fuel gauge folly

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Mike69cuda said:
Sorry didn’t respond to all you questions. You can buy the meter match off the internet. I think I paid about $40.

If you want to borrow the cal box I will send it to you. Just send it back when you are done. I think it will fit in a small flat rate box. Just let me know.
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Mike - I'm thinking of buying a meter match for my 74 Duster. How did you calibrate it? The tank has a cutout for the spare tire in the top, so the meter match has to account for this. I can't see how you could calibrate it correctly. Could you post detailed meter match instructions, including how to make it read "full" when the tank is full, "1/2" when the tank is half full, and "Empty" when it's just about empty? Thanks.
 
cruiser said:
Mike - I'm thinking of buying a meter match for my 74 Duster. How did you calibrate it? The tank has a cutout for the spare tire in the top, so the meter match has to account for this. I can't see how you could calibrate it correctly. Could you post detailed meter match instructions, including how to make it read "full" when the tank is full, "1/2" when the tank is half full, and "Empty" when it's just about empty? Thanks.
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I made a test box to calibrate it. It is based on graphs done by other members on this forum. It was pretty close on my barracuda, probably within a gallon or so either way. The meter match has four calibration points. You flip each switch on the box and adjust the meter match so the gauge reads right at each of the four points. It is not perfect, but mine works pretty well.

If you use this you don’t have to fill the gas tank to different levels to set it.

If you want to get more accuracy, you would need to drain the tank and fill it to each level and adjust the meter match until it reads right. I didn’t do this because my sender was already installed and I am pretty lazy.

I can send you the box if you want to borrow it.

FAB5E9C5-9DB1-40C6-A569-42E3BC4FF9C5.jpeg
 
Meter Match: I filled 18 gal tank to set full, drained 6 gals to set mid-high, drained 6 more gals to set mid-low, couldn’t drain any more, so zeroed empty to set/interpret that setting.
 
Mike69cuda said:
I made a test box to calibrate it. It is based on graphs done by other members on this forum. It was pretty close on my barracuda, probably within a gallon or so either way. The meter match has four calibration points. You flip each switch on the box and adjust the meter match so the gauge reads right at each of the four points. It is not perfect, but mine works pretty well.

If you use this you don’t have to fill the gas tank to different levels to set it.

If you want to get more accuracy, you would need to drain the tank and fill it to each level and adjust the meter match until it reads right. I didn’t do this because my sender was already installed and I am pretty lazy.

I can send you the box if you want to borrow it.

View attachment 1715653131
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Mike - can I do this to my fuel sender unit when it's out of the car? I have a spare sender unit in the basement that I'd like to calibrate and use. BOB
 
cruiser said:
Mike - can I do this to my fuel sender unit when it's out of the car? I have a spare sender unit in the basement that I'd like to calibrate and use. BOB
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I think that it will be hard to do much calibration with a sender on the bench. You won’t be able to relate the sender position to gas level unless you have an old tank to cut up. I think someone on this site has done this. I “borrowed” a lot of other folks research.

If you have the sender out, I would do the following:

1. get all the gas out of the tank
2. Adjust the sender float so it at the bottom of the tank.
4. Hook up meter match. You can do this in the driver kick panel.
3. Assuming 18 gallon tank, do what Lord Sparky did (only backward)
4. Set meter match so the gauge reads empty when the tank is empty.
5. Put 6 gallons in the tank and set meter match to mid low and 1/3 tank on gauge
6. Put 6 gallons in the tank and set meter match to mid high and 2/3 tank on gauge.
7. Put last 6 gallons in the tank and set meter match to full and full tank on gauge

You don’t need my box to do this. My box is helpful if you don’t want to mess with all the gas and your sender is already in.

Others have done this and may have other processes.
 
Mike69cuda said:
I made a test box to calibrate it. It is based on graphs done by other members on this forum. It was pretty close on my barracuda, probably within a gallon or so either way. The meter match has four calibration points. You flip each switch on the box and adjust the meter match so the gauge reads right at each of the four points. It is not perfect, but mine works pretty well.

If you use this you don’t have to fill the gas tank to different levels to set it.

If you want to get more accuracy, you would need to drain the tank and fill it to each level and adjust the meter match until it reads right. I didn’t do this because my sender was already installed and I am pretty lazy.

I can send you the box if you want to borrow it.

View attachment 1715653131
Click to expand...
Mike - I'll contact you when my Meter Match comes. Yeah, I'd love to borrow the box to calibrate it. Thanks!
 
Mike69cuda said:
Great, just let me know.
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Mike - I'm ready for your calibration box now. My new Meter Match will be here in two days. Just to be sure, my tank is a 16 gallon tank, not 18 as discussed above. I'm assuming that the principle is the same and that your box will work with a 16 gallon tank as well. In any case, please let me know how you'd like to proceed. Thanks! BOB
 
cruiser said:
Mike - I'm ready for your calibration box now. My new Meter Match will be here in two days. Just to be sure, my tank is a 16 gallon tank, not 18 as discussed above. I'm assuming that the principle is the same and that your box will work with a 16 gallon tank as well. In any case, please let me know how you'd like to proceed. Thanks! BOB
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PM me your address & I’ll mail it out to you.

Is it the factory tank? Maybe I am mis-remembering the capacity. It should be the same deal with the calibration, just 1/3 and 2/3 of 16 instead of 18.

Also, have you replaced your IVR with a solid state one? I don’t think the metermatch will work within the pulsing voltage.
 
Mike69cuda said:
PM me your address & I’ll mail it out to you.

Is it the factory tank? Maybe I am mis-remembering the capacity. It should be the same deal with the calibration, just 1/3 and 2/3 of 16 instead of 18.

Also, have you replaced your IVR with a solid state one? I don’t think the metermatch will work within the pulsing voltage.
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The tank is 16 gallons, confirmed in both the 1974 factory shop manual and the owner's manual. Yes, I have a solid state voltage limiter. How do I PM you? Never done this before on this site. Thanks.
 
I just sent you a pm, it will show up in your inbox. Just reply to it with your address.
 
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