The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Gas gauge issues

I have a 1955 2nd series pickup with a 32 or 34 gallon gas tank located in the rear of the truck bed. The truck came with VDO gauges. The gas gauge registers half full when the truck is full of gas and goes down from that point. I can't tell when I'm getting empty and would like the gauge to show correctly. I'm thinking I'll have to get at the sending unit located on the tank. Is the best way to do that by removing the bed or trying to drop the tank? Any suggestions on the gauge? A BIG thanks for any help.

Hy Pete O, the gauge and sender must be matched as far as the ohms used, the original gauge and sender used a zero to thirty ohms resistance circuit. We must determine what resistance the VDO gauge operates on and purchase the appropriate sender and install it in the tank. As far as the tank removal is concerned, you can see how it is installed, we can't, in most cases removing the tank is the easier way to get the tank out of the chassis, hope that helps.

It could be as simple as bending the float arm, the installer may have it bound up in the tank. Start by pulling the sender out and move it from full to empty and see what your gauge reads. If it's still off, hunt down the information on resistance and ohms of the gauge and sender as mentioned above.

I would drop the tank before pulling the bed if you have nice paint. If it is rough, pull the bed, a full tank of fuel will weigh quite a bit.
Joe

I installed a VDO gauge and sending unit in a car. Below is a link to the type of sender I used. It has to be adjusted correctly for the depth of tank by moving the rheostat up and down and changing the length of the float arm. It's not difficult.

Sending unit

Sounds like the best option for you is to empty the tank and drop it so you can get at it. Remove the sender and confirm that it is set up so that it works across the range.

Hey, thanks to all of you who replied. This is a great forum and you guys make it great!!!!

I'm getting ready to buy guages from Autometer. I have a 68/69 mustang gas tank on my 54 pickup. They offer two fuel meters, one is a 0-90 ohms, & the other is 240-33 ohms. Which one would be the correct one?

I would think it would be the 0-90 one, but check with Autometer. A 240-33 ohms meter implies that the meter understands 33 ohms as empty. Original meters always understood 0 to be empty.