fuel gauge needle

[Bextreme04]

Sure enough, I have the one out of the 90 suburban cluster I am using for the electric Speedo and tach. Looks pretty darn identical to your pic and is in perfect shape. Little bit of dust on it, but otherwise cherry. I can drop it in the mail tomorrow morning if you want. It’s pretty small, probably would fit in USPS priority box?

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[SirRobyn0]

I might have one that you can have for the cost of shipping too. It would probably get to you next day, since I'm just a little bit south of you. I think I have two or three different ones, including the one in my truck right now since I'm going to a tach cluster.

I probably would have taken you up on that since you are so much closer. But I've worked out a deal with dsteel, and will be sticking to it. If however that changes I'll be in touch. Thanks.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Sure enough, I have the one out of the 90 suburban cluster I am using for the electric Speedo and tach. Looks pretty darn identical to your pic and is in perfect shape. Little bit of dust on it, but otherwise cherry. I can drop it in the mail tomorrow morning if you want. It’s pretty small, probably would fit in USPS priority box?

You must be registered for see images attach

The only real difference is pictures instead of E & F. See my previous post. and thanks again for the offer, it just came a little bit to late.

 

[Bextreme04]

The only real difference is pictures instead of E & F. See my previous post. and thanks again for the offer, it just came a little bit to late.

ok, no worries. I just thought you needed it now and he wasn't able to send it until next week.

 

[SirRobyn0]

I wanted to let everyone know that is following this thread, I purchased @dsteelejr fuel gauge, it arrived to today in great shape today. I'm hopeful that I will get to install it in the next few days, but I want to do a couple other things while I'm in there and I have a deadline to meet on a farm project so it might get delayed. While I had a fire under my butt to fix it when it first happened in the long run the most important thing is that I get it done correctly and get other issues taken care of while I'm in there. If I get rolling on it this weekend I'll post a thread another thread on it cause I know you can't wait to see in my dash

 

[BRetty]

Don't touch the needle. Super delicate & break easily.

I second that warning about the needle being fragile. They are apparently made of spun sugar and low self-esteem.

I carefully set mine on the bench, but one of my test leads bumped the needle and it "fell to pieces" like a Southern lady at a wake.

The replacement I bought from LMC (a 1981 type) has been fine. (Still not very useful, of course, until I fix the float in my gas tank that sticks at 5/8 full. ...)

BR

 

[SirRobyn0]

I second that warning about the needle being fragile. They are apparently made of spun sugar and low self-esteem.

I carefully set mine on the bench, but one of my test leads bumped the needle and it "fell to pieces" like a Southern lady at a wake.

The replacement I bought from LMC (a 1981 type) has been fine. (Still not very useful, of course, until I fix the float in my gas tank that sticks at 5/8 full. ...)

BR

If you weren't already aware of this, there is a resistor on the back of the fuel gauge, if bad it will prevent the gauge from reading full.

 

[BRetty]

If you weren't already aware of this, there is a resistor on the back of the fuel gauge, if bad it will prevent the gauge from reading full.

Good info, but the gauge I have is new (from LMC) and it reads correctly *above* 5/8, from 5/8 to full. Clearly the float on the sending unit is mechanically stuck and can't move below a certain level. Oh well, this week my buddy and I will remove the bed and take care of the gas tank fuel lines and lots of stuff that needs attention.

BR

 

[SirRobyn0]

I wanted to let everyone know that is following this thread, I purchased @dsteelejr fuel gauge, it arrived to today in great shape today. I'm hopeful that I will get to install it in the next few days, but I want to do a couple other things while I'm in there and I have a deadline to meet on a farm project so it might get delayed. While I had a fire under my butt to fix it when it first happened in the long run the most important thing is that I get it done correctly and get other issues taken care of while I'm in there. If I get rolling on it this weekend I'll post a thread another thread on it cause I know you can't wait to see in my dash

Well things never go exactly how I want them too. I'm tired of not having a properly working fuel gauge, so today at lunch at the shop I tore into. I'm not going to have time to pull the speedocable and lube it as I had wanted to. So instead this is a remove the gauge with the cluster in place situation. I think I can change the burned out bulbs from the front and get that knocked out atleast.

