One quick question and a reference to save $$$

[91Wagoneerer]

Here's the story. My brakes were sluggish, thought it was the master cylinder but it turns out it was the brake lines leaking. To replace the lines they must drop the fuel tank, but the support holding the tank is so rusty that if they take it down it will fall apart and I will need to buy a skid plate to hold the gas tank when they put it back up. Well, I called a Jeep place and they wanted $314.00 for a new one, I looked at JWJEEP and they wanted $175 and it would cost $50 bucks to ship (not a bad deal). I then called Eastern Automovie Parts in Newton Grove, NC (www.easternautomotive.net),they have lots of jeep parts, and they had one for....$35 dollars, with brackets. I was so happy I almost bought two. They are shipping it out tomorrow. Now, here is the thing, my gas needle doesn't work. While the tank is down should I go ahead and replace the sending unit? I am not sure if that is the problem. I heard the gauge could be the problem. Are there any tests to see? Is it much easier to install with the tank down, or can I wait and go in though the hole under the back seat? What do you think?

[rigger]

while your tank is out take out the whole float unit and hook it up then move it to the full position if it was always reading empty brace it there check gauge . i say this because my float had a needle hole in it and it fill with fuel so i made the hole bigger drained it and then saldered it as a new one was going to take five days to ship . if that doesn't work you have to ask some one else for the resistance numbers and use a fluke meter .

[WagonBurner]

Could be a bad ground also. My gauge worked for me once, for about 2 minutes coming out of a muddy play area. I have to drop my tank again. Its not too hard of a job to do the lines back there. I dont have the coffin on my tank anymore, most of it came off with some tugging. You can put it back on without the skidplate. I drilled a hole to hold a strap just behind the drivers seat rear inside mount. If ya have dual exhaust I think it might be more of a pita.

[joe]

With the key-ON ground the hot wire going to the gauge at the sending unit. If the gauge goes to F it's the sending unit or it's not grounded. If it doesn't move it's in the wire to the gauge or the gauge itself. You can check if the sending unit is good by checking the resistance with an ohmmeter. It should read about 5 ohms at empty and 73 at full.

[jhatcher]

If it is the sending unit that is bad and you need one drop me a line. I have one off a 87 Grand Wagoneer.

Joseph

[91Wagoneerer]

Thanks. Right now, as soon as I crank the jeep it goes straight to full and stays there. From what I have read, that sounds like either a bad sending unit, or it needs grounding? Is my summation correct?

[River Beast]

If any other gage is fulty... might want to check the connection at the back of the cluster as well. I had intermitten gages. I took the cluster out to find that the circuit paper conncectors (8 in a cirle) were all loose. I carefully soldered them in place and haven't had a prolbem since... that was 4 years ago....

Always a good idea to check the sending unit while the tank is down... ;) especially if your fuel gage is in-op