Fuel Gauge for dummies
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Category: General Correct Craft Discussion
Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: Anything Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28369
Printed Date: February-05-2025 at 3:35pm
Topic: Fuel Gauge for dummies
Posted By: turningpoint84
Subject: Fuel Gauge for dummies
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 2:46pm
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OK So i bought this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/190616078781?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649" rel="nofollow - http://www.ebay.com/itm/190616078781?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 I need a sending unit? Certain one? I assume i just need about 40ft of wire and i'm good to go? Anyone have a diagram on how to wire this up? Would appreciate it! I bought a moeller gas tank to place in and i'll probably sell or junk my original Metal Tank. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Replies:
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 3:05pm
 Well, the two outer long skinny posts are just for mounting. The "I" post is your ignition. Your Purple (Switched Positive) goes there. The Post at the very top is your Blue, or switched light post. The "G" post is the ground for the light. The "S" post is your sender wire, this would go to the wire that goes back to the tank. |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 3:53pm
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Bri thank you a ton! ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 4:02pm
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No problem. You're welcome. The interesting thing is that the "S" sender wire is actually a kind of a ground. The fuel tank sender, provides variable resistance to ground, depending on fuel level, and that's how it reads on the gauge. Also, the fuel tank, needs to be grounded to an actual ground, usually the engine block. Then the tank itself becomes a ground. If the fuel tank isn't grounded, the gauge won't work. |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 4:18pm
Well the tank is the Moeller 032719 everyone seems to buy. Where would i ground it? It seems like these tanks come with a sender, or is that just a brass cap? It sitting at home so obviously, i just need to look! ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Bri892001 wrote:Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: November-16-2012 at 9:33pm
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The "G" is simply for the gauge illumination. Notice the copper tracer goes directly to the lamp socket. 12 volts + goes to the gauge and the negative for the actual gauge reading is via the sender with the variable resistance changing the volts the gauge sees. Grounding the tank sender is to the engine block which is ground. The gauge ground for the illumination is at the dash ground. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 11:11am
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I was planning on doing this yesterday, but it was 5 degrees in my garage. SO i said No thanks. I did look at the panel though, can i just piggy back off one of my other gauges for the "I", "B" and "G" ? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 12:41pm
By "B", you mean the blue, lights post? Yes, you should be able to piggyback since many installations use the daisy chain idea. Just make sure your sender wire is a dedicated wire to the tank sender. You don't want to share that with any of the other gauges. |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 2:27pm
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Yeah, there's a tanish yellow wire, i noticed that is already in the back of the boat and then ends right near the panel in the front, i'm going to try and use it, so I can avoid sending a new wire. it makes me wonder if the boat had a fuel gauge at one point. I assume the center of the sender if where I attach? Then the prong on the outer part of the sender is where i attach to the engine ground? Can I just attach this to the negative on the rear light, to ground it? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 2:39pm
Yup, that sounds right on both counts. I'm pretty sure you can tie into that same ground, as long as it's a good solid, clean, ground. This thread has some useful pics: http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26697&title=fuel-sender-replacement" rel="nofollow - http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26697&title=fuel-sender-replacement Like this one:  |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 4:00pm
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Awesome, thank you, this was extremely simplified, it's overwhelming leaning under the dash on this boat and looking at the jungle of wires sometimes haha. Really isn't that hard once you break it down. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-02-2013 at 11:12pm
Yes, Brian is correct you can use the existing ground to the aft nav light but as he mentioned, it needs to be a good ground. After you get it hooked up, Ohm between the block and the ground tab on the sender. You should get a near zero Ohm reading. BTW, DO NOT use insulation displacement quick splices in a boat. I suggest using heat shrink and adhesive lined butt splices ("sta-cons"). They do make them for multiple wires. Check out McMaster. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 11:29am
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You went over my head there Peter. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 12:05pm
On the Ohm-ing or the butt connectors? Basically a good, solid clean ground wire running from the ground tab on the sender, to the block will have little to no resistance. Ohms is a measure of resistance. You can use a multimeter to check resistance. From the multimeter you put one meter wire on the tab, and one meter on the block, set up your meter to check ohms, if you have little to no resistance, you've got a good ground wire set up. A quick and dirty version of this is to check for continuity. That tells you if you've got a path, but not necessarily how good it is. You could start with that though, as it's often simpler to do with a meter. |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 2:13pm
