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Old 04-04-2020, 04:00 PM   #21
Angledrive
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

I have had good luck with John Wolf restoring my old sending units.
http://www.antiqueinstrument.com/
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Old 04-04-2020, 07:50 PM   #22
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by G.M. View Post
Only one aftermarket, the one with the larger O.D. top cover
with the big white resister. The others all used original ones. G.M.
So how are you getting resistance readings out of a set of points? Or am I misreading something? And what resistor are you loosening up? I'm confused here. The KS sending units are a set of points that open and close to vary the current.

Last edited by JSeery; 04-04-2020 at 08:15 PM.
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Old 04-04-2020, 08:05 PM   #23
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JSeery View Post
So how are you getting resistance readings out of a set of points? Or am I misreading something? And what resistor are you loosening up? I'm confused here. The SK sending units are a set of points that open and close to vary the current.
There are no points in the old fuel tank Ford senders. They are resisters. I don't
know how the senders with the bellows on the top work, I am not using any of
them. I will check a few of them Monday. G.M.
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Old 04-04-2020, 08:08 PM   #24
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Interesting, the only senders Ford used that I am aware of were the KS units from the mid 1930s up into the 1980s or so. Do you have a photo of one? (Tubman's photo I believe of the insides)
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File Type: jpg Fuel Gauge inside view.jpg (69.3 KB, 50 views)

Last edited by JSeery; 04-04-2020 at 08:17 PM.
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Old 04-04-2020, 09:18 PM   #25
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by JSeery View Post
Interesting, the only senders Ford used that I am aware of were the KS units from the mid 1930s up into the 1980s or so. Do you have a photo of one? (Tubman's photo I believe of the insides)
Not my picture (mine was of a temperature sender), but there is obviously a set of of points in there. There was a set in the temperature sender as well.
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Old 04-04-2020, 09:57 PM   #26
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

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Not my picture (mine was of a temperature sender), but there is obviously a set of of points in there. There was a set in the temperature sender as well.
Yep, all the K-S gauges/senders use the same basic setup.
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Old 04-05-2020, 09:13 AM   #27
19Fordy
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

First 3 photos and last photo show 1940 Ford GAS TANK SENDING UNIT unit innards. Disregard messy soldering attempt.
Fourth photo shows 1940 Ford dash FUEL gauge innards.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg IMG_2446b.jpg (40.3 KB, 61 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_2453b.jpg (41.9 KB, 68 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_2454b.jpg (28.8 KB, 60 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_3068b.jpg (50.3 KB, 55 views)
File Type: jpg IMG_9099B.jpg (75.3 KB, 61 views)

Last edited by 19Fordy; 04-05-2020 at 09:20 AM.
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Old 04-05-2020, 10:17 AM   #28
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Good pictures, "19Fordy". Now, does anyone want to speculate about the purpose of the toothed wheel in picture #2?
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Old 04-05-2020, 10:55 AM   #29
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Great pictures of the fuel tank sending unit details. Picture 3 shows the toothed wheel has a slope or ramp built into it, so I am going to guess it is used to adjust the gap of the contact points.
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Old 04-05-2020, 12:12 PM   #30
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

The purpose of the star wheel is to fine tune the location of the gauge needle for accurate readings on the dash gauge. Turning it CW moves the gauge needle towards the FULL mark. Turning it CCW moves it closer to EMPTY mark. The movement of the star wheel must be done VERY CAREFULLY in just teeny, weeny, itsey, bitsey amounts with a tiny flat blade screwdriver. You must have the patience of a toothache as its a tedious process.

Read all about it in post #4 here.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit

Last edited by 19Fordy; 04-05-2020 at 10:00 PM.
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Old 04-05-2020, 12:31 PM   #31
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Exactly! Just another advantage of the "King-Seeley" system.
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Old 04-05-2020, 03:49 PM   #32
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

I'm using one of the senders in my F1 from Dennis Carpenter;
https://www.dennis-carpenter.com/en/...k-sending-unit

Working on 12 volts with a 6 volt power converter running the gauges, it certainly looks better than most of the cheapo ones you see for sale. I have no idea how good my gauge is but it now dependably works but only swings the needle from 1/4 to 3/4.
Not working like new but now that I know it's quirks I'm getting by with it. Sure beats walking home... again.
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Old 04-05-2020, 04:01 PM   #33
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Quote:
Originally Posted by 19Fordy View Post
First 3 photos and last photo show 1940 Ford GAS TANK SENDING UNIT unit innards. Disregard messy soldering attempt.
Fourth photo shows 1940 Ford dash FUEL gauge innards.
This is the bellows type sender. G.M.
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Old 04-05-2020, 04:33 PM   #34
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

I did a lot of gas gage work when I worked nine years for a car collector with some 400 cars.
A late ‘36 had an electric fuel gage wheras early ‘36 had the same hydrostatic gage as the ‘35. We never tried to make the hydrostic gages work.
The late ‘36 electric gages bolt right in the ‘36 so I put electric 36 units in all of out ‘35 and early 36 cars. We only had 6 volt cars but C&G has everything you need to put in 12 volt gages or convert the 6 volt stuf to work on 12.
For non Ford cars I ordered gages and tank units for 6 volt Jeeps.
I have bought a set when my local NAPA was still in business. It consisted of a round gage, a tank unit and the ring you have the radiator shop solder to the tank to fit the tank unit to.
I did that when I converted my F1 over to 12 volts. Always accurate.
On my 12 volt Nash I used a Chev sending unit and got a round gage from o’reilys for a Chev. It’s worked fine for 23 years.
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Old 04-05-2020, 09:14 PM   #35
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

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This is the bellows type sender. G.M.
That's the only type Ford ever used, correct?
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Old 04-05-2020, 09:56 PM   #36
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That's the only type Ford ever used, correct?
No they also used the used the with the sending electrical components
up in the top. That's the one with the pictures showing the parts. G.M.
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Old 04-05-2020, 10:02 PM   #37
19Fordy
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

Art, PLEASE let us know if that replacement gauge reads accurately across the full scale. Take photos as you go.
Good luck.
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Old 04-06-2020, 01:16 AM   #38
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

I have and I love my original gauge panel in my 47 truck. I am installing an ot diesel engine. Is there any reason not to thread the king seeley sending units and use stock gauges in my conversioin?
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Old 04-06-2020, 07:14 AM   #39
G.M.
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

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I have and I love my original gauge panel in my 47 truck. I am installing an ot diesel engine. Is there any reason not to thread the king seeley sending units and use stock gauges in my conversioin?
The gauges will work in any engine. G.M.
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Old 04-06-2020, 10:47 AM   #40
JSeery
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Default Re: reliable fuel gauge? anyone?

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No they also used the used the with the sending electrical components
up in the top. That's the one with the pictures showing the parts. G.M.
Which pictures GM? I am honestly trying to figure out what you are referring to. The only senders I have ever seen or heard of in these years of Fords is the K-S units, like shown in post #27 above. None of them are the resistance type, they all use points that open and close to control the current flow. There is no way to take a resistance reading on them (except the base reading of the components). If you know of any other type ever used in Fords I would really be interested in what they look like and when they were used.

"Most were stuck in one position and we had to spray carb
cleaner in the resistor and work them until we got an ohm
reading of zero empty and about 30 ohms full or it may
have been 30 empty and zero full."


Can you post a photo of one of these?

The 36 and 40 wiring diagrams show the sender schematics with the points and heater coils.
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File Type: jpg Flathead_Electrical_wiring1936.jpg (59.9 KB, 15 views)
File Type: jpg Flathead_Electrical_wiring1940std.jpg (69.4 KB, 14 views)

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