Fuel Sending Unit Issues
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Gurnee, IL
Fuel Sending Unit Issues
Hey Everyone,
I have a 77 F250 Highboy that I am restoring. I bought a 5 gauge set from Dolphin gauges that comes with a sending unit for the fuel gauge. I dropped the tank and realized that the stock sending unit also contains the fuel line. I hooked up the new gauge to the stock sending unit and when the float arm is all the way down the gauge reads just over half full. When the float arm is raised all the way up the gauge reads empty. Obviously the Ohms readings for the gauge and sending unit are different. How can I change the ohms reading so the two are compatible? I would like to use the new sending unit so I know the gauge will be acurate, but I don't want to have to drill a hole in the tank. I was told I could either put resistors in line between the two or use a rheostat to change the resistance reading. Has anyone used either of these methods? If so, what size resistors or rheostat? Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Bill
I have a 77 F250 Highboy that I am restoring. I bought a 5 gauge set from Dolphin gauges that comes with a sending unit for the fuel gauge. I dropped the tank and realized that the stock sending unit also contains the fuel line. I hooked up the new gauge to the stock sending unit and when the float arm is all the way down the gauge reads just over half full. When the float arm is raised all the way up the gauge reads empty. Obviously the Ohms readings for the gauge and sending unit are different. How can I change the ohms reading so the two are compatible? I would like to use the new sending unit so I know the gauge will be acurate, but I don't want to have to drill a hole in the tank. I was told I could either put resistors in line between the two or use a rheostat to change the resistance reading. Has anyone used either of these methods? If so, what size resistors or rheostat? Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Bill
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
You do have to use an aftermarket sender for the gauge, Ford used their own resistance values for quite a few years. Most of the aftermarket gauge companies use the same resistance, so you may be able to use an autometer sender, I do believe they have one that fits that tank.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
From: Gurnee, IL
Finally talked to the place where I bought the gauges and was told that I need to remove the resistor block from my stock sending unit and replace it with the resistor block from the new sending unit. I have to position and weld the new resistor block onto the fuel pick up line on my stock sending unit. Sounds like FUN! Maybe I will put in a tech article when I am done in case anyone else trys this down the road.
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