Fuel Tank and Parts
#16
01-31-2014, 01:01 PM
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Fasteners are supplied with adapter to attach it to the tank. Sender unit should supply the fasteners and gasket for sender unit only. You will need a gasket for adapter to tank. I bought mine at LMC, PC #40-1250. Other vintage parts stores also carry this gasket. I installed Classic Instrument gauges in my 39 Ford Coupe. I put a fuel injected engine in it so replaced fuel tank with after market tank set up with an internal high pressure fuel pump. The CI sending unit mounted directly to the tank with out any adapters. It did not matter witch brand of gauges I was using so I thing tanks now use standard diameter and bolt pattern. I think the CI adapter # SN-41 will work with any brand of sending unit.
Ken
Ken
#17
01-31-2014, 06:26 PM
For those having issues with your stock fuel gauges and new tanks, it's because there are two different "languages" being spoken. Most modern fuel gauges and senders are simply paired ohm meters and variable resistors; the gauge measures the resistance of the sending unit circuit which changes with the fuel level.
However, our stock Ford trucks used a different language, named The King-Sealy principle. These sending units supply a full 6V through a heater wire in the gauge in the form of a square wave with the duration of the "on" being the variable determining the gauge reading. The longer the duration, the more fuel in the tank. It is this full 6v of current which heats the bi-metallic strip in the stock gauge that causes the gauge to read via a small gear train. Most (if not all) after market sending units are simply a variable resistor which sends a constant closed circuit of varying resitance to the gauge. Therefore, the sending units signal doesn't heat the bimetallic strip in the gauge as much making the calibration of the after-market sending units and the stock gauges nearly impossible to match up very well due to the differences in the principle of the signal.
Modern gauges are easy to pair as long as the sendig units full and empty ohm readings match that of the modern gauge. Some senders and gauges are even highly adjustable in this regard.
However, our stock Ford trucks used a different language, named The King-Sealy principle. These sending units supply a full 6V through a heater wire in the gauge in the form of a square wave with the duration of the "on" being the variable determining the gauge reading. The longer the duration, the more fuel in the tank. It is this full 6v of current which heats the bi-metallic strip in the stock gauge that causes the gauge to read via a small gear train. Most (if not all) after market sending units are simply a variable resistor which sends a constant closed circuit of varying resitance to the gauge. Therefore, the sending units signal doesn't heat the bimetallic strip in the gauge as much making the calibration of the after-market sending units and the stock gauges nearly impossible to match up very well due to the differences in the principle of the signal.
Modern gauges are easy to pair as long as the sendig units full and empty ohm readings match that of the modern gauge. Some senders and gauges are even highly adjustable in this regard.
Same principle is used in flasher relays with the same rationale as to why they stop working when you put an LED bulb in place of the incandescent.
#18
01-31-2014, 09:34 PM
I found an company in IA called Tanks, Inc (tanksinc.com). They have everything gas tank related (fittings, adaptors, tanks) and are real nice people. You can call them and talk to a real person. They do have sending units but I don't think they do gauges. I bought a ss fuel pickup with a return line from them. Real nice piece and good price.
#20
02-28-2014, 11:54 PM
Hi Wayne, I went with my stock tank. I ordered a stock style sending unit, adapter ring, new gasket and Auto Meter gauge from Sacramento Vintage Ford. The only thing I had to do is slightly bend the float rod until a full tank read full, this I did with the sending unit out of the tank (using a ground wire to the S U) oh yeah at the time they only had 6 volt units, so I added a drop down resistor, but now they also carry 12 volt. I think I asked the tech at Sac Vintage Ford to make sure they matched in ohms. If you need it Ill go thru receipts to find the model #s , I should have them.
#21
03-01-2014, 04:41 PM
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#22
05-13-2014, 11:50 AM
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This thread has been somewhat helpful for me. I too have done the mustang tank and sending unit in my 56 F100. However, I am keeping my stock instrument cluster. If I have read the above properly, there is no way to get the mustang sending unit to send a signal to my stock gauge in a "language" that it will understand.
If someone does have a way to use the stock gauge, please let me know. Thanks.
If someone does have a way to use the stock gauge, please let me know. Thanks.
#23
05-13-2014, 01:11 PM
Cargo Master
*Go the non-stock route and build a custom dash - this can be a simple aftermarket cluster replacement to cutting the dash out and working the metal to something you fancy with custom gauges galore.
