QuestionI have a clipper but someone removed the fuel sending unit and plugged the tank with a patch. I converted it to neg ground, and am going to make a new fuel tank due to rust in the current tank. (i have access to stainless and a tig welder). Now that i have 12 v neg ground ( i think this is like the 1956 Clippers) can i merely order a 1956 sending unit? Do you know the ohm reading required? Ideally i would buy a newer 12v neg ground universal unit, but need to know what the guage expects for resistance. Ideas? thanks!
AnswerThe tank sender and the gauge don't care about polarity, so quit worrying about that.
The sender ranges from around 70 ohms for an empty tank to around 8 ohms for a full tank. The 55 and 56 senders will both work. The resistance reading can be anywhere close - it is not a critical number. The gauges are not very accurate anyway! A universal one that covers that approximate range of resistance will also work fine. Just bend the arm so that it reads right at 1/2 tank, and you'll have to be satisfied with that for the rest of the range.
One thing I have to caution you about is the voltage regulator - if you didn't already change to a negative ground regulator, do it right away, and don't run the car until you do it. The old regulator will seem to work OK for a while, but sooner or later the contacts will stick together, and you will have a nasty underhood fire!
You also need to change the coil to a negative ground coil. The car will run either way, but it will be much easier to start with the right coil in it, and also run better at high speeds.
Dick
