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1957 gas gage always reading full

Started by Bill Balkie 24172, January 31, 2008, 12:26:42 PM

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Bill Balkie 24172

My gas gage always reads full , Although sometimes, but not to often it reads accurately .Last year i removed the tank to change the sending unit Gasket . I started having trouble shortly afterwords . Any ideas on this problem would be appreciated .

Thanks Bill
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS

TJ Hopland

I dont know anything about a 57 but in general I would assume that that vintage would only have one wire to the sending unit so grounds become important.  Perhaps when you had the tank out you disturbed the ground connection? Or by installing new hangars or insulators you insulated the thing too good?  First step would be to unhook the wire and see which way the gauge goes. It should either go all the way up or down.  Next ground the wire and it should go all the way the opposite way. This will confirm that the gauge works and the wire is good.  If full is the state it goes to when unhooked I would go after the ground issue.  It could be something like the gasket in the sending unit is keeping the unit from grounding to the tank.  In some cases I have seen people clamp a ground wire around the outlet line with a hose clamp.  Not pretty but it works. 
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

PHIL WHYTE CLC 14192

I agree, I fitted a seperate ground wire to one of the screws that attach the sending unit to the tank on my 54. If you are getting a reading sometimes and it's showing full at other times it does point to an intermittant ground.
Phil

The Tassie Devil(le)

G'day Bill,

I am with TJH and Phil.

Get a good ground.  Sender Screw to Body.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Bill Balkie 24172

Hello TJH,
 Thanks so much for your help , come to think of it I Painted my tank and also the  two straps that hold the tank in place .  I will run a good solid ground wire over the weekend and let you know how i make out . Thanks again Bill
Quote from: TJ H on January 31, 2008, 12:34:44 PM
I dont know anything about a 57 but in general I would assume that that vintage would only have one wire to the sending unit so grounds become important.  Perhaps when you had the tank out you disturbed the ground connection? Or by installing new hangars or insulators you insulated the thing too good?  First step would be to unhook the wire and see which way the gauge goes. It should either go all the way up or down.  Next ground the wire and it should go all the way the opposite way. This will confirm that the gauge works and the wire is good.  If full is the state it goes to when unhooked I would go after the ground issue.  It could be something like the gasket in the sending unit is keeping the unit from grounding to the tank.  In some cases I have seen people clamp a ground wire around the outlet line with a hose clamp.  Not pretty but it works. 
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS

Bill Balkie 24172

Thanks lou , i will give it a try .  Bill
Quote from: South_paw on January 31, 2008, 06:54:49 PM
Here's a good link for ya, it's for a Chevy but the principals are the same.

http://www.classicchevy.com/assets/pdf/29-92.pdf?

Lou 
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS

John Morris #23947

I had a gas guage do that. I took the sending unit out of the tank, a copper strap had seperated. We brazed it back on, reinstalled the unit and WHALLA!! Gas guage fixed.
71 Olds 98 LS, 66 Fairlane 500 XL Convertible, 55 Packard Clipper Super, 58 Edsel Ranger, 72 Cheyenne Super, many 49-60 parts cars, abandoned "House Of Doom" full of 49-60 parts. Huge piles of engine parts, brackets, tin, Hydramatic & Jetaway parts,  thousands of stainless moldings, dozens of perfect sedan doors.

35-709

Quote from: John Morris #23947 on February 01, 2008, 10:50:26 AM
I had a gas guage do that. I took the sending unit out of the tank, a copper strap had seperated. We brazed it back on, reinstalled the unit and WHALLA!! Gas guage fixed.

This seems to be a relatively common occurrence, I have seen this same type of failure in 2 '66 Cadillacs. 
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

Glen

Quote from: Geoff Newcombe #4719 on February 01, 2008, 11:41:11 AM
Quote from: John Morris #23947 on February 01, 2008, 10:50:26 AM
I had a gas guage do that. I took the sending unit out of the tank, a copper strap had seperated. We brazed it back on, reinstalled the unit and WHALLA!! Gas guage fixed.

This seems to be a relatively common occurrence, I have seen this same type of failure in 2 '66 Cadillacs. 


Does that copper strap flex when the float goes up and down?  If it does a better fix might be to solder a small braided strap in it’s place.  Just a thought.

Glen

Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

The Tassie Devil(le)

Quote from: Glen on February 02, 2008, 02:17:48 AM
Does that copper strap flex when the float goes up and down?  If it does a better fix might be to solder a small braided strap in it’s place.  Just a thought.     Glen   
G'day Glen,

No, the Copper strap doesn't move at all, as it is attached to the cover at the terminal and the Rheostat frame.   And isolated at both ends.

I personally have never seen that strap break.

Why they use a Strap, I am not sure, but there has to be a very good reason.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

35-709

On one of the ones I had experience with the copper piece was almost completely gone.  Possibly the gasoline sloshing back and forth at first flexes it a little and over time it flexes more and more until it breaks off.  OR, something in the gas gradually eats it away.
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

Bill Balkie 24172

Hello ,
thanks for all your help . I added a ground wire to one of the mounting screws on the sender and gage woek fine now . Thank to everyone .
Bill Balkie
1970 Coupe DeVille
2009 CTS