So I got it torn down and the new fuel gauge installed. I've got about nothing in the left tank and a full right tank, so I flipped the ignition switch on, flipped the tank switch to the right tank and the gauge went up to the full mark! So that's it, it was the gauge. I just need to change those couple of burned out bulbs and reassemble after work.

 

[dsteelejr]

Well things never go exactly how I want them too. I'm tired of not having a properly working fuel gauge, so today at lunch at the shop I tore into. I'm not going to have time to pull the speedocable and lube it as I had wanted to. So instead this is a remove the gauge with the cluster in place situation. I think I can change the burned out bulbs from the front and get that knocked out atleast.

So I got it torn down and the new fuel gauge installed. I've got about nothing in the left tank and a full right tank, so I flipped the ignition switch on, flipped the tank switch to the right tank and the gauge went up to the full mark! So that's it, it was the gauge. I just need to change those couple of burned out bulbs and reassemble after work.

Glad it works. Even though it worked when it took it out a year and half ago there is always that thought in the back my mind that for whatever reason it quit working and I just sold a bad gauge to someone.

Good deal.

 

[SirRobyn0]

Glad it works. Even though it worked when it took it out a year and half ago there is always that thought in the back my mind that for whatever reason it quit working and I just sold a bad gauge to someone.

Good deal.

It seems to be working just fine. In fact I think it's working better than the old one was when it worked. Also noticed that my other gauges are sun bleaches a little compared to the one from you. It's a minor detail and a non-issue to me, just an observation because I'd not realized my gauges had any of that.

Well I reassembled after work and drove home. I replaced the fuel gauge, replaced the two burned out bulbs, but had wanted to replace all of the backlight bulbs, and I took the oil pressure gauge out cleaned the contacts and reassembled. I've had a long standing issue of the oil pressure gauge giving an intermittent false high reading, that a tap on the dash would fix. Not sure the contact cleaning will fix it, but we'll see. So the only thing I did not touch and do was to pull the speedocable and lube. Time just did not allow for that, but now I've got the main problems fixed, so very happy about that.

Anyone know off hand if it's possible to disconnect the speedocable and pull it down under the dash to access it? I'm just thinking if I want to take care of lubing it in the future.

 

[Goldie Driver]

It seems to be working just fine. In fact I think it's working better than the old one was when it worked. Also noticed that my other gauges are sun bleaches a little compared to the one from you. It's a minor detail and a non-issue to me, just an observation because I'd not realized my gauges had any of that.

Well I reassembled after work and drove home. I replaced the fuel gauge, replaced the two burned out bulbs, but had wanted to replace all of the backlight bulbs, and I took the oil pressure gauge out cleaned the contacts and reassembled. I've had a long standing issue of the oil pressure gauge giving an intermittent false high reading, that a tap on the dash would fix. Not sure the contact cleaning will fix it, but we'll see. So the only thing I did not touch and do was to pull the speedocable and lube. Time just did not allow for that, but now I've got the main problems fixed, so very happy about that.

Anyone know off hand if it's possible to disconnect the speedocable and pull it down under the dash to access it? I'm just thinking if I want to take care of lubing it in the future.

Yes, without a doubt.
Done it several times.

And, a few of the bulbs can be reached from under the dash, like the left side of the speedo- it's up on top.

Ask me how I know.

 

[SirRobyn0]

@Goldie Driver Thanks that's good information, and now I know I won't have to disassemble again to get at the speedocable!

 

[BRetty]

Regarding the speedometer cable, I have a quetion and a bit of info.

SPEEDOMETER CABLE LUBRICANT: I have discovered that Foredom Power Tools' Flexible Shaft Lubricant is the exact thing for the speedo flex cable:

MS10006 Grease​

(Foredom are a 100-year-old company making tools for dentists and jewlers, like big Dremels for adults. If you need the stuff, please buy from them, it's great they still support their older models.)

My cable connection to the gauge cluster is iffy, my cluster is a 81 and the cable may be another year (My trans is a TH350C). I don't have the right clip to secure it, and the routing is awkward. I'll get a picture and maybe somebody can point me to the right LMC partr.

BR

 

[Raider L]

weird. the first page just reprinted.