Fuel sending unit float

[BIGmackie]

Ok, I've spent the weekend playing in the shop and took apart my fuel tank. I always thought I was too cheap to put gas in my tank so the guage always read empty. Turns out that the fuel sending unit is lacking a float. Everything else is intact and working just fine. I pushed the sending unit rod all the way to the top, now it looks like I've always got a full tank! Probably not the best idea through for road trips...

So, I've been racking my brain about it and don't really know what I can suppliment for a float. Any ideas? I'm not particularly handy with most things, so if anyone has any great ideas they need to be easy to execute...

Thanks in advance!

 

[mcgovern61]

They do show up on Ebay regularly. The only other alternative is to watch your trip odometer and reset it after every tank of gas.

 

[toytender01]

IS THE SENDING UNIT ROD INTACT IF IT IS YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE A FLOAT TO ATTACH TO IT...IN THE OLD DAYS THEY WERE MADE OUT OF A CORK MATERIAL THAT WAS IMPURVIOUS TO GAS..IF YOU CAN FINDE SOMETHING THAT WOLL FLOAT AND GLUE IT ON WITH A GLUE THAT WILL SURVIVE IN A GAS ENVIROMENT YOU GOT IT MADE :Egyptian: :Egyptian: :Egyptian:

 

[BIGmackie]

The sending unit rod is right as rain, my plan was to attach something floaty on the end, but I've no clue how much buoyancy I need or materials impervious to gasoline.

I had considered duct taping an old shampoo bottle, but that seems a little to rinky-dink even for me... :razz:

 

[toytender01]

I was thinling maby half of an old carobrator float or maby a ping pong ball :roll: :clapping:

 

[joedrum]

i think the cork ideal is the best .....its got to be the easiest fix....way to go toy :Egyptian: :Egyptian: :Egyptian:

 

[BIGmackie]

Ping pong ball is genius! I don't have much cork sitting around, but I like that idea as well. I suppose I could drink a few bottles of wine and see where that gets me.

I'll keep anyone interested appraised on the situation.

 

[dan filipi]

Just don't use anything made of styrofoam. I laugh when I think about how I first found out gas eats right thru it in seconds :smilie_happy:

 

[BIGmackie]

Just don't use anything made of styrofoam. I laugh when I think about how I first found out gas eats right thru it in seconds :smilie_happy:

Fiberglass resin eats thru most styrofoam too. There was a time I thought I had a great plan hatched; turns out everything melted. This is also the begining of the story where I got good at sanding... :grin:

 

[slabghost]

Jam a wine bottle cork on it and forget it. No glue needed just push the rod through. If ya need one I'll finish this bottle and send it to ya.

 

[RBG]

Test it in a pan before you install..you made need two corks??? Have you tested the continuity of the sender unit? Do the ohms change smoothly as you raise and lower the arm..you may have to clean the coils.

 

[BIGmackie]

Have you tested the continuity of the sender unit?

I didn't use an ohm meter because I was feeling substantially lazy that day, but I did leave it plugged in and ran the arm up and down and watched it on the gauge. It's fine as a fox in boots, just missing the 'ol floater.

I'm heading off to get some of that laser eye surgery, so I'll be away from the proect until at least this weekend. I'll keep everyone interested up to speed on what I come up with...

How big is the float on a stock sender?

 

[mcgovern61]

Here is one on Ebay:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80-HONDA ... ccessories

 

[dan filipi]

Here is one on Ebay:

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/80-HONDA ... ccessories

Wow, that's cheap!
Seems like a better way to go rather than futsing with a float, but maybe not as much fun.

 

[slabghost]

How hard is it to push a cork onto the wire?

 

[dan filipi]

How hard is it to push a cork onto the wire?

True, but I wonder if it would read accurately with a cork. In the earlier link can see the float is bigger than that.

 

[scdmarx]

How hard is it to push a cork onto the wire?

True, but I wonder if it would read accurately with a cork. In the earlier link can see the float is bigger than that.

Long as it floats, probably wouldn't matter. I'd be more afraid of the cork falling apart in the gasoline. Not sure what effect gas has on cork.

 

[slabghost]

Cork will last indefinitely. Old mowers had cork floats in the bowls.

 

[BIGmackie]

I've got some terrible news as far as this thread goes, I took apart my sending unit to dip it in acid as recommend elsewhere on this forum and discovered that the actual rheostat was broken. The fiber that the wire is coiled around was broken in the middle causing the sender to read full up and full down only.

I'm not really sure how this could happen, but it looks like I'll be shopping for a new sending unit after all.

 

[slabghost]

Dang! hate when that happens! :head bang: :head bang: