Faulty Fuel Guage

[miketurk]

My fuel guage got me in trouble last year. It's an original SW from '78. It always behaved in a jerky fashion. Now it's not reporting the correct level and indicates 1/4 tank when empty....that was 2 gallons for $62.00 from the local rescue squad.

At this point, I simply calculate 15 mpg when refueling and count the odometer miles. Not a bad practice but, it would be nice to know the correct level by viewing the guage.

Will I have to go through all that magilla about the fuel tank access?

[Gunslinger]

It sounds that you likely have a bad sending unit in the tank. It could be a bad gauge but more likely the sending unit. If you have the shop manual, it has the procedure for determining which it is...sender or gauge. The procedure is the same for a Studebaker or Avanti II. It's really a pretty simple and straightforward thing to do. The worst part is removing the panel between the back seat and the gas tank but that's really not difficult, just tedious and time consuming. The easiest way is to take one of the bucket seats out so you have some working room and remove the rear seat cushion and back. It makes quick work of the numerous hold down screws if you have a drill/driver rather than just a screwdriver. It also helps to throw something padded on the floor for your knees.

Before removing the sender, disconnect the battery so there's no chance of a spark. You can just look at the sender and see how to replace it. You can get a universal sender from places like Summit Racing or Jegs...AutoMeter makes them...you need one made for 240 ohm empty/33 ohm full...that's pretty much a universal type. The float level is adjustable. It costs maybe $30-$40. You can get an exact drop-in reproduction from Nostalgic Motors and maybe a few other Avanti vendors. It's a bit more expensive but is an exact drop-in, no measuring or adjusting necessary.

[miketurk]

Thank you...you d' man! it seems most likely the sender because the guage jumps all over the place. I have the shop manual for thr 63 R and will look at the diagnostics for the guage anyway. thanks for your help. I will surely be back with more questions. Mike

[Jim78]

Mike,

I had exactly the same problem with my sending unit. Wear and corrosion on the wiper and copper caused the gauge to jump wildly, particularly under a half tank. It also ran dry at 1/4 indicated.

I bought a replacement unit from Studebaker International. Unfortunately, it is not a very good replacement. It appears to be a generic for the SW gauge, and the arm is actually too short for the Avanti tank. The Avanti tank requires about 10-1/2 inches of sending unit travel which is much more than the typical tank. I had to straighten the wire arm to get anywhere near to the swing required. It works, but now indicates E with about 4 gallons remaining. I guess that it's better than running out at 1/4 on the gauge! To make this generic type work better, you would need to lengthen the arm.

I don't know what Nostalgic Motors has to offer, or whether it is actually a direct replacement. Maybe someone else has tried theirs and can comment.

[Gunslinger]

I don't know what Nostalgic Motors has to offer, or whether it is actually a direct replacement. Maybe someone else has tried theirs and can comment.

I bought one from Nostalgic and it was a perfect fit and appears to very accurate.