The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Electrically switched aux gas tank question.

If I add an electric switched aux gas tank switch on the dash, does the sending unit for the guage switch over via the switch or at the electric valve? Right now it switches via a hand valve.
Thanks,
David

Every truck I have owned with dual tanks switched the gauge along with the gas tank. You should be able to wire it through the switch or use a relay to switch, or add another switch to the dash so you can check the other tank level without switching the tanks.

I'd keep the hand valve. My truck('84 K10) switches with an electric valve. The switch on the dash does both the tank and the sending unit. Problem is that if you don't use it often, the valve can get sticky and not switch. The sending unit switches leaving you thinking that everything is fine until you run out of gas on the empty tank that you thought you had switched away from. One of these days I'm going to put a manual valve in. Then I will know for sure which tank I'm drawing from.

my 72 had a hand switch under the driver seat, and when you switched tanks it also switched the gas gauge to the appropriate tank. so it was all contained in the same switch. this was not a production setup, it had been put in to allow the PO to haul his horse trailer lng distances without having to stop for fuel. It held 100 gallons of gasoline, 30 gallon stock and 2 35 gallon auxillary tanks. It got about 12 miles to the gallon so I was able to go 1200 miles on the highway between fillups. It was really nice but it was a depressing half hour when you filed it all the way up and this was back when gas was cheap ($1.50). 300 POSTS, OH YEAH!!!