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1975fflh
03-07-2006, 06:07 PM
Hi

I have a 120 litre underfloor tank is there any way that I can fit a fuel guage the only holes are the filler and the breather and outlet.

I know they are not very accurate but it would have to beat sticking a screw driver in.

Thanks

dan099
03-07-2006, 06:26 PM
hi mate i got one fron whitworths at kawana waters and fitted it my self beside he filler very easy job aprox ten minute

Spaniard_King
03-07-2006, 07:08 PM
Just remember 1 spark and it will be all over, we will be reading about it in the papers ;)

Your going to need to empty and remove the tank.

wash the tank out and fill with carbon monoxide.

drill and tap your holes

clean the tank of all the metal filings

install the sender

put tank back in boat

Wire it up

Should kep you busy one weekend ;)

Garry

1975fflh
03-07-2006, 09:41 PM
Did you have to cut or drill, I am a bit worried about it going KABOOOM.

blaze
03-07-2006, 10:39 PM
buy a fuel flow meter
NAVMAN- fuel 2100 = $329
thats priced from the first book I picked up off the floor
cheap if compared to a life
cheers
blaze

drb
04-07-2006, 10:06 AM
Get a piece of dowel or broomstick and cut notches in it at 1 cm.
Work out how many litres per centimetre and your sweet. (easy if tank is square, bit more complicated if its not)

Accurate and cheap.

Dazz

Noelm
04-07-2006, 10:17 AM
best way to make a "dipstick" is to get a suitable length of wood and get the tank as empty as possible, then go to the servo and put in set amount at a time, say 20 litres, dip in the stick, note depth and mark it, repeat untill tank is full and you have a "custom made" dipstick that will take into account odd shape of tank etc.

moondancer
04-07-2006, 12:05 PM
You sound like you're not too sure about fitting this yourself. If in doubt, and you're not very handy, either go the dipstick, or pay your local marine outlet to fit it for you - safer, and maybe reasonably priced. Kaboom has no returns!!

Ron173
04-07-2006, 04:29 PM
I'd have to say that the dipstick is only as accurate as:-

1/ you 'calibrate it'

2/ how calm it is when you take your reading.

I certainly wouldnt like to calculate my ability to get home safely by such a crude method, remember lives could be at risk.

Most fuel guages are baffled/damped to account for movement of the boat. Whilst not 100% accurate, you can at least tell at a glance if you have half your fuel left, and should be heading home.

Think safety, and pay a dealer to fit one properly.

Rgds

Ron

PinHead
04-07-2006, 04:44 PM
just empty and drill and fit it yourself.

the fuel guage on my boat is always faulty...the further I go the bloody thing goes backwards...not impressed with that idea.

wessel
04-07-2006, 05:03 PM
Garry

Nothing personal mate, but why use CO to inert the tank? Not a gas that takes kindly to brain tissue in any quantity.
An option to consider is nitrogen inerting - still has safety requirements when dealing with the stuff but less of a biological effect on the old brain tissues if you should get exposed by accident to toxic levels.

For resolving the proble;
Either a dipstick or install a sender unit.

Wess

Spaniard_King
04-07-2006, 05:38 PM
Wess,

basically cause it's the cheapest and most easy to get hold of :) just get a hose, put over ya tail pipe and put it into the tank 8-)

Garry

familyman
04-07-2006, 07:00 PM
I filled my tank with refigerant then cut the hole with a cordless drill sealed in a plastic bag.Still here to type this so it must have been ok :o ;D
I put a sight glass into my tank but should have put it next to the side as there is no visual reference to tell me how deep the fuel is except when its near empty :-[ more money on the mortgage ;)
Lowrance also do the fuel flow meters,do a search on ebay for fuel flow meters,should get you some info.
cheers jon

saurian
04-07-2006, 07:53 PM
1975 , had 3 gauges not one worked to the stage you could say it gauged anything.
Navman computer thingy , have had 3 still got 2 . Within 10 % accurate . Good old dipstick , have 2 , 100% accurate.
Notch peice of dowel at intervals while filling up from empty.
I would do dipstick if i was you , bit cheaper than gauge and navman.

PinHead
04-07-2006, 08:45 PM
familyman..when did you do that with refrigerant???
Nitrogen is the safest way...completely safe - non toxice..just some care is required when using as it is under high pressure in the cylinder.

sid_fishes
04-07-2006, 08:58 PM
aghhhhhhh, once a metal worker always a metalworker, as garry said drain the tank hook up a pipe from your exhaust onyour car run till you think its safe and then some i had a smartarse tell me it had been washed out etc etc etc and as soon as i went near it sat me on my arse 10 feet away , these days i just build new tanks or make a dip stip shit thats all i have and works well cheers ian

S_Bend
04-07-2006, 10:24 PM
1975, I'm fairly good with some general boat work but I'm not confident I could safely do this job myself and it sounds like you're not either. I don't want to presume anything here but paying someone else to do a job that could be dangerous would probably be the cheapest option (considering yours or someone elses life could be at risk). Not only that, what if you make a mistake with the installation and it misreads the remaining fuel - it could read you have a 1/4 tank left when you are almost dry. I also have a 120 litre under floor tank with fuel guage factory fitted (Yamaha guages on the console). If I think I may use close to the full tank, I will take a couple of 20 litre jerry cans with me.

Good luck whichever way you choose.

1975fflh
15-07-2006, 09:24 PM
Jamayiz

That sounds like a great idea. I am OK with repairing most things but am smart enough to ask when I am not sure or to research it a bit before I do, It is certainly easy enough to drill a couple of holes and such but your right the danger factor is very high, a bit for me.




Thanks every one you have helped enormously.

mark221263
16-07-2006, 03:51 PM
The easiest safest and best way is to get a Navman F2100 fuel gauge and sender as these go on the fuel line and not in the tank and monitor the amount of fuel passing through the fuel line.

Cheapest place I've found to buy one is at Starmarinedepot.com in the USA for US$110, all up cost will be about $200 Australian at your door.

Plus you will know fuel flow rate so you can also pinpoint the best speed prop etc for ecconomy.

Cheers Mark