1936 fuel sender access

[aandkt]

I have a 36 Cabriolet with no apparent access to the sender in the trunk.
Does anyone have any info on a 1936 fuel sender as to access and repair?
Thanks

[Lawson Cox]

There should be an access hole to the sender in the floorboard, just over the sender. There will be a cover over the hole that is held down by a screw. Look again.

[terry]

On my 36 sedan i have to pull the vertical portion of the back seat forward to get at it. It is a little tight, as i recall, but doing this with the rear seat is necessary to get at that screw that holds down the plate above the gas tank. Terry

[aandkt]

It appears that my floor was replaced
Can you send me a photo of the location of the screw and plate to help me locate where to cut a hole to access the sending unit or measurements of nearby landmarks
Thanks

[terry]

I think that i was too quick with the info about getting to the gas tank sender cover. Your 36 Cabriolet doesn't even have a back seat. I'm not sure a photo of my sender opening would give you a reference point for your vehicle. But, I'll try to get a photo out to you tomorrow. On my sedan, scooting underneath and getting my head up high enough, i can see the top of the gas tank and where the sender sits. i hope someone can chime in here as to how to get at your sender. The logical place would be under rumble seat. Terry

[terry]

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One picture shows the tape measure coming from the left side wall. Other picture shows the tape coming from the back wall which is very close to the back cross member of the chassis. The metal trap door is a little to the right of center on the metal floor.

[aandkt]

Thanks. I am trying to install a ground and need to make an opening ro work om the swnder.

[oleschool36ford]

Open your rumble seat about half way and look down on back side of lid and there should be a cover over the fuel sender.

[aandkt]

I have removed the rumble seat and lid totally and there is no access hatch. I must have a replacement trunk floor.
Is your gas filler on the right or left tail light?
Mine is on the left (Drivers) side.

[deuce lover]

Originally Posted by aandkt

I have removed the rumble seat and lid totally and there is no access hatch. I must have a replacement trunk floor.
Is your gas filler on the right or left tail light?
Mine is on the left (Drivers) side.

Here is a pic of the fuel sender access location on the floor on an original LHD car

[aandkt]

Thanks to all who sent info and pictures, I was able to cut a hole in my trunk floor in just about thr right spot and size to work on the sending unit. Both gauge and sender seem to function independently and grounded but together the gauge reads "EMPTY"

[aandkt]

I removed the sender and bench tested it. From the 12v battery hooked up in the car I ran a positive jumper through a reducer to the 1936 gauge which was grounded to the grounded sender.
The tank was full and the gauge reads 1/2.
Any suggestions ???
Thanks

[Lawson Cox]

Gradually bend the arm on the float until the gauge reads the way you want it to. That's about the only way to do it.

[aandkt]

The 1/2 reading is with the arm (Float) all the way at the top of its range.

[rotorwrench]

Is the an original King Seeley sending unit or is this an aftermarket rheostat type replacement? The modern replacements won't give the indicator gauge a correct signal like the OEM King Seeley type will. The KS units are current pulse type systems where all the modern stuff are resistance based systems where the sender resistance range has to meet the input range of the indicator. A modern instrument that is within the range of the replacement type sending unit is the only thing that will give a correct reading.

Condition of the float on the sender can be a concern. Brass floats leak sometimes and get heavy or don't float at all.

[terry]

The original float on my 36 was cork that had some thing on it that looked like varnish. I
found it hard to get an original float, so used a rubber float that I think was for a 32 Ford.
Don't bend the lever arm until you are sure it's not the original King Seely unit. That could make things worse. With the orig sending unit, it's probably not the lever arm that is the pbm. terry

[aandkt]

I finally got the Bob Drake sending unit in the mail and bench tested it with the 12 v and a reducer. With all the float way down to the lowest point that it will go to I get a 1/4 tank reading on two different '36 gauges. When I lift the float up it rockets past the full reading. When I let it go down it very slowly goes down to 1/4 again.
Any ideas?
Thanks

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by aandkt

I finally got the Bob Drake sending unit in the mail and bench tested it with the 12 v and a reducer. With all the float way down to the lowest point that it will go to I get a 1/4 tank reading on two different '36 gauges. When I lift the float up it rockets past the full reading. When I let it go down it very slowly goes down to 1/4 again.
Any ideas?
Thanks

Ain't modern technology great? NOT.

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by aandkt

With all the float way down to the lowest point that it will go to I get a 1/4 tank reading on two different '36 gauges.
Any ideas?

Even with float all the way down, this sender is allowing too much current for the gauge. You can add a resistor or two in series to the wire just ahead of the sender. Try 5 ohm or 10 ohm. (Buy them on line, they are cheap) Trial and error to see what works with that sender. Then when accurate near empty, won’t be accurate over full scale. But accuracy when tank is about empty is what’s important to me.

[aandkt]

Jay - You say" You can add a resistor or two in series to the wire just ahead of the sender. Try 5 ohm or 10 ohm."
Do you mean before the gauge or before the sender as you said?