Gas Tank Sending Unit

[JustaTruck]

I recently installed three-point seat belts in my '65 stepside. I had to remove the gas tank to complete the drivers side. The nuts holding the hot wire to the sending unit were stuck and I twisted the connection around before getting the nuts and wire loose. I had to cut the wire and replace the connector. Now the gas guage registers empty when the ignition is on. Questions:

1) do you think I disconnected the wireing inside the tank? Or have I merely done a poor job rewiring the connector?
2) if it is inside the tank, can this be repaired or do I have to replace the sending unit?
3) am I riding a potential time bomb with the sending unit wired?

 

[dvalentine]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-02 AT 05:05 PM (CST)]1) do you think I disconnected the wireing inside the tank? Or have I merely done a poor job rewiring the connector?

Check the wiring job a few times. If it registered "FULL" all the time it would be a bad ground. It sounds like the lead from the fuse panel is shorted someplace.

2) if it is inside the tank, can this be repaired or do I have to replace the sending unit?

Pretty much that a REPLACE answer. But check the wiring first. Any chance you drilled through or crimped the wire while putting in the belts?

3) am I riding a potential time bomb with the sending unit wired?

Probably no more risk than riding around with 16 gals of highly explosive liquid in a confined cab two feet away from you.


Dennis

 

[Skippy]

one thing that Im not quite sure of in your reply, Dennis. You said that if it registered full you would have a bad ground, and if it says empty it is shorted. In fact, shouldnt it be the other way around? I know that if you have an open in a wire, it will register empty, and if you take the wire off of the sending unit and touch it to ground (therefore creating a short) it would peg full. If I'm worng let me know, but that is the way that I had to test mine when the sending unit in my 62 went bad.

Pat

 

[Arizona64]

Check your connectors again. I agree with dval..., make sure you check it out carefully. You don't want to take any chances on this. You may consider soldering your connection, then shrink wrapping it, to guarantee it won't come loose. I did all my connections this way when I rewired mine. You might consider relocating your tank, too. I'm seriously considering it. Most of all BE CAREFUL!



Regards,
Arizona64}>

 

[dvalentine]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Oct-09-02 AT 01:19 PM (CST)]Yup, both of those are correct.
When this happens on its' own, (gas gauge pegs to full), it is usually associated with a ground connection that has gone bad over time due to corrosion, oxidation, etc.
It would be a rare case (but not impossible)that the sending unit wire simply shorted out on it's own, with no other cause like doing maintenance in the general area.

Keep eliminating possible causes till you arrive at the sending unit. As you know from replacing one already, the float has a tiny wire attached to it to indicate what the level is. These do wear out and become brittle. Then it dosn't take much for them to break.

DV