Gas Gauge

Does anyone happen to know the ohms are on a stock '53 Chev sending unit? My gauge is hooped, so I need to get an aftermarktet one. Thanks.

Derrick

 

Are all GMs the same resistance?

 

Not too sure. I wouldn't think so, but I've been wrong before.

Derrick

 

Have you converted to 12 volts?
Most aftermarket ones are 12 volt.


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I believe that in that year the sending unit was 35 ohms. It changed to 90 ohms in about 1964. I don't think anyone makes a replacement for the 35 ohm type. The 90 ohm ones are readily available.

 

the gas gauge didnt work before it was converted to 12 volts!!!...hey derrick did it pass aircare yet????...come on hamb dudes..you gotta know what to do to fix it???

 

Yeah it's all 12 volt. Maybe I should say a bit more as I'm not too great with electrical type stuff. The new sending until I got in the tank is supposed to work with the original gauge. however it won't work right without a resistor on the gauge, which I also have. Does that mean I've got a 90ohm sending unit? Or is it the other way around?

I haven't taken it to aircare again yet. I'm getting the carb rebuilt at Burnaby Carburetor right now. Did you grind some wide whites yet?

Derrick

 

I bought an aftermarket one right away... but I believe they are 0-90 but dont quote me

 

I have the same problem... My 62 is a 0-35 ohm gauge, and my fuel cell has a 0-90 sender, so for now I just threw a little aftermarket gauge under the dash, but I think this winter I'm gonna try taking the guts out of a newer gauge cluster and retrofitting them onto mine. I know I'll forget, but I'll try to take pics as I go to post it as a tech...

 

Sounds good. Thanks everyone. So here's a dumb question. I bought an aftermarket gauge today and the instructions say that the third post on the gauge should be "ground to fuel tank". Does this just mean I have to ground that wire or actually attach it somewhere against the tank?

Derrick

 

Derrick, the sending unit in my Olds was screwed. When I took it apart I found that the reostat was buggered. I found a 50 pontiac at the wreckers and took the sending unit out, it looked pretty bad. When I got it home I took the sending unit apart, the reostat was ok, so I put it in my Olds sending unit. I haven't got it in the car yet but have bench tested it, works just fine.

 

If your tank is grounded to the chassis then any ground should do.

 

Don't forget to make sure the sending unit is grounded too!

 

more questions...
I had a simular problem, sending unit was cooked, someone ran 12 volts to it and burned it up. replaced it got the voltage reducer in, and nothing, new gage (haven't installed it yet) but it's a one wire system, where is the ground supposed to be? it's hot running into the gage, and the other wire running to the tank. the sending unit is only 1 wire. how is this grounded?