350 fuel sender unit
Discussion
I've got a 350 series 2.The fuel gauge, which has difficulty in telling the truth. I'd be really grateful if someone could shed some to light as to the origins of the fuel sender.
I can imagine it's going to be located on top of the tank, and I would imagine, the tank would have to be dropped in order to remove the sender. But then I could be wrong. I've had the car on the ramps when I rebuilt the exhaust, but I can't remember noticing the tank or tanks. It was three years ago.
So I'd be really grateful if someone could help
1: What car did the sender come from??
2: Does a 350 series 2 have two tanks??
3: And would the tank / tanks have to be removed in order to get access to the sender.
Oh yeah, and is there such a body like the royal society for the protection of TVR's.
And do you think they'd mind If I neatly cut an access panel above the fuel sender, so access could be gained by carefully lifting the carpet and un-screwing (what did you think I would leave a gaping hole)a nice rectangular piece of ally, and of course
a gasket.
Actually it would probably be easier to drop the tank / tanks. If like me you put the same amount of fuel I:e a tenners worth, WHAT!!! anymore and I can smell fuel, so maybe there are two tanks, and the leak is in the connecting pipe between the two tank's, unless its not really a tank and its in fact a bowl. So yeah, by putting the same amount causes wear in the rheostat part of the gauge. The rheostat part of the sender is a flat piece of metal wrapped in an insulator and has some wire wrapped around it. Thus changing the resistance, depending on where the contact is on the coil. by keeping the level roughly in the same place, causes local wear. Which would explain why I can put a tenner and drive a mile up the road and it shows empty.
I've never taken part in any forum before, and I'd really hate to offend anyone by making light of such a passionate forum, and using ten words when one would suffice. johnny the prof
I can imagine it's going to be located on top of the tank, and I would imagine, the tank would have to be dropped in order to remove the sender. But then I could be wrong. I've had the car on the ramps when I rebuilt the exhaust, but I can't remember noticing the tank or tanks. It was three years ago.
So I'd be really grateful if someone could help
1: What car did the sender come from??
2: Does a 350 series 2 have two tanks??
3: And would the tank / tanks have to be removed in order to get access to the sender.
Oh yeah, and is there such a body like the royal society for the protection of TVR's.
And do you think they'd mind If I neatly cut an access panel above the fuel sender, so access could be gained by carefully lifting the carpet and un-screwing (what did you think I would leave a gaping hole)a nice rectangular piece of ally, and of course
a gasket.
Actually it would probably be easier to drop the tank / tanks. If like me you put the same amount of fuel I:e a tenners worth, WHAT!!! anymore and I can smell fuel, so maybe there are two tanks, and the leak is in the connecting pipe between the two tank's, unless its not really a tank and its in fact a bowl. So yeah, by putting the same amount causes wear in the rheostat part of the gauge. The rheostat part of the sender is a flat piece of metal wrapped in an insulator and has some wire wrapped around it. Thus changing the resistance, depending on where the contact is on the coil. by keeping the level roughly in the same place, causes local wear. Which would explain why I can put a tenner and drive a mile up the road and it shows empty.
I've never taken part in any forum before, and I'd really hate to offend anyone by making light of such a passionate forum, and using ten words when one would suffice. johnny the prof
Prof:
350 does indeed have twin tanks. They are under the parcel shelf behind the seats, either side of the central tunnel formed by the chassis.
They are linked by a balance pipe at the lowest point.
Tank sender can be in one of two places depending on year, which way the wind was blowing etc.
In my experience it is USUALLY in the most inaccessible place, the inboard face of the right-hand tank. In other words, next to the centre chassis, with the exhaust, propshaft and christ-knows what else in the way.
Part of the reason for the gauge reponse is the shape of the tanks, a kind of squashed cube with the lower face sloping towards the front of the car. So the level drops reasonably constantly until it's on the slope, then goes daft.
You could bend the float arm to change it, but then you'd have some other daft problem like it reads full when it's only 50%...!
