Either the fuel gage or maybe it is the sending unit in the gas tank of my 1978 Dodge van has quit working again.I already replaced all of the fuses in that little plastic fuse holder inside the dashboard glove compartment.I guess I am going to have to disconnect the fuel line from the fuel filter under the van and drain the gas and drop the gas tank replace the old sending unit with a new one, I dread having to have to do that.
If I remember, I think there is a little pipe plug on the bottom of the tank.I think I once tied to remove that pipe plug, but it was rusted on there so tight, it was impossible.I rarely drive my van anywhere anymore but to the food store every two weeks and to a discount tobacco store every two or three months for cigarette tobacco (I hand roll my own cigs) and to a vetritinary supply store every three months for dog food.Since I dont drive so much, what I think I would like to do is use a narrow diameter flexible lenght of clear tubing about a pencil diameter or smaller and put that down the gas filler pipe and hold my thumb over one end of the tubing and then yank it out quickly to get some idea of how much gas is in the tank.But that baffle in the gas tank wont let me do that.Does anybody know where (website or whatever?) I can find a picture/photo of what that baffle looks like? If I can find a piece of non sparking rod, bronze, or something, I think I would poke a hole through that baffle big enough for a piece of tubing.
When I bought that van in 1989, it had two fuel tanks.One of the tanks was caved in right in the middle on the bottom of that tank as though somebady had ran over something and mashed that tank in.I removed that tank about two years after I bought the van, the tank is still sitting in my back yard.I think I will remove the sending unit and clean it up with mineral spirits or gas and a little old paint brush.Is there a way I can use one of my multimeters and test that sending unit to see if it is in good condition.That old van isn't worth much money, I will never sell it except maybe someday to an auto junk yard, so the van (tank and all) will never be somebody elses problems. cuhulin