The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay gas sending unit

Does anyone know what the ohms are from the gas tank sending unit on a 54 chevy truck?..Looking for an after market gauge to mount..truck is converted to 12v, but my gauge is fried..Thanks

seems like 30,,,,,might be just as easy to get an aftermaket sending unit and fuel gauge to match, just make sure they do match, I have a stewart warner on mine,works well,,,,,Fred

Looked on Stewart Warner page and they have a fuel gauge that's for GM 65 to present rated at 0-90ohms..Couldn't I just get that since I've got a 12volt system

Jokers right. 30 ohms. If ya want to keep the original look, Chevy Duty sells the gauge in 12 volts. Otherwise you could get a 6 volt gauge and a voltage reducer. I have one on my old 6 volt gauge and it seems to work fine.

Got a 6volt gauge and a voltage reducer, but it doesn't work worth a darn..I think the gauge is fried, and from what I've seen the new gauges, 6volt or 12volt are not cheap..Just looking at my Chevy Duty catalog, and they list the fuel gauge as 49-53..54.95 isn't that bad though..Will the 12volt work in my truck?

Sure, as long as your sending unit is good. You can test it with an ohmeter. You have to remove it though. From my experience, its usually the sending unit that is bad.

I replaced mine because,,,my neck got tired working under the dash.......Fred

A 6 volt gas tank sender works in a range from 0-30 ohms. A 12-volt sender works in a range from 30-90 ohms. The sender has to match the gauge you are using in the dash so if you still have the original 6 volt dash gauge you will need a 6 volt sender. I have had the best luck sending the original senders off to get rebuilt. Then you know what you get back will work and will fit. If you figure the first one lasted forty plus years the rebuilt one is good for the rest of the time many of us will spend in the garage....

Randy

Chevy Duty has one for $39.95 complete, sounds like that's the best way to go..Can't send it off for rebuild, It's my daily driver..Thanks

Talk about a weird idea..Just installed some bucket seats out of a Chrysler minivan in my truck, so have easy view of my gas tank..Why can't I pull the tank, take out the sending unit/float assembly, flush the tank and seal the inside, make a flat plate and new gasket to seal the sender opening, and get this! Put a glass tube sight gauge on the side of the tank that can be read by just looking between the seats..Is this too crazy?

yes,,,,,shooper, I have a sending unit that I bought for my 52 that did not fix my problem but according to Jim Carters it is a different part number then the 54 to 59,,,looks like from 47 to 53 they are the same, at any rate if you wanna try it let me know and email your address,, I will send it to you..no cost,, I think I paid around 50 for it,,,let me know,,,Fred

after reading the above i have the same eerie feeling that i have had before. when i got my truck it was already 12 volt. no sign of reducers any where, also has a factory radio that works off of 12 volts. could my 54-3100 been 12volts from the factory? i just put a new tank in with a 0-30 ohm sender. how will i know what mine is? i hate to think i have to take the bed off again and throw away a new sender to get a 0-90. help RON

Ron, all my literature says 12 volts came in 55.2 You can get away with just a reducer. Mine works great. Get the Runtz reducer from Patricks.

i have had this truck since 1983 and everything has been 12volts except the heater motor and i got it out of another truck at a junk yard it is a delux and the other ones a standard that the motor didn't work. a lot of the wires have been changed so i suspect that was when it was changed to 12 volts. the sending unit is covered with about a half inch of crud so i don't think it has been changed. what will happen if i hook the new sender up to the old gauge? RON