350 does indeed have twin tanks. They are under the parcel shelf behind the seats, either side of the central tunnel formed by the chassis.
They are linked by a balance pipe at the lowest point.
Tank sender can be in one of two places depending on year, which way the wind was blowing etc.
In my experience it is USUALLY in the most inaccessible place, the inboard face of the right-hand tank. In other words, next to the centre chassis, with the exhaust, propshaft and christ-knows what else in the way.
Part of the reason for the gauge reponse is the shape of the tanks, a kind of squashed cube with the lower face sloping towards the front of the car. So the level drops reasonably constantly until it's on the slope, then goes daft.
You could bend the float arm to change it, but then you'd have some other daft problem like it reads full when it's only 50%...!
Just been through this particular pain. Getting fuel starvation as the swirl pot couldn't hold enough fuel for the 520 on full chat through long bends. Built a new bigger 2 litre one and went to fit it. Noticed that the pipe from the tank was moving because the soldering had cracked. and fuel was seeping out. Now's the time to drop the tank think I. Not difficult just very very messy and fortunately I have most of the interior stripped out anyway. Drained the fuel by disconnecting the fuel rail return, running the pumps and collecting the fuel in petrol cans. Quite a quick and easy way of draining the tank.
Got the tank out, flushed and purged it many times and resoldered the pipe. Then thought I'll sort out the sender. Removed the sender and the gasket fell apart. These gaskets are not available so I trot down to the gasket material shop and get a 1 metre roll of cork gasket to make a 3 inch circular gasket. I'm sure it will come in useful at some point.
Bent the arm on the sender so that it measues about 12 ohms when resting on the tank bottom. Refitted everything and then poured in 5 litre of fuel to see where the guage read. On empty it is empty. 5 litres is just below 1/8, 10 litres is around 1/4 and so on. Seems to be pretty accurate at the "important you are getting low" range.
To do this, the tank has to come out. I wouldn't have done it if I didnt have to sort out the leak. As for the sender type it looked fairly generic to me but there are two types: one with five small bolts and another with a locking ring.
steve
www.shpub.co.uk
Got the tank out, flushed and purged it many times and resoldered the pipe. Then thought I'll sort out the sender. Removed the sender and the gasket fell apart. These gaskets are not available so I trot down to the gasket material shop and get a 1 metre roll of cork gasket to make a 3 inch circular gasket. I'm sure it will come in useful at some point.
Bent the arm on the sender so that it measues about 12 ohms when resting on the tank bottom. Refitted everything and then poured in 5 litre of fuel to see where the guage read. On empty it is empty. 5 litres is just below 1/8, 10 litres is around 1/4 and so on. Seems to be pretty accurate at the "important you are getting low" range.
To do this, the tank has to come out. I wouldn't have done it if I didnt have to sort out the leak. As for the sender type it looked fairly generic to me but there are two types: one with five small bolts and another with a locking ring.
steve
www.shpub.co.uk
Remember that taking the tanks out requires quite a lot as they don't come out on their own...
Posted on this when I was working on fuel lines and tanks about 3 years ago, and the response was that you need to drop the rear axle or something like that (Steve?). Ended up painting the tanks under the car (and it was not too bad a job).
Unbolting the tank with the sender could provide access to the sender, but as it is inaccurate I wouldn't bother to improve it. Especially as working on it can be a potential source for creating other problems.....
Rob
Posted on this when I was working on fuel lines and tanks about 3 years ago, and the response was that you need to drop the rear axle or something like that (Steve?). Ended up painting the tanks under the car (and it was not too bad a job).
Unbolting the tank with the sender could provide access to the sender, but as it is inaccurate I wouldn't bother to improve it. Especially as working on it can be a potential source for creating other problems.....
Rob
350zwelgje said:
Remember that taking the tanks out requires quite a lot as they don't come out on their own...
Indeed, to get the o/s tank out you will need to cut the corner of the inner wheel arch to get the filler neck to clear. Not a bad job as it's hidden underneath. I made mine into a small removable panel.
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