Weird Fuel Gauge

[dieselgiant]

So ever since I got this truck the fuel gauge was incorrectly, the front tank would run out at 1/4 tank and the rear tank would run out at 3/8 ish. I drove my truck to college (12 hour drive) and the fornt tank ran out at Empty, and the rear tank rean out at 1/8 tank. I get to college and its back to the way it was before, I noted that I could put only 14 gallons in the front tank after it ran out. Any Suggestions

 

[Goofyexponent]

The pickup inside the tank is most likely broken off. I have seen posts like this before...something about a "shower head" pickup in the tank and it being prone to cracking?

The general consensus is to pull the puckup and install a rubber hose with a "V" notch cut in the bottom so it won't suck flat to the bottom of the tank. This should fix your problem right up.

Since you are this far into the tank, might as well remove it and clean it out too lol.

 

[franklin2]

The sending units in the tanks that drive the guage are famous for wearing out also. Looks like you are going to have to pull the tanks whatever you do, and that's a really fun job(NOT).

 

[dieselgiant]

Thanks, will gasser sending unites work if i by pass the fuel pump or not? Whats the best way to clean the tanks? And is there any way to fix the filler tube because it takes forever to fill the tanks, cause the fuel just bubbles back up, I hear theres a mod for it but i haven't looked into it?

 

[jwalterus]

The sending units in the tanks that drive the guage are famous for wearing out also. Looks like you are going to have to pull the tanks whatever you do, and that's a really fun job(NOT).

pull the tanks? unless I'm replacing them I haven't dropped a tank since the mid 90's

it's easier by far (and less messy than dropping the tanks) to remove the bed, loosen all the bolts holding it down, and jack it off the frame, make sure you disconnect the taillights and fuel necks first, but with a handyman, some cinder blocks, and a couple long 2x4's, it's not all that hard to do yourself

or you could do what my dad does, jack up the entire rear of the truck with the big floor jack once the bed is unbolted, put the blocks and boards under it, and just lower the truck back down and drive it out , takes him about 30 mins to remove the bed from his truck this way

yet another good use for my modified handyman jack (old ball mount welded to the jack to insert into the receiver)

oh, and as far as siphoning out the tanks (if needed for whatever reason), a looong piece of fuel line attached to an old sandblast gun sucks em out into a 30 gallon drum pretty quick

 

[Goofyexponent]

Thanks, will gasser sending unites work if i by pass the fuel pump or not? Whats the best way to clean the tanks? And is there any way to fix the filler tube because it takes forever to fill the tanks, cause the fuel just bubbles back up, I hear theres a mod for it but i haven't looked into it?

The fuel tanks have one big hose (black) going into them and then a little white hose that goes inside the center. Completely remove that white hise in the middle and they will fill up faster. I use the big boy hose at the local truck stop/fueling station . I was also thinking about drilling out the filling hole a little more now that my white fill hoses are gone.

From what I am told, the gasser sending units will work as a diesel sending unit (if modified), but will only fit on a gasser tank because it is larger in diameter than the diesel unit....the gasser unit will not physically fit in the sending unit hole in a diesel tank.

 

[dieselgiant]

Thanks, What does the white hose do is it a vent like thingy? Could fuel spill out at all, I don't mind a little bit of spillage. Thanks JWALTERUS I'll probably pull the bed off theres enough guys here we can lift it off I hope.

 

[Goofyexponent]

From what I was told the ********* hose is the vent, and the little white hose is what carries the fuel to the tank. Remove teh white hose and have at'r. My truck don't spill any fuel at all while filling up.