No I fully understood that, the heat shrink rant lost me. Even though i had a C+ average in EE, i actually do know what OHM's are haha. Where are you guys connecting to the block anyways?.....I haven't looked where the actual connection point is. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 2:30pm
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I think the heat shrink rant was basically saying don't use those crappy scotch locks to tap into the stern light ground. As far as where to tie into the block, I added a second ground to my dash, and tied back to the block, many pics: http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21901" rel="nofollow - http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=21901 Like this one:  |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 2:46pm
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I'll look closely, can be that hard, and on the butt splices, i was going to just hook up directly to where the light is wire is connected. What gauge are you using? looks like at least 14. NM I read your thread, 10ga....seems kind of hi? Also bri thanks for the patience, i wont be tackling this until July, just want to make sure i have it correct! ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 8:54pm
Crimp on connectors are available where the plastic insulation jacket on them is heat shrinkable and adhesive lined. A insulation displacement connector are the cheap blue things you squeeze with a pliers. They are typically supplied with trailer wiring kits. I guess they really didn't fill you in with that degree in EE!!   ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-03-2013 at 9:04pm
I highly advise not using the cheap "hardware store" version of crimp connectors. The marine envirorment is pretty harsh and in the long run you will have problems. I aslo certainly hope you are using marine grade wire. Each strand is tin plated to prevent the copper from corroding. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 12:42am
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Ha no degree in EE, I'm an ME, i slept in the EE classes. ;) ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 1:23am
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I was going to help you out on this Peter so I went out and looked at my boat.It is all in pieces again so it's easy to look,but now I'm confused. There are 3 wires going to the back tank area,a ground,stern light and fuel gauge. The problem is on those models the blower was mounted to the port side next to the gas tank so I should have 4 wires. I suspect that I pulled it out years ago but cannot remember. You might already have a wire going to the back. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 9:42am
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Gary, Yes, there should be 4 wires. Ether you are missing seeing one or something back there doesn't work!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 11:18am
SO a fuel gauge wire was a factory install? Just not the fuel gauge? It would make a lot of sense, the wire is a yellowish brown one for me, that's blank. My blower I'm moving so it's under the tank next to the rudder box. The newer plastic tank has a little more clearance. Also this will allow the blower to actually clear the fumes from the engine compartment! ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 4:40pm
I got confused Pete,the ones I saw actually had colors on them but nothing to hook this to   ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-04-2013 at 9:27pm
Peter, I would have to say that when the factory installs a gauge, they would wire it as well. Without the wiring, I really don't feel the gauge would work. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: January-08-2013 at 5:11pm
LOL, man you can be a jerk sometimes, but I truly enjoy it! My boat never had a fuel gauge, I'm adding one, but i figured maybe they just ran the extra wire, IE they didn't custom wire each boat, they just had a factory wiring done, and if the wire wasn't used it was just a dead one. Why else do i have an extra wire sitting around not being used? All i was asking was when they wired these boats did they wire the boat to have all wires in case the customer ordered every option, and if they didn't the extra wire wasn't used or did they custom wire the boat to how the customer ordered it? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-08-2013 at 5:35pm
I saw this one, and decided to leave it alone. Because, I don't actually know for a fact how boats of your era where factory wired. However, I'd say your theory is highly probable. This happens all the time on the automotive side. I've been poking around researching adding fog lights and trailer hitch wiring to various different trucks I'm shopping. I'm finding quite often that for fog lights, the kits are literally just the lights and the switch, all the wiring is there even for trucks that didn't come with them. It looks like Nissan Frontiers and XTerras have wiring for the hitch in every truck, but just leave out the last 2 feet or so, in non-hitch trucks, so you just buy this mini harness for the trailer plug. I know that my boat has some accessory switches, and the start of wiring runs, for dash accessories that were never installed. |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: January-08-2013 at 5:44pm
One more example, when I was younger I had a Buick Electra Station wagon that was passed down to me. It has a factory upgraded stereo with digital clock. My friend had a Le-sabre Sedan, that had a cool analog clock on the passenger's side dash. I was curious about adding the clock, so I poked around behind the fake wood trim panel. There was indeed a constant hot feed for the analog clock, that wasn't hooked up to anything in my car.
