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Thread: Fuel Gauge

  1. #11
    Super Moderator gmwillys's Avatar
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    Advanced Auto had 6 volt bulbs, at least for the tail lights. I was surprised.

  2. #12
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    Hello, I have a 1949 4x4 Willy's truck, but with an F series engine. The tank is new, plastic, and the sender is new. The gauge is original. I went from 6 volt to 12 volt but got a volt reducer so I could keep all my original gauges. My fuel gauge reads full all the time but with a long stick with some markings I know what is full and what is half full, relatively. Right now the tank is half full but my gauge is still reading full or very very close to full. There has been a little movement in the needle but not much. I checked the sender and it does not seem to me that the float is stuck up against the top of the tank. There seems to be some movement but it is not recording actual fuel level in the tank or at least close to it. I do not mind the stick approach but would like to upgrade from that if possible. I have the rectangular cluster and the "upside down" temp gauge. As always, thank you in advance for your help on my behalf. Tony

  3. #13
    Super Moderator LarrBeard's Avatar
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    The 1948 and 1949 trucks use the same fuel gauges and sending units. I have a similar issue with the ’48, but I suspect mine is because the float is improperly adjusted in the tank. That is going to be one of my cooler weather projects. I went to a plastic tank as well since the truck sits so much; I didn’t want to worry about condensed water, rust and crud.

    You have converted to a 12-volt system and have a voltage converter for your gauges. I assume that you have one of the mechanical voltage converters, not an electronic one. The mechanical converters act like an averaging switch. They have a thermostat on-off type element in them and when the switch is closed the output is 12-volts and when open, 0-volts. If the switch operates on a 50% duty cycle (on half the time, off half the time) the average voltage is 6-volts. Since the fuel, oil pressure and temperature gauges are slow responding thermal gauges, they operate OK on this converted voltage.

    I’d start by checking the output of the converter. An old analog meter does the best job. See if you are getting a reading of about 6-volts; it may be up around 7.5 or 8-volts. The needle may quiver a bit as the points open and close.

    Next, take a look at the actual resistance of the fuel sender. Disconnect the tank lead from the gauge and measure resistance back to a good ground on the frame. My gauge wants to see a fairly low resistance (2 or 3 ohms) to put it up around full. To settle around empty, it wants to see about 25 or 30 ohms. If you see a low resistance, check for a pinched wire back to the sender on the way to the tank.

    How did you handle the upside-down temperature gauge with the F-134 and 12-volt conversion?

  4. #14
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    Here is how I handle the upside-down temp gauge.

    My meter is fine, it was the King Seeley temperature sender. I found a Ford sender, part number 01A-10990. It's for a 1930 to 1950 Ford six volt. I am pleased with it. My thermostat is for 180 degrees. Once it opens and my meter stays around 180. That close enough for me. With the bad sender the meter would just peg pass 212, that was not good. With my Ford sender it does not peg. Some say Ford used King Seeley senders back then, some say Ford made and used their own, no matter my new sender works with my King Seeley temp meter. Life is good. Now I am off to address my fuel gauge "issue."

    Also, I bought a volt reducer, 12 to 6 volt, from Ron Francis Wiring. I was not the cheapest but it seems to be working just fine.

  5. #15
    Super Moderator LarrBeard's Avatar
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    Temperature Sender

    " ...Ford Sensor 01A-10990 ..."

    I looked at one of these too, but in my F-134 the thread was the wrong size and the bulb was too big for the hole in the cylinder head. It looked like it would have been OK for the flathead L-134 though.

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