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Topic: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage? (Read 982 times) previous topic - next topic

"Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Our '89 GV ORED sat in storage for nine years sometime in the past. I do not know how the float on the sender unit is configured but is it possible that some corrosion or crud has caused the sender to not indicate over 3/8 full? Maybe that was how much was in the 100 gallon tank while it sat. Would it be possible to "free" up the sender if I removed it and worked it until loose?
I do intend to drop the tank after our next trip but right now looking for advice.

Fire trucks built at FWD-Clintonville, WI on the Oshkosh chassis always had an access port in the floor so the sender could be removed for calibration. I checked with FOT and they do not include this feature as the access panel would be right in the middle of the living room/kitchen floor.
Thanks
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #1 –
My 93 GV(460 gas front engine Oskosh) had a nonfunctioning sending unit when I bought it.  I pulled the tank and determined it was open.  Since the resistance reading was printed on the unit I figured it would be a snap to find one.  That didn't happen.  Called the factory in CA and they had stopped producing the unit years ago.  They were nice enough to give me the name of a place in CA that would fix it for me.  I had to send the whole unit to them, mounting plate and all.  Took them a couple of weeks but worked fine when it returned.  The big problem I have had is Foretravel doesn't have a lot of data on what Oskosh installed on the frame.  If it is in the body they have all the answers, the Oskosh side is less clear.  Asking Oskosh, Frieghtliner, was a joke.
Bill and Doris
OKC
Bill and Doris
93 GV gas

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #2 –
After you remove the tank, you could try a carb cleaner spray. Comes in a large spray can with a red plastic wand. Could be rust so any fix might be temporary.

When you have it off, you might take it by a truck shop or NAPA if they have a truck counter (not all do) and see what they have in their catalogues to replace it with. Once it is cleaned up, you may be able to read the part number, etc. and compare to something online also.

Think I would replace it if possible as it's not the easiest thing to get to.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #3 –
It has been awhile since I worked on these coaches, but seems like the senders were 230 ohm units. When we could not get the correct oskosh sender from foretravel we were able to get a universal unit that you had to make the correct height, there were instructions on how to put it together, I would definitly replace it when it is out of the tank as those senders have a tendency to go bad, good luck
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #4 –
Thanks all. I do intend to take the sender unit to auto supply and truck service places and try for a replacement unit after I get it out. If no luck then I will attempt freeing up the unit. If "no joy In Mudville" I will go back to the old current way of estimating MPG now that I know we definitely have a 100 gal tank.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #5 –
Pretty easy to make a dip stick for the tank. If you have the exterior dimensions, you can calculate how many gallons each inch is worth. Super accurate if the rig is level each time you measure. PM with measurements (length, width & height) and I will figure it for you

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #6 –
Mine shows full for a very long time after filling up, then it works properly  for a very little while, and then it starts bouncing like it has a loose connection or bad ground.  When traveling I usually try to fill up at the end of the day, even when we get home.  So that way it stays full!
1994 U225
build #4514

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #7 –
Original owner had sender in fuel tank replaced three times .  I have given up.  It reads 1/2 when you fill it up and when you actually do reach 1/2 from there on down it is accurate.
My method is to fill it up, watch odometer and at 800 miles or so look for fuel, under normal circumstances I could run 900 to 1000 miles but I choose 800 as my fuel point.  May sound crazy but it works.
Gary B

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart –
Pretty easy to make a dip stick for the tank. If you have the exterior dimensions, you can calculate how many gallons each inch is worth. Super accurate if the rig is level each time you measure. PM with measurements (length, width & height) and I will figure it for you

Pierce

Pierce,

In theory, a good solution. But I believe the fuel tank on the ORED is mounted between the frame rails-- hard to get to.

And irrespective of location, one would have to engineer a new opening and be able to insure that it is totally leak-proof.

I would try to find out the OE design and find a replacement or have the original repaired.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #9 –
Pierce, I am going to do what Brett suggests. A dip stick would have to go into the fill opening, down about a foot, then toward the rear about three feet, then left turn into the tank on the driver's side near the top. Kinda difficult to make all the turns and still have the dip stick make another turn towards the bottom of the tank.

Pierce, thanks for the offer of calibrating a dip stick, but I spent 51 years in engineering and have some idea of how to convert the issues involved. I'd tell you to go ahead and do it but I would hope you have more enjoyable things to do.

Thanks anyway!!
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #10 –
Brett,

Yes, naturally a new sending unit would do the trick if you can pull the tank. My tank filler in my U300 is where I can easily stick a rod straight down to the bottom of my rectangular tank in a couple of seconds. I just use the end of a metal tape measure that I have cut off, read the inches where the liquid marks the tape and then figuring the gallons per inch, very accurately figure how many gallons I have in the tank. No electronics or guessing. In a pinch, I can measure, figure the gallons remaining and then estimate how many miles I can go before running out. Nice to know if driving Baja and a couple of stations in a row are out of fuel. After a hurricane, I had to drive 35 mph for 200 miles to be able to stretch my fuel to the next station with diesel.

Nighthawk,

Was not meaning to impugn your math skills but was writing for the generic owner. I have trouble reading calendars so figure others may also.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #11 –
Pierce,

Yes, with the Unihome tank layout, a measuring rod is easily used.

But, on the ORED, tank location makes that all but impossible.

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #12 –
I would leave it alone for a while as a stuck unit sometimes unsticks itself from the vibration of the coach.

If that does not work you have a new off season project!


Keith
Keith, Joyce & Smokey the Australian Cattle Dog
1995 U320 SE Extreme 40' WTBI Build # 4780, with a Honda CR-V hopefully still following behind.
Motorcade # 17030
FMCA # F422159

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #13 –
FWIW,
This may sound so simple you may have already thought of it, but previously when I had a vehicle that had a malfunctioning fuel guage, I would just fill it up and then keep track of how many miles I had driven and when I got to somewhere near what I would expect to be about 1/4 tank, I would fill it up again and start the process all over again.  So, using my FT which holds about 100 gallons fully expect to get about 7mpg this would equate to about 700 miles until empty.  I would recommend to start looking for a place to refill when I had driven about 500 miles.  This would leave you with a safe margin for error.  Then after some time of driving/using the FT, it might just start working again (as mentioned).  I too have had some problems with a fuel sending unit on my Ford truck, that resolved with time and use.  And...if it is not self correcting, you can still get it fixed.  Good Luck
Best of Travels
 

Re: "Stuck" Fuel Sender for gage after nine years in storage?

Reply #14 –
Charles, what you suggest is exactly what we have been doing. BUT, this dumbass measured the tank and mistakenly came up with a volume of 75 gallons so we have been stopping and refueling between 300 and 400 miles. It wasn't until this dumbass crawled under the coach and, this time, saw and read the stamped information on the back end of the tank that read 100 gallon capacity. So, for the last two years we have been operating on a considerable safety margin. Guess it worked out OK as we have been averaging 8.55 MPG pulling our Geo Tracker against headwinds up to 30 MPH. Stronger headwinds (30-60 MPH) have knocked us all the way down to 6.55 and 30 MPH tailwinds have taken us up to that rarefied 11.94 MPG
But, having that being said, it still would be nice to have a functioning gauge. I guess I am used to (during my working days) having things work that were designed to work. I know for sure that I would have designed access to the sender somehow.
Nitehawk,  Demolition Lady, & our NEW master, Zippy the speeding BB cat.
1989 Grand Villa 36' ORED
Oshkosh chassis, 8.2 DD V8
2006 Saturn Vue AWD