66 dart new fuel sending unit?

-
flathead31coupe

flathead31coupe

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2010
Messages
1,347
Reaction score
257
Location
indianapolis indiana
i momentarily grounded the sending unit to ground, dash gauge went to full. installed the new sending unit, gauge moves from below empty to just under empty.. pulled the sending unit, had my brother watch the gas gauge, as i went through the range from empty to half to full, seems to work, ? is i have been guessing on the gas level in the tank, i put 5 gal in the tank when i put in the new sending unit, was thinking it should read more than empty...does the tank hold 5gal when empty...putting in more gas today and re check...
 
That should have moved it to around 1/4 if the tank was empty, compare the bent on the float with the old one. Also make sure the float is good on the new one also.
 
And also, the repop senders aren't calibrated like the old ones. Everyone complains about that.
 
No the reproduction senders aren't correct throughout the range. Range indicator is what it is. 78 to 80 ohms is zero fuel, no needle movement at all. Approx' 73 ohms will move the needle to about the first or empty hash mark. You will need a few gallons of fuel to get there depending on the tank level/angle and gauge condition.
We don't have a "LOW FUEL" warning lamp so this few gallon cushion should be considered a plus in any case, with any sender. 2 gallons to get the needle a hair left of centered over the first/empty hash? 5 gallons to get the needle a hair right of centered over that first/empty hash mark? That isn't terrible for a 50 year old thermal range indicator.
So if the goal is for the needle to show full after fill up and show empty/go to the pump before we run completely out of fuel, we can just live with the way wrong in midrange that comes with aftermarket senders.
In many cases the gauge will show empty but the tank will take only 10 or so gallons. This can vary with the condition of the gauge also. Anyway...
If this isn't good enough, 2 options... Have the OEM sender restored, or buy one of those electronic gadgets called Meter Match Module or something like that to alter/calibrate the ohms signal at 3 points, empty, half tank, and full. That has been a hit or miss. I suspect those who periodically recalibrate that module are chasing a deteriorating gauge.
The optimal route... OEM sender and gauge restored.
 
looks to be the only after market available

WP_20170403_001[1].jpg
 
i noticed that the gas gauge has a little hole that looks like it moves a metal arm as some kind of adjustment.....any way of checking the gas gauge its self..

WP_20170410_001[1].jpg
 
Last edited:
that gauge looks better than most of the same age. The winding isn't cooked or caked with buildup. The beam doesn't show a severe bow at room temp'. Those are the sad states we find.
The dealerships service techs had a tester that checked 3 positions, 78 ohms at empty, 23 ohms at half tank, 10 ohms at full. This was used on the vehicle with its power source. You might mimic that with some off the shelf pieces. Some owners, members here have went this route to build their own tester and power source for bench testing. Anyway... You would need a decade resistance bank to check throughout the range at 1 ohm increments ( mine was 80 bucks used ).
In my opinion, it looks good enough. I would not mess with its adjustments. They are much more sensitive than they appear. A few members have screwed the pooch here ( never did get it right again ).
Lets just assume the gauge is fine and your issue is or will be the same as everyone elses... Aftermarket senders are wrong, but better than nothing.
 
RedFish said:
that gauge looks better than most of the same age. The winding isn't cooked or caked with buildup. The beam doesn't show a severe bow at room temp'. Those are the sad states we find.
The dealerships service techs had a tester that checked 3 positions, 78 ohms at empty, 23 ohms at half tank, 10 ohms at full. This was used on the vehicle with its power source. You might mimic that with some off the shelf pieces. Some owners, members here have went this route to build their own tester and power source for bench testing. Anyway... You would need a decade resistance bank to check throughout the range at 1 ohm increments ( mine was 80 bucks used ).
In my opinion, it looks good enough. I would not mess with its adjustments. They are much more sensitive than they appear. A few members have screwed the pooch here ( never did get it right again ).
Lets just assume the gauge is fine and your issue is or will be the same as everyone elses... Aftermarket senders are wrong, but better than nothing.
Click to expand...
just for kicks i did an ohms ck on that one no reading. did the same ck on the one in the car..out of the dash, got a reading...thinking the first one has an open wire some where..not sure,,,,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top