Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

You know the drill..

Moderators: Redneck_Randy, badmoonrising, lakerunner

Post Reply
Message
Author
onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#1 Post by onlybillhere » Tue Aug 13, 2019 10:53 am

Hi all!
I have a fuel tank that I wanted to add a fuel gauge to. The tank isn't really "portable" but it's not a permanent one either, not sure what you call it but either way I have noway of knowing how much gas is in it.
So this is what I did:
Went online and looked at the different kinds of universal sending units. I knew the ones with the arm that you have to adjust would be very difficult for my application so I settled on a vertical one from KUS (was WEMA USA). Measured the tank height and got a unit that was an inch shorter per their instructions. Just a note: the sending unit came with a cork washer but I opted to buy a kit that had this rubber washer instead.
20190812_181512.jpg
20190812_181512.jpg (345.39 KiB) Viewed 2545 times
I drained the gas that was in the tank, washed out the tank to get rid of any crud, and let it dry. I blew out the pickup tube and took a towel and wiped down the inside of the tank the best I could to make sure there wasn't any junk in there.

I grabbed my hole saw and cut an opening on the top:
20190812_180110.jpg
20190812_180110.jpg (334.74 KiB) Viewed 2545 times
Then using a pencil I marked the screw hole locations and grabbed a small bit. Now the sending unit is designed to be screwed into an existing housing that has nuts for the screws to hold on to but in this case there are no nuts. So I used a small drill bit, smaller than the bolts, then took a slightly bigger drill bit and just barely opened up the screw hole at the top just to get the bolt started. Once all the drilling was done I grabbed my vacuum and air blower and got whatever pieces may have fallen into the tank.
20190812_181144.jpg
20190812_181144.jpg (262.21 KiB) Viewed 2545 times
Once i got all the parts together and installed it looks really good and there is a tight seal....kinda important.
20190812_181907 (1).jpg
20190812_181907 (1).jpg (397.62 KiB) Viewed 2545 times
I am waiting for the fuel gauge to get here but I checked with a meter that the sending unit is giving me resistance readings like it should.
Nothing too fancy but a simple thing that many people can do.
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

User avatar
lakerunner
Site Moderator
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:31 pm
Location: Live in McAlester, Ok Boat on Tenkiller
Contact:

Re: Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#2 Post by lakerunner » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:39 pm

GREAT job, lot of comfort knowing how much fuel you have. If you haven't be sure and add a water separator filter to your line
Loyd & Betty Meeks
Livin the lake life
2004 Tracker 22 Regency/2010 90 E-Tec. Pulled by Ford 2020 F 250,
McAlester, Oklahoma
Home lake is Tenkiller

onlybillhere
Posts: 253
Joined: Tue May 14, 2019 6:41 am

Re: Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#3 Post by onlybillhere » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:52 pm

lakerunner wrote:
Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:39 pm
GREAT job, lot of comfort knowing how much fuel you have. If you haven't be sure and add a water separator filter to your line
Thank you!! I added a water separator once I saw there was not one on the boat. I'm not going to take that chance!! :)
1995 Sun Tracker 21 Party Barge
60HP Mercury 2 stroke
It's new! to me
Loving the life here in Deland, Fla.

User avatar
teecro
Posts: 1028
Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2014 7:23 am
Location: Sunset Bay, TN

Re: Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#4 Post by teecro » Tue Aug 13, 2019 4:10 pm

Looks good, no reason why it shouldn't work without reasonable accuracy.
T CRO
2017 Berkshire CTS 24 RFX with Yamaha F150/Simomized 200
2015 Caravelle 16 EBo with Mercury 90

User avatar
Marc K
Posts: 742
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2018 4:35 am
Location: Eustace, TX

Re: Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#5 Post by Marc K » Tue Aug 13, 2019 6:09 pm

Good job thinking out side of the box and making it happen! I have no doubt that it will work great.
Big and ugly but we love our 1999/2000 Crest II DL with a Yamaha F115

User avatar
curtiscapk
Posts: 5393
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2008 8:31 am
Location: OP KS\Hillsdale Lake

Re: Adding a fuel gauge sending unit to a gas tank

#6 Post by curtiscapk » Thu Aug 15, 2019 8:39 am

Nice work!!!!!!!!
Craig and Paula
"THE FLOATER" rebuild Spring 2013
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15328
94 Party Barge 24' 115 merc
Turning Point hustler 14 x 13 prop
22mph gps 3 people
12 F150
Overland Park Ks
Hillsdale Lake, KS

Post Reply