Philip Ethier has a small amount of gas in the plastic float of his
sending unit. Joe Gorin suspected a tiny hole worn by the support wire.
One way of testing this might be to put the plastic float in a pan of
water on the stove. If the water is slowly heated, a bubble should form
at any hole. Have to be careful, tho, if there is no hole the float will
start to expand. Alternatively, if someone can be found with a dissecting
microscope, the float could be examined.
Mr. Gorin discussed ways he has tried, unsuccessfully, to patch a float
hole. If the hole is small, I'd consider touching it with the end of a
small, hot soldering iron. That may melt the plastic there and close the
hole. Maybe someone on the net will know what type plastic this is, and
if this approach is feasible. (Alternatively, of course, this may make
hash of the float, settling the question of whether to replace it or live
with it.)
I remember using a big soldering iron in this way to weld splits in a
windshield washer bottle many years ago; I seem to recall using strips of
plastic milk jug as filler.
Ray Gibbons, environs of Burlington, VT. Kermit green frogeye.
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