good Luck.
 
Bump, bump?
Any progress this wK?
 
The fact that the gauge is moving tells me it probably isn't the ground, but it may be a poor ground. No ground, like the others suggested was my first instinct when I read the first post. I drilled a screw into the tank flange and wired it to the frame on mine to get it to work after I re-hung the tank with some rubber neoprene strips as insulators on the straps and closed cell foam tape @ the contacts on top. So you may be right about the drop being wrong, but I'd make sure it's grounded right before I went through pulling the sender again. Take a test lead with alligator clips and clip the sender to the frame and drive it for a while first.
 
aint seen em 4 awhile (10 daze) ?
 
Hey guys,

I am quite certain that the issue is not the ground because when the most recent sending unit was installed my mechanic tried brand new ground wires (yes, two) running to the frame on clean shiny metal and the gas tank, also clean shiny metal. The last time I put gas in it I was able to get the gauge to read a solid quarter tank but I caught quite a whiff of gas the next couple times I've driven it. In terms of the gas gauge, knowing that I have a usable portion of the gauge, I can live with that. So long as I keep it above empty, which is probably about half a tank I'll be fine. So now we're down to a fairly strong gas smell if I give it more than one third throttle and a slight gas smell if I fill the tank.

Thanks as always for any advice,

CC
 
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