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Posted By: Hollywood
Date Posted: January-08-2013 at 5:53pm
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Brian is correct, to some extent. I've seen stereo wires run on boats without one. I also remember a thread on PN from way back about it too. ------------- |
Posted By: Air206
Date Posted: January-08-2013 at 6:02pm
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My 2004 Air206 has wiring for a stereo amp I don't have...... and ballast tanks that I don't have..... ------------- https://tinyurl.com/y6t5e3bu" rel="nofollow - 04 Air206 http://tinyurl.com/9urzgls" rel="nofollow - 91 Barefoot 78 SkiTiq |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-17-2013 at 10:41am
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Ok, so i'm heading up to the lake 6 days from now, so I'm quickly gathering all the stuff I need. Peter I'm here to rack your brain again on this, or gary or bri or whoever, I never got this fuel gauge installed. I'm at a loss on a couple things that I don't think are hard just someone with past experience I'm sure can easily answer. Not to go to far off subject, but i need 3 things. 1. Wire that is boat safe? USCG APPROVED??? 2. Water proof heat shrink connecters Peter mentioned, i just want to make sure I get the right stuff. 3. Boat safe Fuel line? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 65 'cuda
Date Posted: June-17-2013 at 10:56am
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Hern marine will have the fuel line in stock, as well as the wire( In bulk, buy what you need)really any stranded copper will work, but if you want the tinned copper they have it, and adhesive lined butt connectors. ------------- Gary http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=941" rel="nofollow - 1965 Barracuda SS |
Posted By: ArtCozier
Date Posted: June-17-2013 at 11:16am
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I can say categorically that ALL CC boats since approximately 1967 have come from the factory with a fuel gauge and the necessary wiring. The marine tank senders were 240 ohm at the full-of-fuel position until we went to all this digital mumbo-jumbo, which I know nothing about. Bits and bytes scare me to death, but DC circuits all obey E = IR. Art ------------- "Art" |
Posted By: TRBenj
Date Posted: June-17-2013 at 12:39pm
Im sure you meant that as a pretty rough approximation, Art, as I own a few early 70's Skiers (and know of several others) that still just have the mechanical gauge mounted to the tank and the glass sight holes in the deck to view them. Maybe closer to '73 or '74 was when they became standard across the whole lineup?V = I R (pretty sure thats what you meant) ------------- |
Posted By: ArtCozier
Date Posted: June-17-2013 at 11:06pm
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OK, I'll buy that. In my day, E represented voltage and there was no Hertz except for the car rental guy. Oscillation rate was in "cycles per second." Vacuum tubes did all the heavy lifting, and you had to wait a couple of minutes for the radio to "warm up." Young whippersnappers!!!!! Art  ------------- "Art" |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-23-2013 at 9:15pm
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Ok i have everything but the ground connected, it looks like they used a red wire to grounf the dash, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. Can anyone with a 69-70 boat confirm for ne? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-23-2013 at 9:31pm
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TP, Get the VOM out and confirm the ground. Yes, some off color wires have been found but you will not be able to confirm the ground unless you do some testing. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: Bri892001
Date Posted: June-24-2013 at 10:32am
The red (pink really) is probably the fuel gauge sender wire. Especially if it's going to the dash. My setup looks like this. Newer boat, but I would think the principle is the same. The red/pink is the sender. The black is the ground to the engine, which is tied to the green, which I think is the ground for the stern light. 
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Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-24-2013 at 1:59pm
My dumbass left my VOM in cincinnati, I might ask my friend if i can borrow his. I actually realized I made a mistake, these Damn 1st gen teleflex guages for these mustangs are horribly marked, they're just stamped randomly. So i followed the wires to the engine block. It looks like the red wire is the ignition wire, the white wire is to the engine block, well not quite the engine block, but it's attached to a metal bracket, then the metal bracket is attached to the start mount, which is solid metal. thne this is attached to the motor block, so there is nothing insulating the wire to the engine block. So I assume it's safe to assume this is the ground? There is also a pretty thick black wire, but it looks to be going to a wired panel back by the engine block. I'll take some pictures, but Peter you're correct a VOM is much needed!! Bri, I think I have the gas tank end all figured out, i wired in a new 14ga wire to the engine block for the ground, then there was an unused yellow 18ga wire that i used as the sender to the dash. There actually still another unused wire chilling in the back of the boat that's white. I'm thinking that might be another ground. I noticed they wired all the grounds in white, which is really strange to me, i figured those to be black. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-24-2013 at 6:29pm
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Here is what i finally did. At the gauge: The sender is going to the fuel tank sender The ign is going to a purple ignition wire off the back of the oil temp gauge. the light is on the blue light so that should be fine. the only area im not sure i thw ground, i have it wired to another gauge labeled ground, but it daisy chains to a big white wire leaving to the back of the boat. Im going to attach oictures here in a few. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-24-2013 at 7:47pm
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TP, The ground connection on the gauge itself is only for the illumination. Typically on the Teleflex plastic case, this will be a copper foil strip going to the gauge bracket. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-25-2013 at 1:06am
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So i should have the ground wired correctly if the light turns on? Because it turns on so that's good haha. The fuel gauge won't read though, so i'm going to just run an entirely new sender wire. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: June-25-2013 at 8:04am
TP, Before you go running a new sender wire, how about doing some testing? There are too many "parts changers" out there. Ohm out the sender as well as the sender wire. I see you replaced the fuel tank. Did you check the sender with the VOM? Have you grounded the sender wire at the tank to see if the gauge pegs? ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: JPASS
Date Posted: June-25-2013 at 9:03am
| I am also having fuel gauge issues, so reading this thread is extremely helpful. One question though, what does VOM mean? Voltage Meter? |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: June-25-2013 at 10:11am
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Yes, 'Volt Ohm Meter' also referred to as a Multi Meter. Get a basic digital one, usually costs about $15. They are very useful. ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: June-25-2013 at 1:29pm
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Harbor freight has free ones with a coupon, or $5 with out, i'll look around and see if i can find one, this might have to be a project for August. ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |