[djordje]

Do these things even work? My replacement has a silver face and marked Kelch. Have about 3/4 of a tank and the indicator needle is barely above empty. I noticed some have a black face and they are am39206. Is there a difference amongst these things.

 

[jdmaninlouky]

Alexander - They are woefully inaccurate ; and always have been . Nothing you can do unless you want to take it apart and bent the center indicator apparatus to read correctly . This would encompass removing the glass (plastic) part to get to the part you would have to bend where it would read "full" 3-4 inches before the float reaches the top of the unit . The standard gauge is calibrated for the tip top of gauge , and does not account for the dead space of the length of the filler neck .

I've been contemplating this for awhile now , but just decided to live with it not reading anywhere near correct , for now . Perhaps I will do it and make a "how-to" Thread .

This is something we all live with .

Dave

 

[raboley]

I have heard that the float of some off brands will actually swell up if there is too much ethanol in the gas. That will keep it from moving freely or at all.

 

[gzec]

It forces me to keep the tank more than 1/2 full.

 

[dhendric]

I bought a replacement gauge for my 316. It's a Kelch brand and reads way off also. It also has the face upside down. If you look at it from the seat it's right side up.

 

[ajcan]

I don't fool with the gauges anymore.
These guys are cheaper.

AJ

 

[knottyrope]

there is a certain twist it is supposed to have and was posted on here years ago

 

[kilmer31]

I recently purchased a new fuel gauge for my 420. When the gas is almost up to the top of the filler neck the gauge only reads about 3/4 full. Has anyone had this experience?

 

[shadetree]

Those fuel tank cap gauges have never proved anywhere near accurate for me.

 

[kilmer31]

Thanks Shady.

 

[knottyrope]

you can bend the twist to make it more accurate but in the end I always unscrew it to check level

my 420 uses about a gallon of fuel an hour under load

 

[mikeduwe]

They tell you when your near full and near low, but other than that its just a cap with a pinwheel that spins inside

 

[greg420]

I bought a new one for the 420 I restored last year because the original was completely fogged over. A tank three quarters full reads less than one quarter.

At least the new gauge looks good on the back of the tractor.

 

[shadetree]

Be sure your reserve line works when near empty and you can enjoy the "look" as well being able to get back to the shed when the main line runs dry. ;-)

 

[miller17636]

I bought a new one for my 318, has never worked right.

 

[jameszmcnelley]

On my 400, I discovered if you flip the float 180 degrees and reinstall it; it is more accurate.
Probably 25% better over all.

I intend to bond some cork to the base of the float. I believe with some experimentation, it can be ''dialed in'' that way.

That's another of the many pokers that have been laying next to the fire for over a year now.
Gotta finish the ones IN the fire first.

Perhaps one of you can give that a try and report back. later, JZM
P.S. I tried the twist mod, got unsatisfactory results.

 

[jlang]

I myself use a CLEAN hammer handle or a large screw driver handle as a dip stick to to check fuel level in my jd garden tractors with the rear fuel tank!

I find it much more accurate than the gas cap fuel guage!

 

[shadetree]

Now that I know how to fix the reserve line I won't be buying another fuel gauge cap.

 

[420glh]

I use a lighter to peek in to see how much fuel is left. Works on large trucks and aircraft, too. How else am I going to see in there?

All kidding aside, I tend to top off each time I use my 420 because the cap is so useless. Short of adding a GM sender to the tank and a gauge on the dash (which Im not doing), its the most reliable method for me.

 

[dbradenb]

I bought a new one from John Deere and it was totally inaccurate. Bought a second one and it worked pretty well, but only showed 3/4 when gas was full to the top of the tank. I took it apart and removed the dial indicator and bent the center wire to the full position when the float was at the top. Works perfectly now.