Hello fellow stovebolters! I am new to this website and it feels great not to be alone. I'm having problems getting my new gas sending unit to mark properly.

Before I decided to get my fuel gauge going I looked under the dash to try to figure out what wires hooked up to the back of the gas gauge (they were disconnected when I purchased the burb). I believe I did find them because when I connected them my needle did move slightly and thinking that maybe I had them backwards, I checked. I switched the wires and then the gas gauge needle jumped all the way to full, so I assumed all I needed was a new float. Much much later I removed the gas tank (I think it was the first time since '55) and the tank was full of rust residue and the sending unit looked rusty, pitted and the float was completely deteriorated except for a small ring held by the float arm. I ordered a new sending unit for a stepside since they don't make them for burbs and after a bit of bending and cutting I got it to fit and make the float arm swing the exact same way as the original. I took days washing out the tank until there were no more traces of rust particles coming out.

So now here's where I'm at: I put the gas tank back on the burb with the new sending unit installed, connected the wires and added some new gas. Now when I turn the ignition on, the needle goes slightly to the right, but still way before the first white dot. When I turn off the ign, the needle goes back all the way to the left. Thinking maybe I had the wires behind the gas gauge backwards, I switched them only to find the needle moving only a little bit further to the right than before, but still before the first white dot.

I have a reproduction wiring diagram for complete chassis for a 55.5 truck and according to the gas gauge symptom and probable cause section it say it could be one of the following:

Tank unit shorted: It's brand new and I hooked up the original one and it showing the same symptons as the new one so I dont think its that.

Wire from dash unit to tank shorted: I ran a direct wire bypassing the old one and it still has the same symptons so not that one either.

Float stuck in empty position: Well I think if that was the case it would have showed almost full after connecting the wires backwards like I mentioned in the beginning.

Bent hand on dash unit: Maybe but how did it bend if it use to go across to the full position before when I originally switched the wires backwards and not now.

And the last one is that the dash unit is improperly grounded on instrument panel: Shouldn't it be grounded with the gauge cluster already snug in the the dash or do I need to ground it with a wire?

I apologize for writing so much but I wanted to be thorough so I could get some good feed back or advice. This mystery is really driving me bananas and seems like this should have worked with no problems after reinstalling the tank with the new sending unit. I tried the old sending unit one more time earlier today but it's doing the exact same thing as the new unit. I would really appreciate any info on this matter.

Thanks -joe