When I started the Bronco project, the fuel gauge on the dash would always show empty. There are two tanks, but there was only ever fuel in the main tank before I tore it all apart.
The gauge cluster got a complete professional refurbishment and all the gauges where checked and certified. So that leaves the wiring and the fuel sender gauges as possible issues. I replaced all of the wiring with a new harness.
So... I also bought two new fuel sender gauges - installed them and away we go. The story should end there. However... a particular aspect of the new senders bugged me.
As you see below, the throw of the float for the new sender is half what the original is. meaning the gauge would register FULL until the tank is half empty, then start going down. This isn't going to work for me.
I found out how to measure OHM's resistance on the sender to find out if they are good... I measured the original and they seemed good. So I ran the tank empty and reinstalled the original sender. Off to the Texaco and fill it back up. I watched the full gauge go up to full. yay.
5 minutes later.. it shows empty. What? There is no fuel on the ground.. Bronco is still running, if I switch to the other tank, the gauge goes up. I pondered this for a week or so until I realize that there is probably a pin hole in the float and that it simply filled up with gas and sank. It is 45 years old and spent all it's time in a caustic liquid. So I run the Bronco for a couple weeks burning up the fuel because the sender is mounted in a hole on the side of the main tank. I can't simply remove it without a hazard spill.
I finally got it removed and sure enough, the float is full of gas although I can't find a hole. it's there somewhere. Well the new floats are the same as the old, and they pop right off, so I simply popped the floats off the new unit and put it on the old unit and I'm back in business... right?
Let me tell you how much of a bugger it is to get the sender unit installed while keeping the O-ring in place while the tank is in the Bronco. I was pretty sure I got it in. Back to the Texaco. I put a few gallons in and peek underneath to see if things are holding together. All looks good. So I top it off. 14 Gallons. I am just finishing up when the guy next to me points under my car - I look and there is a waterfall. Or rather a gasfall. Gasoline is pouring out of the seal that I thought was good.
Uhhh.... now what? quick alert to the gas attendant that I have a fuel spill. They bring a bucket and some kitty litter. This is a mini mart gas station, not a full service. And then they inform me that if 3 gallons hit the pavement, they have to call the fire department. It's not coming out that fast, but still at a steady pace. I figured it will take about 8-9 gallons of fuel to get below the sender unit before it stops.
I am pretty much on my own here. The wife was with me and offered moral assistance, but I needed a plan.
Call the neighbor. We had just seen them when we left "for lunch". Had them get our gas cans from the shed and head over. Now my neighbor is a uniformed cop, and he was just leaving for work. So, he shows up in uniform in the cop car. Laughing
Run across the street and buy a siphon, there are no anti siphon devices in the tank, so it should be easy to shove the hose down there, wrong! To many turns apparently, i'd make a terrible thief, I could not get the hose into the tank. The mini mart folks at least had a screw driver, so i was able to disconnect the fuel line and connect it to the siphon hose. got the rest of the gas out of the tank and into the cans.
Good thing there are two gas tanks. We headed home.
The trick to getting the seal on correctly is to smear some grease on it first, then it sticks in place while you put the sender on. Lesson learned.
