• The Roadster Factory Recovery Fund - Friends, as you may have heard, The Roadster Factory, a respected British Car Parts business in PA, suffered a total loss in a fire on Christmas Day. Read about it, discuss or ask questions >> HERE. The Triumph Register of America is sponsoring a fund raiser to help TRF get back on their feet. If you can help, vist >> their GoFundMe page.
  • Hey there Guest!
    If you enjoy BCF and find our forum a useful resource, if you appreciate not having ads pop up all over the place and you want to ensure we can stay online - Please consider supporting with an "optional" low-cost annual subscription.
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this UGLY banner)
Tips
Tips

Sending Unit Adjustment?

Bill_Reid

Senior Member
Country flag
Offline
I have just replaced the fuel gauge in my '60 Sprite with a rebuilt one from AH Spares in the UK. The problem is that the gauge will only read half full. I tried with a loaner gauge ......same thing....reads no more than half full. I have tried with the original sending unit and a new one from Moss. I have the sending unit out of the tank so that I can move the float arm, and I have connected a ground wire to the unit and the car body so as to complete the circuit. I don't think the gauges are the problem since one has just been rebuilt and the other belongs to my mechanic who uses it as a test gauge......must be the sending unit, but is it possible that both could be that inaccurate? Can the unit be adjusted? Are these things just poor quality and I need to keep trying til I get a good one? Anyone have thoughts about this problem? Thanks.....

Bill
 

JPSmit

Moderator
Staff member
Silver
Country flag
Offline
Bill, I can't respond but am interested - Mine registers full, but then runs out of gas (literally) at 1/4 tank. I presumed it was the float (much like a toilet tank) but now am curious
 

jlaird

Great Pumpkin
Country flag
Offline
Just advise, yep they are adjustable. there is a screw or two that adjusts the amount of elec provided. Understand you need to know what you are doing and I do not. Is best adjusted on the bench with an instrument or two.
 

SaxMan

Darth Vader
Country flag
Offline
I know when mine hits Empty...it means it is empty! No "reserve tank" with this one.

Glad to see that you're an optimist. A pessimist would say that the tank is registering at half-empty.
 

Jim_Gruber

Yoda
Country flag
Offline
Search this forum on fuel sended or gas gauge. Kim who used to hang out here a lot did some extensive research on the three different senders that need to be matched with corresponding gauges. He also orovided some advice on testing.
 

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
Offline
Try reading ~THIS~

It's for MGA but is very similar.

(don't forget to go to the bottom of the page and click the green arrow...eventually you'll get to the page with the sender info)
 

dklawson

Yoda
Offline
For general background on how the early (pre-stabilizer) gauges work, Google for "MGA Guru Fuel Gauge". Barney Gaylord's site has sections that both explain how the gauge works and how to calibrate it.

EDIT: DOH !!! Nial and I were typing at the same time. His link above is to Barney Gaylord's site.
 

nomad

Yoda
Offline
Haven't reviewed Barney's site though I know it's hard to beat but I had that problem on my BE till I realized that the DPO had not reconnected the ground wire to the back of the gauge bracket where it was from the factory. Gauge worked perfectly after that so recommend attaching the wiring loom ground wire to the gauge bracket before you do anything else if you have not already done so.
 

smaceng

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
On my BE, I also added a ground wire from the sending unit to the tank. Sometimes the ground is lost through the gasket and sealers between the sender and the tank.
BTW: I have not had the best luck with new sending units....currently Bill's car has the third one in it since 2010! Last time the float sprung a leak.
Scott in CA
 

59diamond

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Hi Scott, Bill here. Currently the fuel gauge only drops to 1/4 and not to empty when I turn off the key. When I fill the tank it goes to full and then it slowly drops down as I use gas, until it gets to 1/4 tank again. Any ideas about this.

On another note 60 FROG took third place at the prestigious La Jolla Car Show two weeks ago. The car was entered in the Modified European Sports category in the non concours section of the show. I had the RED Top and the side curtains on it. The competition was pretty stiff so I am happy with my first "SCOTTIE AWARD" of the year.
This Sunday I will be driving 60 FROG in "Rolling British CAR DAY". The Sunday after that it will be shown at the "Motor Cars On Main Street" car show in Coronado.
Last year I won the Peoples Choice Award there with 59 Diamond. To be honest my grandson was very instrumental in me getting that award as he touted the car to people and made sure they put it on their ballot.
 

