Jerry Oliver <slantws@home.com> writes...
>I'm finishing up my 5 year restoration of a '66 TR4A. I added about five
<gallons of gas yesterday, and the fuel gauge did not register. The
<gauges have been rebuilt, all new wiring. Perhaps the float is stuck
<down?? Its been a couple of years, but I'm sure I check the sending unit
<before buttoning up the tank. Should there voltage at the green wire at
<the tank? The workshop manual suggested checking voltage at the
<stabilizer. I had a brand new one, so I installed it...same problem.
<Has anyone removed the sending unit while in the car? I hate to remove
<the tank, if the sending unit will come out of the small space between
<the tank and the h panel. Any advice
<appreciated. Jerry
>Oliver
Jerry:
Exactly the same problem for me last week in my 67 TR-4A. After a
10-15 year period of inactivity (last 4 of which in my "restoration",
a word which I cringe to use), I had the same symptom.
My problem was a stuck sending unit, which I did check prior to buttoning
up the tank (after lining it with white stuff!).
You can easily test for this while on the car, and even repair it on
the car...
To test: Fabricate a long hook from a wire coat hanger, etc. Reach
into the fuel tank and snag the wire arm carrying the float. Pull towards
you to lift the float, mine was very sticky, and would stay wherever I left
it. This indicates a problem (which I don't understand, because it was
very free and easy when I put it together). If your problem isn't too
severe, then this might free it up enough to make it work, but mine was
still stuck after moving it through several cycles (need to make a different
kind of hook on the coat hanger to push it back down.) I had to remove it
to make it work.
There was just enough room to extract the sender plus float without
taking the tank out of my car. Remove the trunk (boot) panel covering the tank.
use 90 degree screwdriver to remove the (6?) screws holding the sender. (Note
that my homemade gasket leaked when I filled the tank up, so you might plan
to replace it and use compound to seal it while doing this job.) Extract the
sender--you have to twist it everywhichaway to get it out (and back in, make a
mental note of how it comes out), and it is a very tight fit between the tank
and the lip of the body. I could force mine out without damage, but you be
the judge of that before forcing it.
My sender had a cover plate secured with two screws, I removed the cover and
freed up the pivot point with some WD-40 or your favorite lubricant. I applied
a bit of grease (but this part will be submerged, so that probably won't help
long).
Anyway, a week or 10 days later it is still working. Have just now filled the
tank
and it went to the F mark for the first time. I'm hopeful I have solved the
problem.
Good luck,
Ray James
-------------------------------------
Ray W. James, P.E., Ph.D.
Civil Engineering Department
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843
Phone (409)845-7436; Fax (409)845-3410
E-mail: r-james@tamu.edu
Date: 5/19/99 Time: 6:12:39 PM
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