The Ford Barn

hueyhoolihan · 06-13-2025, 10:01 AM

here's one for the wiring gurus...

the power post on my 1941 ford fuel gauge is very loose within the gauge itself. the wire to the post from the ignition switch is tight and secure.

the wire when manipulated by hand will cause the gauge to either work, or not work and on occasion will cause the wire to get very hot. i suspect that the manipulation is, in order, creating a good connection, a broken connection, and a shorted connection.

if so, here's my question.

if the ignition wire to the fuel gauge is manipulated in such a way as to produce a short within the fuel gauge itself, and the engine is running at the time, could it act as if i had turned off the ignition?

i hope so, because i've been having a problem with the engine spontaneously stopping for no good reason, often when coming to a complete stop. it has baffled me.

my thinking is that inertia may be causing the fuel gauge's failed power post to short out to the fuel gauge's case and then to ground. and so doing killing the engine.

06-13-2025, 10:01 AM	#1
hueyhoolihan Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2024 Location: central coast california Posts: 260	loose post on fuel gauge killing engine? here's one for the wiring gurus... the power post on my 1941 ford fuel gauge is very loose within the gauge itself. the wire to the post from the ignition switch is tight and secure. the wire when manipulated by hand will cause the gauge to either work, or not work and on occasion will cause the wire to get very hot. i suspect that the manipulation is, in order, creating a good connection, a broken connection, and a shorted connection. if so, here's my question. if the ignition wire to the fuel gauge is manipulated in such a way as to produce a short within the fuel gauge itself, and the engine is running at the time, could it act as if i had turned off the ignition? i hope so, because i've been having a problem with the engine spontaneously stopping for no good reason, often when coming to a complete stop. it has baffled me. my thinking is that inertia may be causing the fuel gauge's failed power post to short out to the fuel gauge's case and then to ground. and so doing killing the engine.