Gas Gauge...Cork or Neopreme float and/or gaskets...

[machine girl]

yes sounds like woodpeckers in the tank. just left the fuel a little low no more tat tat tat. in calif gas stations are not to far apart, last week on the club tour saw a sign next fuel 68 miles everyone stopped to top off??

[Ed Wendell]

Elcastor,
Try Reen Kotas of the San Diego Model A club. He has the brass floats.
858-278-8178

Ed

[DrinkMan]

Brass float and cork gaskets. Got the float at Mike's.

[neds29]

A little story of what NOT to do to fix a float. I bought a '29 roadster back in 1971 w/money I'd saved in Vietnam ($1800). The gas gauge didn't work, so I dutifully disassembled it and discovered the cork had disintegrated. Scratching around I found a plastic fishing float which fit perfectly and installed it. Later, while driving the back roads around Groton, Mass, the engine suddenly died. Nothing would get it to restart. Desperate, I disassembled the carburetor and found the now-dissolved fishing float. Shook it out, reassembled and drove home. Drank a bottle of wine that night and fixed it for good.
Ned

[Napa Skip]

Nothing against neoprene or hollow brass floats, but being frugal I used a Domaine Chandon sparkling wine float when I needed to replace the gas gauge float on my 1930 Model A coupe in 1978. After mounting it on the gas gauge rod, I let the rod and cork soak in shellac and then allowed it to thoroughly dry. As to the gaskets, i reused the old cork ones ('penny wise and pound foolish' cheap shots notwithstanding) after liberally coating them with grease.

As of a few minutes ago everything was still in place, still working and not leaking, which is particularly gratifying after yesterday's 90-mile round trip to Middletown in Lake County to celebrate their 1930's Days and attend the grand opening of the Gibson Museum and Cultural Center. We took the "back way" to Middletown, around Lake Hennesey, and - except for the several mile section of road by the Lilly Langtree home - I don't think the road has been touched since c.1930. The gas gauge, the suspension on the coupe - and my rear end (my rear end, not the coupe's) - got a thorough workout.

Life in Napa is good...

[29Cabriolet]

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Originally Posted by 1930 coupe

They are supposed to have the grove on the float, it keeps the float from spinning on the wire and wearing the hole in the float.

FWIW, I just replaced the gas gauge float. I used the "modern" gray float mentioned, but rather than soldering a washer to keep it in place, I used a tension roll pin. It was just the right size for a snug fit over the arm and inside the float - a couple of light taps with a hammer to get it in place. Its a tight enough friction fit on the OD and ID, I don't think it will spin or fall off.