Gas gauge - is this right?

[Southtowns27]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

Make sure your gas tank sending unit float does not have a hairline crack as that will give false readings. Remove the gas tank sending unit from tank, place it on a piece of cardboard so it's insulated from all other metal. Then connect the wires from the gauge to the sending unit as you normally would BUT, run a separate ground wire from the flange on the base of the gas tank sending unit to a good ground, like the lower trunk latch.

Then manually move the float thru its arc of motion from empty to full and watch the gauge readings. If the gauge readings are inaccurate, remove the gas tank sending unit top cover with a flat screwdriver blade and turn the little starwheel a teeny weeny bit at a time. Turning it clockwise increases movement of gauge needle towards FULL. CCW moves the gauge needle towards Empty. Move your float arm thru its arc of travel after each starwheel adjustment. You may also find that you have to bend the little metal tabs on the bottom of the unit which limit its arc of travel from E to F. If you can't fix your sending unit I have a used one for sale.

If you have a 6V dry cell and a spare fuel gauge you can test your gas tank sending unit as shown below. When I check the voltage to the gas tank sending unit (with engine off and ignition switch ON) it's about 6.2 V.

None of that applies to my truck. It has an aftermarket Bob Drake sending unit in it.