vw 73 super beetle gas tank and fuel level sender install

[@yardley1740]

Good video, got a super beetle of my own that needs a tank, this was helpful

[@renragged]

Hahaha. Wow! That filter was full of goo. I'll bet mine is looking similar. Gonna have to take the tank out and do this sort of maintenance soon.

[@jayshudde9108]

Topline Parts in Ca. are Super Beetle specialists, better than Mid America and give great advice over the phone

[@redshirt-scotty]

yup, i've ordered plenty of stuff from topline and chatted with them on the phone a couple times. i like to spread the money around a bit and mamo can ship to me faster. i live closer to illinois.

[@michaeld.3779]

Use a simple pair of channel locks to loosen or tighten the sender to the tank. Why you used a 2x4 for this job is a mystery. Just open up your channel locks and grab two of the cutout edges on top of the sender, then turn to loosen or tighten. A little WD-40 rubber with a finger in the tank flange, helps the o-ring to seat well.

[@redshirt-scotty]

you're assuming that i had channel locks. i did not. mystery solved. i still need to pull the tank and sender to finalize calibration of the sending unit. project for spring 2019. i'll try my new channel locks on it next time around.

[@jandst.6634]

@@redshirt-scotty Just do not warp that sender! I used a screwdriver square shaft, many times.

[@jandst.6634]

Hay Scotty... Here is another thread I started about the tank, sender and gauge. You will find it interesting. www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8974227#8974227

[@jamesmitchell3634]

I can't find lines that hook up to over spill tube. Left side? Any idea on routing?

[@redshirt-scotty]

there may be some good information at this thesamba discussion: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=713211

[@CC_Hunters]

Should've shown what sort of mechanical adjustments you did to make the gauge read to the corrects levels.

[@redshirt-scotty]

it's a two part process. first get the stops on the sending unit set while it's out of the tank. that's the part that you're referring to and is easy. just bend the stops. maybe i'll post another vid on it. anyway, the second part is actually filling the tank and trying to get the sending unit to send to those step one levels. that's the hard part. haven't done it yet and i may not. time will tell. thanks for commenting.

[@edmurphy671]

Did you empty the tank before you sanded it? Sanding especially with a sanding wheel makes sparks. Sparks around gas and BOOM!

[@redshirt-scotty]

ed, did you watch the whole vid?

[@jandst.6634]

Everyone is suffering from this problem.. There Beetle gas gauges are going to be forever messed up unless this process is performed...along with the two links to samba that I provided... This is not only going to apply to Super Beetles but it will for ALL. Bus, etc. Thanks Scotty!

[@redshirt-scotty]

when i was working with my '73s original sender and noticed the resistance wire had snapped i gave some serious thought to opening it up and rewiring the thing. problem was, the body of the sender was really corroded so i chucked it. all this is making me wonder if the 3 devices on my '74 are going to come to life when i get back to that project.

[@TyJoyZee]

what screws did you attach to the board & how far apart were they? Great video!

[@redshirt-scotty]

did you want to post that comment about this gas tank vid? not sure what screws and board you mean.

[@TyJoyZee]

@@redshirt-scotty I am referring to what you attached to that piece of wood to tighten down the sending unit.

[@redshirt-scotty]

@@TyJoyZee the tool! i forgot about that. i used heavy nails and cut the heads off. not sure how far apart though. just wide enough to have the top of the nail fit the slots in the top of the sending unit.

[@mschiffel1]

The gauge is in the speedometer housing, not the gas tank.

[@redshirt-scotty]

yup, tough to keep it all straight for 35 plus minutes.

[@mschiffel1]

You've done great videos...Keep up the good work !!!

[@silviotoshioyanagui6256]

For replace the sender unit of 73 SB , is it possible to do without taking out the tank?

[@redshirt-scotty]

you don't have to fully pull the tank. however, you can't do the job with the tank in the installed position either. loosen and pull forward as much as you need. i found it easier to just pull the tank.

[@xXNARCHXx]

How did you adjust the fuel gauge sender? Mine is doing the same, did you bend the float stops?

[@redshirt-scotty]

yes, the sender has tabs that limit the travel of the arms. now that i have gas in the tank, it isn't sending properly. not sure what is going on right now.

