float wire bend

I bent the fuel sender wire frame such that it matches the template but cannot get the desired travel and clearances. The float contacts the inner rib. If I reduce the 90 degree angle, the float clears the rib but bottoms out before the end of travel.

I guess I can "kink" the wire frame to make it fit, but I'm curious about what others have done.

Thanks and regards,

Rafael

Float wire

I don't remember what exactly I did to make it work. I do remember I had to mess with it.

You have to make whatever tweaks are necessary for full travel. The template is a starting point. You calibrate the tanks to the floats in your engine monitor, so the left and right sides don't necessarily have to match.

By inner rib, do you mean the skin stiffener angle on the bottom of the tank?

The float can be clipped to the end of the arm with it directed fwd or aft.
If I remember correctly one tank has to be one way, and the other one, the other way, and I think there is a view in the manual that shows which way to have the float oriented.
This may be your problem.

Inner rib

rvbuilder2002 said:

By inner rib, do you mean the skin stiffener angle on the bottom of the tank?

The float can be clipped to the end of the arm with it directed fwd or aft.
If I remember correctly one tank has to be one way, and the other one, the other way, and I think there is a view in the manual that shows which way to have the float oriented.
This may be your problem.

Click to expand...

Not the stiffener, but the web of the first inner rib. At approx. 50% travel, the distance from the axis of the sender to the rib is 7". I can shorten the wire effective length by reducing the 90 deg. angle of the wire frame, but then the float bottoms out before the sender's stop.

I'll play with it in the morning. I'm sure I can bend it to make it work.

Thanks for the reply at this late hour.

Cheers,

Rafael

This is what I figured out ...

woodsideraff said:

I bent the fuel sender wire frame such that it matches the template but cannot get the desired travel and clearances. The float contacts the inner rib. If I reduce the 90 degree angle, the float clears the rib but bottoms out before the end of travel.

I guess I can "kink" the wire frame to make it fit, but I'm curious about what others have done.

Click to expand...

Here is my log entry for 6-3-2011 [www.mykitlog.com/garyc] You will find the photos there of the 2 senders -- but they are unique to each side.

Dug out the Fuel Sending Units, (Left 385B and Right 385C), and test fit each unit in the tank end cover to ascertain match to unique hole pattern (prevents mounting in the wrong orientation). Then determined that the arm of the float was very long, hitting the 1st tank baffle (rib). Then crafted a piece of copper wire as a test arm to determine bends, angles, and lengths.

Finally, removed the tank end cover and tested the range of travel of the float arms. Found that the right tank had interference with the 'empty' (lower) position. The left tank had no such problem but the float needed to be reversed. Then both arms would reach full up and full down extensions. The right arm was bent with an extra 'dog-leg' to clear the baffle, as seen in #2. The interference is visible in Photo#3 (hint - tank is inverted, UP is bottom).


Hope this helps - Maybe your exact angles will be your own solution.

Adjusting sender wire frame

I found that by winding the wire frame hook about 1/16" more around the float, the system fits perfectly.

Perhaps the initial bending of the frame was not perfect, and is done to tighter tolerances the initial bends would work. a small deviation makes a big difference.

Cheers,

Rafael

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/Users/Rafael/Pictures/iPhoto Library.photolibrary/Previews/2014/09/15/20140915-102338/MUAeJ8TzQti461Cp2DuiBQ/IMG_0167.jpg