Speedo / Tach / Gauges: How to fix '63 Lark Fuel Gauge

[Ladylark]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a step by step guide or video that could help me repair my '63 Studebaker Lark Fuel Gauge. I am new to Studebaker, but I have every intention of learning as much as I can to keep up my new beauty. Regardless of how much gas is in the tank, the needle on the gauge never moves. Any information or assistance would be greatly appreciated.Thanks!

[thunderations]

Check the sending unit in the tank first to see if it's the problem. There's a round plate in the trunk floor over the sender. Take the wire from the top of the sender and, with the ignition key on, hold that wire to the tank or any good ground and see if the gauge moves. It's only a ground wire so don't worry about any sparks. It takes awhile, so just keep holding it for a couple minutes. If the gauge and wire are good the gauge will go to full. If it does, the problem is not the gauge, but probably the tank sender. Remove the screws holding the sender in and remove it. With it out, reconnect the wire to the top and put a jumper wire from the sender flange to a good ground. Move the lever up to see if the gauge will go to full or anywhere in between to see if it works. Again, the movement takes a little while, so be patient. Chances are the sender is bad.

[karterfred88]

Yes,the sender would be the thing to check, but first check for any blown fuses, especially if the temp gauge is also not working, I believe they are on the same fuse, lots easier to replace than the sender.

[dpson]

If you find it's the sender in the tank, there is a good chance the cork "float" has gone bad. These were originally coated with shellac to keep them from becoming infiltrated with gasoline. However modern gasoline contains ethanol, which dissolves shellac and thus the problem with sinking floats. This topic has been discussed numerous times on the forum and if you do a search you find lots of advice on how to fix it.

[BILT4ME]

I just bought a float at a salvage yard for $10 for my 59 Lark. I took out my sender (I chose to drop the tank since it was so easy, and I blasted and coated the tank while it was out). I found an oval float that fit the arm perfectly. The hardest part was getting the little washer to stay on after I yanked it off. I had to swage the end of the wire with a hammer and body block so the washer wouldn't come off and the float would still rotate.

I will have the tank back in this weekend and give an update on the operation of the sender. I checked the sender with an Ohmmeter and I got 0.062KOhms on the low and 0.164 KOhms on high (I think that was the setting) but the main thing is that the resistance changed as it moved.