54 Corvette Gas Gauge/Sending Unit

[Robert Albright]

Does anyone know if the 54 gas gauge and sending unit are interchangeable with any other car? I need to have my units checked out to see if they are OK(didn't work before), or where I can get one. Also will be changing to 12 volt, does anyone know what resistor to get (what ohm capacity), or does someone have the units already converted to 12 volt? This would be the simplest route to go.
Thanks, Robert

[Joseph T.]

Re: 54 Corvette Gas Gauge/Sending Unit

Robert

I have a 54 with a fuel injected 57 engine and it was run on 12 volts. The car has not been run since 67 but I would be happy to compare notes.

I also noticed an article in Auto Restorer where a simple kit was available for conversion from generator to alternator. This too might be a good idea...depending on the objective.

Joe Trybulec

[Robert Albright]

Re: 54 Corvette Gas Gauge/Sending Unit

Joe,

I have converted to an alternator, using the 6-cyl original engine. I don't have the gas gauge hooked up (didn't work before the alternator), so assume it is shot. Looking for someone that either has the gas gauge/sending unit, or can rebuild what I have. Had hoped some business out there already has the gauge and sending unit that is converted to 12 volt, or maybe another car has this same gauge. I would guess the 56-57 Vettes would have the same sending unit, but imagine the gauge is different. Any suggestions?

Robert

[Dave Suesz]

Actually, the

ending unit changed, I believe the fuel pickup tube moved to the sender, but as far as I know the gauge was the same. My 55 lost all the smoke from the sender and gauge at the same time about 20 years ago, and I pulled the sender and gauge from (I think) a 56 Chevy pickup. Not interchangeable, but the internal parts were the same, except for the narrowing of the sender at the last 1/4 of the range. Works perfectly, except the gauge does drop faster than original between 1/4 and E.

[Robert Albright]

Re: Actually, the

Do I understand you right - did you use the inner parts of the pickup truck gauge and the sending unit from the pickup truck? My gauge has a small wire burned in two, don't know if the coil in the gauge is ruined or not. Thought I would try to solder it and see if that works. I have narrowed the sending unit down to a pickup truck because of the tank similarity to the Corvette, but did not know what year. The accuracy can be changed by "trial and error" bending the arm with the float.

Did the pickup truck sending unit you used match the original holes in the tank? Also, did the sending unit you used have the fuel pickup tube in it (I am sure the passenger cars had this change, but not sure the trucks did.

Any help appreciated, Thanks, Robert

[Dave Suesz]

Correcting the innacuracy is impossible...

the Corvette tank is tapered at the bottom, so the last part of the fuel goes down faster. The coils in the Corvette sensor are tapered at the end to cause the indication to reflect this. The truck sender is NOT tapered, but decreases at a steady rate. While there is no way to correct this, there is no big deal about this either. The fuel gauge in my 97 Mountaineer does this, and it has no excuse. It just means the last 1/4 indication will drop faster than the other 3/4. I only used the electrical parts of the truck items.