@$!##$!! 1/4 tank

[TommyD11730]

So yeah I joined the 1/4 tank of gas club. Quick look under the truck and it looks like the senders ground wire was soldered/repaired once before.. and it's disconnected. So I'm like.. great this is easy, connect and alligator clip to the ground wire... wedge my hand up there... connect to where the ground looks like it should go annnnnnd nothing.

By all rights I should be able to ground anything, even a fuel line and it should suffice... no?

 

[rampage]

When I had my tank out to change the pump I checked the resistance from the ground strap to the tank itself - 0 ohms, so yes you can. I even ran the pump off the body of the tank and had the sending unit read from 0 to 90 ohms. The gas tank is electrically isolated from the body due to the anti squeak pads on the straps, hence the need for the ground strap. You can use any part of the tank itself as the ground. Just make sure to sand down to bare metal. The seam that runs around the middle is a good spot, or even the corner that’s bent since you won’t need to worry about it rusting through due to sanding to bare metal.

 

[TommyD11730]

Hmm I figured the O ring would isolate the sender from the tank.

When I had my tank out to change the pump I checked the resistance from the ground strap to the tank itself - 0 ohms, so yes you can. I even ran the pump off the body of the tank and had the sending unit read from 0 to 90 ohms. The gas tank is electrically isolated from the body due to the anti squeak pads on the straps, hence the need for the ground strap. You can use any part of the tank itself as the ground. Just make sure to sand down to bare metal. The seam that runs around the middle is a good spot, or even the corner that’s bent since you won’t need to worry about it rusting through due to sanding to bare metal.

 

[rampage]

Hmm I figured the O ring would isolate the sender from the tank.

The lock ring is the conductor

 

[TommyD11730]

The lock ring is the conductor

Dang... well I grounded directly to tank... no good. Guess if I ground the signal wire on the sender and the gauge full fields my sender took a poop.

 

[rampage]

Dang... well I grounded directly to tank... no good. Guess if I ground the signal wire on the sender and the gauge full fields my sender took a poop.

The sender is just a rheostat. It’s either bent and can be bent back to make contact again or it needs to be cleaned with electrical contact cleaner ... or you can buy a new sender. Best to test the resistance of the sender with an ohm meter first to make sure that’s your problem, should be somewhere between 0 and 90 ohms.

 

[Blue85]

The resistive part is soaked in gas much of the time. I doubt a solvent will fix it. And if it did, for how long?

 

[rampage]

The resistive part is soaked in gas much of the time. I doubt a solvent will fix it. And if it did, for how long?

Yes, but if the tank is constantly filled part way then won't tarnish build up, much like a carb needs its internals cleaned out?