TheAMCForum.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > The Garage > Electrical - non engine
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Fuel guage sending unit repair
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Click for TheAMCForum Rules / Click for PDF version of Forum Rules
Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.

Fuel guage sending unit repair

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
fhpdave View Drop Down
AMC Nut
AMC Nut
Avatar

Joined: May/09/2014
Location: Galena Ohio
Status: Offline
Points: 445
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fhpdave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Fuel guage sending unit repair
    Posted: May/01/2017 at 2:29pm
As I am putting my car back together, I am finding that after 50 years, about every electrical component has needed some kind of attention, and the sending unit in the gas tank was not an exception. The fuel gauge worked before the car was torn down, so naturally I didn't test the unit as I was putting things back together. So I was a little dismayed that after putting some gas in the tank, the fuel gauge remained on E, but some electrical detective work determined that the problem was in the sending unit. The car had at least 5 gallons of gas in the tank, so I was not looking forward to dropping the tank. I did find that by loosening the tank straps, I was able to drop the front of the gas tank enough that I could loosen the lock ring and remove the sending unit. The fact that everything was apart and was only recently put back together certainly helped, otherwise I would have had to drop the tank because of rust and such. Once I had the sending unit out of the tank, I checked it with an ohm meter/continuity tested and determined that disassembly and further repairs were needed

With what I found, I am at a loss as to how the gas gauge worked before. The black line shows the end of the moving contact arm that was riding on the board wrapped in wires that is laying above the sending unit. The hole in the end, seemed like it should have some kind of contact, and the red line shows where there should be some sort of mechanical connection between the brass frame and the resistance wire board. Not sure if this would have been riveted, or bolted, but I went to my stash of stuff to see if I could get things fixed.

What I came up with were some #2 by 1/4 inch screws. I took a brass screw, filed the head so that the slot was gone, filed down the shank so that it fit in the hole on the contact arm, and after the picture was taken cut it shorter with a small pair of end nippers.

After several attempts, I got my brass contact in place and soldered it to the contact arm

I then reassembled the unit using another screw to fasten the board to the unit. I then reinstalled the sending unit in the tank, hooked up the ground wire and fuel line, tightened the tank straps, and now I have a working gas gauge!


Old enough to know better - young enough not to care
Back to Top
6PakBee View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar
Charter Member

Joined: Jul/01/2007
Location: North Dakota
Status: Offline
Points: 5454
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 6PakBee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2017 at 6:55pm
Good approach. I've noticed the Mopar senders have the same problem, the rivet that joins the resistance block to the electrical lead fails by breaking in two and the button on the wiper disappears. 
Roger Gazur
1969 'B' Scheme SC/Rambler
1970 RWB 4-spd Machine
1970 Sonic Silver auto AMX

All project cars.

Forum Cockroach
Back to Top
ccowx View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted


Joined: Nov/03/2010
Location: Yukon
Status: Offline
Points: 3510
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ccowx Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2017 at 7:14pm
Nicely done! It is a bit of a mickey mouse arrangement originally and I have had my troubles with them. You have confirmed that I was wise to keep my broken one!

Chris 
Back to Top
george w View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/27/2013
Location: New Jersey
Status: Offline
Points: 2899
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote george w Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2017 at 7:42pm
Good repair tip for sure. The contact for the wiper arm is probably in the bottom of the tank.
Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.
Back to Top
Linglingjr View Drop Down
AMC Apprentice
AMC Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: Aug/30/2015
Location: Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 94
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Linglingjr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/01/2017 at 8:16pm
I've done this with an old fiat, and two amcs.  I usually open it up and dunk the whole thing in vinegar then baking soda as well to get rid of the rust.  

Crazy how simple these things are.
Back to Top
Raccoonman View Drop Down
AMC Nut
AMC Nut
Avatar

Joined: Dec/11/2016
Location: North Charlesto
Status: Offline
Points: 447
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Raccoonman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/13/2017 at 10:11am
I would have tried this with my 65 Classic unit but it literally collapsed in my hands. Too bad, I think I could have gotten it working. the part that collapsed was the short tube just inside the sender. The contact strap had corroded away and I was going to rivet on a new one, and seal up the short tube with epoxy. It just crumbled away while I was handling it. The plate is keeping the hole closed until I get a new sender.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.188 seconds.
All content of this site Copyright © 2018 TheAMCForum unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved.
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN or REGISTERING:
If you have problems logging in or registering, then please contact a Moderator or