[@maldonpayne]

​@@redshirt-scotty Is the sender off at the top, bottom, or both?

[@redshirt-scotty]

@@maldonpayne it was a while ago but pretty sure it was the bottom one but i also had to bend the float arm a bit to ensure the full tank reading was OK. it took a while. lots of twiddling. been years now and it still works.

[@maldonpayne]

@@redshirt-scotty I found your second video showing your solution. Thanks!

[@maldonpayne]

By the way, did you have to ground the tank to test the sender when you had it out of the car? One of the connections to the sender is a ground, but I can't get mine to work with the tank out of the car.

[@Boeing767DriverAA]

Wish I could see what you were doing each time you went to adjust have no clue how to adjust or what you are referring to when you say bend the tabs.

[@redshirt-scotty]

check this other vid of mine. shows the tabs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHirho2ajLRmbac then you do what you think you should do. install the sender. attach the wires (i had 15ft of extension wire). flip the tank upside down. check the full level. bend the top tab (short arm motion) to set full level if it's incorrect. bend the lower tab while tank is right side up to set empty level. you may have to pull the sender half a dozen times. maybe more. on my system, 4 gal to half tank then 6 gal to bottom of reserve. still works.

[@VeeDubP8]

How do you adjust the float levels at the top and bottom??

[@redshirt-scotty]

the answer should be in this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHirho2ajLRmbac

[@vwbeetlefuelgaugesystem]

Bending the full and empty stops is not going to be accurate without putting the sender in the tank, lock it down without a gasket. Then for empty hook up the wires to the sender from the gauge and a ground. Then turn on your ignition and check for empty. If the long arm stop is bent too high the reading on the gauge will be high. You will have to play with it, or you might have to carefully bend the long are just a bit to raise or lower the gauge needle at empty... Next is the full... You have to turn the tank upside down to get a true full reading. Just bending the short arm tab will probably show wrong with the tank upside down. You can do the initial full using a Ohm meter... Shooting for around 10ohms with the short arm raised. Mexican senders seem to be way more accurate with the full and empty stops. This video of mine shows a bit of what I am talking about, although the non adjusted EMPI sender was REALLY off. I spent lots of time getting it close like you did in your linked video below. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4HCiqpsh7yartU

[@redshirt-scotty]

yup, i can't recall how many times i turned my tank upside down. over and over! install gauge. pull gauge. over and over. such a pain. i'm glad i'm done with it.

[@jandst.6634]

Here is the thread that is going on now.. blue69baja www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711130 Another that a member is using my findings: www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711924

[@redshirt-scotty]

good reading. i don't think i can add anything to what you're doing. i should be able to do some mechanical adjusting to my sender and be in business. i like your mini regulator. cool idea. get it working and sell a few. what i find surprising is that there isn't a fuse that will prevent the old gauge from frying if the old vibrator fails. it seems the new gauge with the higher resistance is a real pain to work with. i'd sure hate to have to buy one just because my old one blew out since vw didn't deem it necessary to install a fuse.

[@jandst.6634]

@@redshirt-scotty Maybe you could add this tube to samba. I can do it if you want.

[@redshirt-scotty]

i go to the samba regularly under costonjs and spew my thoughts (generally when my views are contrary to generally accepted vw wisdom) and ask the occasional question. i even occasionally post links to very short vids that i have built specifically for the folks there. there is much experience at thesamba but finding true enlightenment while reading that stuff is a struggle. i find that the youtube crowd is a happier crowd and in general i don't want samba folks having a direct link to this channel. i have nothing here to offer the samba wizards. the generally curious will find my stuff as you have done.

[@jandst.6634]

We could install a Pico fuse on the input to the vibrator. Would be easy. I think 250ma would suffice but testing would be needed. That would save things for sure. What destroys things is if the OEM mechanical vibrator sticks closed and the tank is full and an OEM 15 ohm gauge is being used. That is when the total resistance is the lowest thus the current the highest. About 200 ma... 10 ohms for the sender, 15 for the gauge. Vibrator average voltage is about 5vdc so the math says 200ma. @@redshirt-scotty