Fuel Gauge Challenge!
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
Wow, what a response! Thanks chaps. While my wife and I have been busy doing nothin much - well I cannot lie, buying her a new SuperLow (it had to be Merlot and they had one in the showroom, closest to the door!), you've all been busy. Should have it in a couple of weeks.
As for the sender, I have two multi-meters, an old cheap analogue one that is not very sensitive, and a supposedly good quality digital one - that is dead! Nothing, no display, no user servicable parts inside. I don't use these things very often and on an occasion when the modern one could have earned its keep, it has let me down. I shall have to call on a pal of mine who is bound to have the latest wizzbang meter.
The new sender is mostly plastic and I planned to hang it from the plastic 'top plate' that lives under the chrome tank console on these new tanks. The old Evo sender is mostly metal and quite heavy, which is why I innocently chose the newer one.
I'll go away and read through your suggestions and see what I can come up with.
As for the sender, I have two multi-meters, an old cheap analogue one that is not very sensitive, and a supposedly good quality digital one - that is dead! Nothing, no display, no user servicable parts inside. I don't use these things very often and on an occasion when the modern one could have earned its keep, it has let me down. I shall have to call on a pal of mine who is bound to have the latest wizzbang meter.
The new sender is mostly plastic and I planned to hang it from the plastic 'top plate' that lives under the chrome tank console on these new tanks. The old Evo sender is mostly metal and quite heavy, which is why I innocently chose the newer one.
I'll go away and read through your suggestions and see what I can come up with.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
Right will triumph eventually! I finally got the digital meter casing apart to find a PP9 battery in there, so I need to go out and buy a new one. Then hopefully I can follow some of your suggestions with a working meter. This sender has is mostly plastic, so I don't know how any earth can be provided. It is obviously intended to dovetail with something else inside the tank, presumably part of the pump/filter assembly.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Bluffton, South Carolina
On the sender there may be a metal ring around one of the holes that may be the ground, or there may be a wire in the plug that is a ground that your original sender doesn't have.
There has to be a ground somewhere!!!
There has to be a ground somewhere!!!
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Club Member
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From: Bedford UK
I don't consider myself an expert, but I do have a service manual for '93-'94 Flh's. It shows on page 2-87, a diagram of the gauge/sender unit. It says a reading of 40 ohms should give you a full reading, and 250 ohms should give you an empty reading. The question now is does your new unit give those readings? Those are for use with a stock factory gauge. If they don't match right out of the box, I would think you might have to adjust the resister somehow to give you the required resistance. Hopefully the resister is external to the gas tank. Hope that sheds some light .,,
Gentlemen, what I conclude is that my new gauge seems to be up to spec, even if on a crude out of bike test it ain't quite right, so I will set about installing it in my tank and hopefully all will be OK once it is all built up.
Thanks once more for your input and I will report back!
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Deep in the heart of New Jersey
Whoa,whoa,whoa, there was a grand prize offered for the solution to this mystery. Someone has to be named so they can collect the cake and coffee. So who is the grand prize winner?.,,
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
I promise to read my workshop manual more closely in future!
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
I have to confess to dragging my feet over this project John. I also look forward before too long to answering the absorbing question of how much these 6 gallon tanks actually hold. Of course it will only be around 5 UK gallons, but I can probably translate for the wider audience!
As for the sender, I have just about mastered the geometry of fitting it into my RG tank, off the top plate, so need to sweet-talk my brother (the one with the skills and workshop) to make up a small mounting bracket, to join the two together.
Added later:
This is what the modern fuel level sender looks like.
As for the sender, I have just about mastered the geometry of fitting it into my RG tank, off the top plate, so need to sweet-talk my brother (the one with the skills and workshop) to make up a small mounting bracket, to join the two together.
Added later:
This is what the modern fuel level sender looks like.
Last edited by grbrown; Mar 1, 2011 at 12:10 PM. Reason: Added photo.