Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2001
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From: USA
Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
My truck is a '77 F-150 4x4 Long Bed with a 351M and 4 speed tranny.
My new gas tank should come in tomorrow so this weekend I'll be dropping the old one off and replacing it. My gas gauge doesn't work right now so I'm hoping to fix that as well. This will be my first time doing this so I was hoping for some advice.
1. What "extra" parts should I expect for the tank swap? Probably a fuel filter, but is there a gasket on the tank where everything hooks up too?
2. Where is the fuel filter on my truck? Do I need anything special to change it or just standard tools? (I know some of the newer vehicles are under pressure and require a special tool).
3. How can I test the gas gauge/system and find what's wrong? I doubt it's the gauge and I suspect it might be the sending unit, but it could just be a bad ground or something, right? Any tips for this?
Thanks all. This forum is a great resource!
My new gas tank should come in tomorrow so this weekend I'll be dropping the old one off and replacing it. My gas gauge doesn't work right now so I'm hoping to fix that as well. This will be my first time doing this so I was hoping for some advice.
1. What "extra" parts should I expect for the tank swap? Probably a fuel filter, but is there a gasket on the tank where everything hooks up too?
2. Where is the fuel filter on my truck? Do I need anything special to change it or just standard tools? (I know some of the newer vehicles are under pressure and require a special tool).
3. How can I test the gas gauge/system and find what's wrong? I doubt it's the gauge and I suspect it might be the sending unit, but it could just be a bad ground or something, right? Any tips for this?
Thanks all. This forum is a great resource!
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 199
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Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
Bad ground is very possiable on the gauge not working. The new tank should come with a gasket for the sending unit, and these are cheap enough that if yours shows signs of corosion just replace it. It is all a straight forward job.
As for the fuel filter I am going to assume that you truck has a 2bbl carb on it. If so the the filter should be screwed into the front of the carb where the fule line attatches to.
It is all pretty simple and there are no special tools needed (unless modifications have been made)
Jeremy
As for the fuel filter I am going to assume that you truck has a 2bbl carb on it. If so the the filter should be screwed into the front of the carb where the fule line attatches to.
It is all pretty simple and there are no special tools needed (unless modifications have been made)
Jeremy
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From: Virginia
Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
When you pull everything apart, hook the wire back up onto the sending unit, and hook another wire to ground the sending unit if it's not incorporated in it already. Turn the key on and see if the guage moves with the float arm. Be patient as the needle is a little slow. Another way is to take an ohmmeter and put it on rx1 scale. Hook one lead to the sending unit terminal and the other to the metal body of the sending unit. See if the resistance varies when the float arm is moved. If it's not working, sometimes you can fix them. Carefully bend back the little tabs that hold the cover on the unit. Look up inside and you should see a little brass wiper. It will either be broke off, or cracked and ready to break. It needs to physically touch or wipe the windings on the semi-circle piece inside. I have taken and cleaned up the brass, and then used a soldering iron to solder the brass back together to fix it. I have done several with long term success.
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2000
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From: Brea CA
Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
Ken, you can check the gas gauge real quick. Take the wire that attaches to the sending unit and ground it to the frame. Now get in the cab and turn the ignition switch to acc. The gas gauge should go to full and peg out. When it pegs, turn the key off. If it dosen't peg, you have a problem with the wiring to the sender or the gauge itself. This is assuming all the other gauges are working ok.
Barry
Barry
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 63
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From: Suffolk
Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
When i got my truck, the factory gauges were not hooked up and so the fuel gauge isn't working. Is there a way to hook up just the fuel gauge or tell if it is hooked up, IE are ther any colors of wires i should look for under the dash? Thanks!
Jared
78 F-100 Lariat XLT
460 C-6
Jared
78 F-100 Lariat XLT
460 C-6
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Replacing gas tank / fixing fuel gauge. Any tips? Help please. :)
Pull the gauge clust out. in the wire harness up by the bulkhead you will see a 2 prong plug. one side is green w/orange stripe other side is orange. you will know you have the right one cause the orange side has one wire into the harness and another that goes to the other side of the plug. with the key on ground the orange side with a jumper wire. your fuel gauge should go to full.
Let me know what you find
Let me know what you find