Bayless

Yoda
Silver
Country flag
Offline
If it only goes to 1/4 with the key off then there is probably some mechanical restriction or physical interference inside the gauge itself. There is an internal weight that pulls the needle to the empty peg when there is no current flow. That is the only thing that pulls the needle to empty with the key off. Of course, the same thing would happen if you mounted the gauge significantly off from vertical in the dash because the weight wants to be at the lowest point possible and the peg beyond empty normally stops it.
 

59diamond

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
Dang! That was simple. I went out to the garage and turned the gauge to vertical and WALA the needle went to empty. Thanks a lot. I wish everything in life was that simple.
 
Similar threads
Thread starter Title Forum Replies Date
B General MG 77 MIDGET Gas tank sending unit MG 1
BoyRacer Fuel Tank Sending Unit Austin Healey 3
K TR2/3/3A Fuel Guage Sending Unit Triumph 5
K TR2/3/3A Gas Gauge sending unit "float" orientation? Triumph 5
Joe Schlosser Bug Eye fuel gage sending unit Spridgets 15
S TR2/3/3A gauge sending unit Triumph 2
scottdr TR2/3/3A TR3 Fuel Sending Unit Triumph 3
H Bugeye fuel tank sending unit - repair or replace Spridgets 5
R TR2/3/3A removing sending unit from tank of TR-3. Triumph 8
C Wanted Sunbeam Alpine 1, II Water Temp Electrical sending unit.[Or one that will work] Other British Classifieds 1
Got_All_4 TR2/3/3A Has anyone tried to rewind/fix a fuel tank sending unit? Triumph 11
toysrrus TR2/3/3A How to test fuel gauge & sending unit? Triumph 10
TulsaFred Fuel Sending Unit Spridgets 4
George Zeck Sending Unit is toast ...... Spridgets 4
rjc157 fuel tank sending unit Austin Healey 4
R Fuel sending unit Austin Healey 4
V Fuel Gauge Sending Unit Austin Healey 3
C TR2/3/3A fuel sending unit Triumph 9
6 Fuel gauge, sending unit, and tank compatibility Spridgets 9
D TR6 Sending Unit Triumph 1
PAUL161 MGB Replaced sending gas gauge unit. MG 5
B Temp sending unit removal Austin Healey 4
B Gas Tank Sending Unit Orientation Austin Healey 4
I TR6 75 TR6 Fuel sending unit gasket Triumph 1
M TR2/3/3A TR3 fuel sending unit Triumph 25
1 MGB Need to replace a sending unit MG 14
pkmh BJ8 Fuel Tank Sending Unit - Ground Wire Austin Healey 8
H TR4/4A TR4 Gasoline Sending Unit Triumph 5
R TR2/3/3A TR3A Fuel sending unit Triumph 3
bugedd Fuel tank sending unit Spridgets 18
E BE Fuel Sending Unit Wire Spridgets 0
stretchit2 Fuel Sending Unit - Short? Austin Healey 16
M Tell me I need a fuel tank sending unit Spridgets 21
Lynn Kirkpatrick Oil Pressure with the Sending Unit MG 4
AUSMHLY fuel sending unit float position Austin Healey 16
bugedd Fuel Sending unit Question Spridgets 6
G Fuel Gauge - Sending Unit Question Austin Healey 20
I TR6 TR6 oil sending unit thread size help please? Triumph 12
S TR2/3/3A tr3 sending unit gaskets Triumph 3
T TR6 tr6 fuel sending unit Triumph 5
M Smiths Fuel Tank Sending Unit Austin Healey 3
Lynn Kirkpatrick Oil pressure gage or sending unit? MG 1
johnrip Wedge TR7 temperature sending unit and cooling Triumph 5
Got_All_4 TR2/3/3A TR3A tank sending unit will this 1 work? Triumph 6
W Wiring to BE fuel tank sending unit Spridgets 4
W Wiring the fuel tak sending unit Spridgets 2
6 fuel sending unit Triumph 3
M Smiths fuel tank sending unit Triumph 1
R MGB Testing temp sending unit 1979 MGB MG 6
B Gas tank sending unit float...doesn't float MG 13

Similar threads

Top