*Simply place a modern gauge somewhere on/under your dash or in the glove compartment.
*The most stock look would be to take the stock gauge out of the cluster, bust it open and remove the guts. Do the same to a modernish gauge and transplant the guts into the stock gauge. Take your newly created frankengauge and return it to the cluster. A early mustang gauge looks like it may be a good choice:
If there is enough demand, there maybe a way to design a solid state "language translator". KS gauges were very popular in the first part of the 20th century and were used widely on vehicles, boats, and elsewhere, and so we Ford Truck guys&gals are not the only ones in this perdicament.
#24
05-13-2014, 01:42 PM
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Vin Man, you are correct in your understanding of the incompatible "languages" used. There are a few main paths to get around this issue as seen many places on this board:
*Go the non-stock route and build a custom dash - this can be a simple aftermarket cluster replacement to cutting the dash out and working the metal to something you fancy with custom gauges galore.
*Simply place a modern gauge somewhere on/under your dash or in the glove compartment.
*The most stock look would be to take the stock gauge out of the cluster, bust it open and remove the guts. Do the same to a modernish gauge and transplant the guts into the stock gauge. Take your newly created frankengauge and return it to the cluster. A early mustang gauge looks like it may be a good choice:
If there is enough demand, there maybe a way to design a solid state "language translator". KS gauges were very popular in the first part of the 20th century and were used widely on vehicles, boats, and elsewhere, and so we Ford Truck guys&gals are not the only ones in this perdicament.
*Go the non-stock route and build a custom dash - this can be a simple aftermarket cluster replacement to cutting the dash out and working the metal to something you fancy with custom gauges galore.
*Simply place a modern gauge somewhere on/under your dash or in the glove compartment.
*The most stock look would be to take the stock gauge out of the cluster, bust it open and remove the guts. Do the same to a modernish gauge and transplant the guts into the stock gauge. Take your newly created frankengauge and return it to the cluster. A early mustang gauge looks like it may be a good choice:
If there is enough demand, there maybe a way to design a solid state "language translator". KS gauges were very popular in the first part of the 20th century and were used widely on vehicles, boats, and elsewhere, and so we Ford Truck guys&gals are not the only ones in this perdicament.
What I will do is attempt to locate a fuel gauge that is same model as the three existing gauges. I will replace the volt gauge with a fuel gauge.
The only thing I will use the existing instrument cluster for is the speedometer, turn signal indicators and high beam indicators.
In hindsight, I should have patched those holes when I had the interior repainted. But that is the past...
#25
05-14-2014, 11:48 AM
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This thread has been somewhat helpful for me. I too have done the mustang tank and sending unit in my 56 F100. However, I am keeping my stock instrument cluster. If I have read the above properly, there is no way to get the mustang sending unit to send a signal to my stock gauge in a "language" that it will understand.
If someone does have a way to use the stock gauge, please let me know. Thanks.
If someone does have a way to use the stock gauge, please let me know. Thanks.
#26
05-14-2014, 07:09 PM
#28
05-16-2014, 07:58 PM
Hi Mr56,
I 'm not 100% sure what you have installed for a sending unit & what gauges you are running. I've gone through the sending unit to gauge fun process.
There are several different gauge ohm requirements out there depending on what you have.
o Most modern gauges are looking for something like 0 ohms to 200 ohms.
o My '70 mustang tank sending unit was 11ohms to 77 ohms or so.
You get some pretty strange readings when you don't match the gauge to the sending unit. There are some other oddball gauges/sending unit specs out there as well. So.. What are you using for each?
You also may have to fiddle with your sending unit to get it to go the full range of movement in the tank. We had to bend our's to get it to read empty with a few gallons left in the tank.
Good luck over there.
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
I 'm not 100% sure what you have installed for a sending unit & what gauges you are running. I've gone through the sending unit to gauge fun process.
There are several different gauge ohm requirements out there depending on what you have.
o Most modern gauges are looking for something like 0 ohms to 200 ohms.
o My '70 mustang tank sending unit was 11ohms to 77 ohms or so.
You get some pretty strange readings when you don't match the gauge to the sending unit. There are some other oddball gauges/sending unit specs out there as well. So.. What are you using for each?
You also may have to fiddle with your sending unit to get it to go the full range of movement in the tank. We had to bend our's to get it to read empty with a few gallons left in the tank.
Good luck over there.
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
#30
06-07-2014, 08:56 PM
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