[Healeys] BJ-8 fuel sending unit - changed?

[Chris Dimmock]

Hi Al,
Leaving aside New and old senders, If you go back to first principles, the sender float should sit down in the recessed area of the tank when the tank is empty. 
That's why there is a recessed area in the tank. Because when the centre height line of the float is at the same level of the bottom of the tank, (I.e. The float is sitting fully in the recess) then you get a reasonably accurate empty reading. 
Forget the orientation of the screw terminal. It has no bearing on the orientation or location of the sender float. I've seen original senders exactly as you described. 
The second issue is the wire arm is bent like an elbow. If it isn't bent on the correct angle, again, the float won't sit neatly in the recessed area. 
So I'd fit the sender unit so that the float is aimed to sit in the recess, and then trial and error fiddle with the bend in the wire to make it sit cleanly at the bottom of the recess. 
Then you should have an empty reading. 
I'm sure there are "electric" methods of adjustment, but you have to get the "mechanical" stuff correct first. 
Best
Chris 




> On 16 Apr. 2017, at 4:59 am, Al Fuller <al at bighealey.org> wrote:
> 
> All:  does anyone know if the fuel tank sending unit for a BJ-8 that is being sold today has changed from what was original?
>  
> After being stranded on the road having run out of gas while the gauge read ¼ full, I purchased a new unit from Moss Motors.  After installing the unit, it didn’t seem to correspond with what I thought was in the tank.  I pumped the tank out, and it still reads ¼ full!
>  
> Thinking I had maybe installed it in the wrong orientation, I found the following quote from Rich Chrysler.  Being from Rich, I am assuming it is correct:
>  
> The fuel sender is fitted with the screw terminal toward the back of the
> car, placing the float forward to the deepest and closest point to the pick
> up tube.
>  
> Reading the above, it would follow that the sending unit would have the terminal at one end and the pick-up arm at the other.  Problem is, this unit has them both on the same end.  And, yes – I could just turn it around so that the float is in the front, but that isn’t solving the problem.  It does read closer to empty, but not completely.
>  
> This all raises the question:  are these units being made differently now, or did I get the wrong unit shipped to me?  See picture attached for an example of what I received.
>  
> Thanks in advance,
>  
> Al Fuller
> al at bighealey dot org
> '65 BJ-8
> '85 Rx-7
>  
> <sending-unit1.jpg>
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