gas gauge?

[topnotchtree]

I am looking for info on a sending unit for the gas tank on a 1980 f-350. The gauge is not working and the ground wire on the tank seems good. That leaves me to believe the sending unit is bad.They are not available from the local parts store, they have to be special ordered for around $100.00! I have no idea what one of these things look like. Is there a chance I may be able to fix the one I have? I want to learn as much as I can about them before I tear it apart. thanks.

 

[stewartglenn]

Check the float. Sometimes they " fuel soak" and sink to the botom registering empty all the time. Pull the tank and put a ohm meter on the two contacts, get a friend to roll the tank untill the arm flops, see if your reading changes, if it does its the float.

Then again if your is cheap and lazy as I am just put a "sticky note" pad over the guage and recording the mileage at every fill up. I been doing that for four years with my 82 F-150 cause I`m just to lazy to pull the tank.

YMMV

Stew

 

[topnotchtree]

Fortunately the truck is a stake bed that dumps. If I hoist the bed the top of the tank is exposed easily. I do not have an ohm meter so I will probrably just pull out the sending unit and see if I can macgyver something to make it work again.