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Fitting new fuel gauges, help!

Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 1:56 pm
by sanships
I bought from aircraft spruce replacement fuel gauges for the tanks. It seems that the new design is not exacty the same and modification/alteration of the float stem is required to operate properly.

Has anyone done this? How long before you bent the rod and what shape finally? Has anyone gotten it to work as the original?

Thanks!

Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 3:40 pm
by Curtis Brown
I had the same problem... what I ended up doing was taking the float off the new gauge the putting it on the old gauge. Not the most economical way to buy a float, but it was readily at hand. I think what happened was in the attempt to bend and reshape the arm it broke.
Curtis

Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 4:16 pm
by lowNslow
You will have to shorten the float arm to get full needle deflection in both directions. These gauges are designed to be modified for different applications, there should have been instructions on how to do this with the gauges if they are the same ones I got.

The 170 tank is about 6" from top to bottom where the gauge is mounted. I don't know which 170 you have so measure yours to be sure. You will then have to cut the float arm to length allowing enough extra to bend the float arm 90 degrees for the float attachment. You then crimp the arm to hold the knew float in place.

Be sure and measure your tank and play with float arm to see how much of an arc you need to get full needle deflection before cutting the arm.

Good luck.