Gas Gauge

Mulletwagon

Mulletwagon

Well-known member
The gauge in my 31 has given up the ghost. Continually reads "0". Suspect the float is now floatless. I pulled up the float with a hooked wire and it just sunk back to 0. Welcome some incite on making the fix. Is it just a matter of using the special tool to pull the outter ring, removing the unit and changing out the float ? Any special notes, warnings, or cautions ? Thanx.
 
This is a pretty standard repair, it's covered in the red book and there are videos. Couple of notes:
  • Drain the tank, obviously.
  • When cleaning off the old gasket material, make sure none of it gets into the tank.
  • Sometimes people have trouble crimping the rod to keep the new float on, you can search for prior threads on that.
  • The rebuild kits come with one brass slip ring, but you'll need 2-3. Either order an extra or re-use the one already in there.
  • It may take a couple of tries to screw the inner ring back in; the cork gaskets sometimes get stuck in the threads and it binds.
 
Test the new float first if it is one of the metal ones! Leave it in a gas can for a day before installing and watching the gauge go to zero again because there's a hole...
 
I recommend against the brass floats – they can get holes in them and, if your fuel level is low, you'll hear it go plink plink plink off the bottom of the tank as you drive. Though I guess some folks might appreciate that as a low-tech alert sound.
 
Before brass tank floats came on the market you could use the brass float out of a Tilotson carburetor as it will fit though the tank gauge opening. I installed one in my Victoria 25 years ago and it is still going strong. The brass floats Reenlee sells are good quality. I have installed several for people and have not heard of any leaking. As far as hearing the metal float pinging off the inside of the tank, I wish my hearing was that good. The attached article explains how to repair the gauge.

https://www.santaanitaas.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Gas-Gauge-Repair.pdf

Tom Endy
 
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