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deronmoped Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2006 Posts: 375 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 2:11 pm Post subject: Alternative fuel guage? |
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Well, my sender failed in my fuel tank. Right now, I do not want to cut a hole or pull the engine. Does anyone have a tricky way of measuring the fuel level? I usually keep track of mileage, but I'm looking for a better way. I though of using a dip stick, that might work pretty good. I figured I would wait till I need a clutch or some other work that would require pulling the engine.
Thanks, Deron. |
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bsairhead Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2008 Posts: 3473 Location: viroqua wi.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 2:22 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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I have used a wooden dowel on old tractors. |
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dodger tom Samba Member
Joined: March 25, 2013 Posts: 1227 Location: Central Coast, CA, but we're all still Ukrainian
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 2:24 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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Not sure a dowel would make the turns in a bay.
I just count miles. Only messed up three times in six years. Helps to have AAA road-side. _________________ 1978 Champaign Edition Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled. |
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bsairhead Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2008 Posts: 3473 Location: viroqua wi.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 2:37 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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dodger tom wrote: |
Not sure a dowel would make the turns in a bay.
I just count miles. Only messed up three times in six years. Helps to have AAA road-side. |
Forgot it wasn't a straight shot. Weighted string? How about you fill it up run it out carrying a gas can and check the mileage.
Last edited by bsairhead on Sun May 08, 2022 2:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 2:38 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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Depends on the year, how about you put the year and model of your bus in your signature line?, my crystal ball's on the fritz. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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try not to go below half tank. Put a sticky pad on the dash and write the mileage down TO BUY GAS. If you get 18 mpg buy gas every 125 - 175 miles. That would be 1/2 - 1/3 full tank roughly. But it depends on the year because tank sizes and mileage vary slightly. Fill it up each time you buy gas. If you can't afford to then if you put in say 10 gallons buy gas 150 miles later to be safe. (10 x 15 mpg)
1971 is 15 gallons x 18 mpg = 270 miles. Much more you will be walking.
Carry a steel 5 gallon NATO gerry can full of gas with you too. That is what I used to do when the gauge was acting up. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin
Last edited by SGKent on Sun May 08, 2022 4:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16922 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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As Steve was saying you use the “known quantity “ method. So, either drain your tank and fill it with the required full quantity or just top it off and watch your mileage. 14 gallons/15 miles per gallon= time to get more gas.
What year is your bus and why not fix it?
Edit: I see no reason why you’d have a problem cutting an access hole? From looking at your gallery, you have a very non-original bus. A 4 1/2 inch hole saw located in the correct place will get that sender right out of there. Then you use some donor metal and make a cover. Easy. _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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later Samba Member
Joined: September 16, 2004 Posts: 121 Location: Posen, Michigan
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 5:25 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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_________________ "It could blow up at any time......but it should be OK."
(me) - "Im sorry Officer, its impossible to drive a straight line in a VW camper in a strong wind."
(Officer) - "Are you telling me sir that you are driving an unsafe vehicle?"...........(This no longer applys since installation of new Koni's.) |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 6:28 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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later wrote: |
[img]pics[/img] |
Now that's thinking, I approve! _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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deronmoped Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2006 Posts: 375 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 4:58 am Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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I do keep track of mileage. I also put a piece of hose in the Bus and can use that to put in the tank and then blow air through it to see if there is gas left.
I just though of a method. Would require a "T" in the gas line coming from the tank to the pump. Put a "T" in that line and run a clear hose up above the level of the filler. That way you could see the level of the gas. |
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deronmoped Samba Member
Joined: November 18, 2006 Posts: 375 Location: San Diego
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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It's a 1970. And I plan on fixing the sender as soon as the engine needs to be pulled for some other reason.
I do not want to cut a hole, because of the amount of time involved. |
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SGKent Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2007 Posts: 41031 Location: Citrus Heights CA (Near Sacramento)
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 6:36 am Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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deronmoped wrote: |
It's a 1970. And I plan on fixing the sender as soon as the engine needs to be pulled for some other reason.
I do not want to cut a hole, because of the amount of time involved. |
You are in San Diego. Coordinate with Gary and Telford, and you can probably pull the engine, firewall, sender, fix it and be done in a couple hours. _________________ “Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin |
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creative native Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2007 Posts: 1227 Location: WNC
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 6:54 am Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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I believe these vintage mileage counters could be used for that purpose. I heard that someone in England is reproducing these.
_________________ "The holy land is everywhere." ~ Black Elk
1979 Westfalia P27, California FI emissions spec. 100% VW fleet: '79 Westfalia, 2013 Touareg Lux (Toffee Brown/Cornsilk Beige), 2005 Passat GLX. |
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busdaddy Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004 Posts: 51057 Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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You can get a stick down in to a 70's tank, make sure it's a clean one, and don't lose it in there.
But the mileage record works too, if you are coming up on 200 it's time for gas. _________________ Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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mikedjames Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2012 Posts: 2714 Location: Hamble, Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 12:45 pm Post subject: Re: Alternative fuel guage? |
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On boats you can use a low pressure range pressure sensor below the tank in a fuel line or at the lowest point of the tank to measure the pressure due to the height of fuel above it.
If you know the profile of the tank, you can get a fairly accurate measurement of the amount of fuel in the tank.
I used a commercial NMEA2000 sensor on a boat a couple of years back - you programmed it with the tank profile then it reported liters/gallons of fuel.
The same manufacturer also made a sonar version that pinged the distance to the top of the fuel in the tank, but the vibration from a single cylinder diesel generator made it misread unless you unscrewed the sensor from the top of the tank and held it.
https://www.maretron.com/products/tlm150.php
It uses NMEA2000 which is CAN bus .. so you would need to hunt around the internet for software libraries for an Arduino.
These days with all the Arduino hardware around, you should be able to measure the pressure using e.g. an analog 0..5 psi to 0.5 to 4.5volt pressure transducer, map it to a "stock" fuel sender curve, and then pulse width modulate the current into a 10 ohm resistor in series with the stock gauge. .. _________________ Ancient vehicles and vessels
1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.
1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy |
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