Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

Just replaced the fuel sender\pickup.
Float had a hole in it.

The tank is pretty much full...a couple inches from the bottom of the filler tube. Does this reading look normal for FULL?
I know the sender works and all the wiring is good. Before I replaced it, the gauge read around 1 o'clock and stayed there no matter how much was in the tank. That sender works as well except for the bad float.
If I unplug the sender the needle pegs down around 4 o'clock.

I guess I'll run it till I run out to see where EMPTY is.

Now that I think about it, I may have moved the needle when I restored the gauges.

Thanks

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

That looks like a grounded sender wire, not necessarily a full tank though.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

Looks like you'll be able to go a hell of a long ways on a tank of gas though!

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

This is how I have always checked the "Accuracy" of a fuel gauge when I acquired a new to me vehicle, put a gas can in the vehicle and run it till it dies....now you know.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

My old 70 model wasn't quite that bad, but when full would go right to the edge of the markings below the full mark. I tested it many times from home to college. I'd fill up in Mt. View and the gauge would drop to the full mark by Harrison (~80 miles). Then from Harrison to Fayetteville (~75 miles) it would drop from the full mark to about 1/4 of a tank. So, accurate? No, but more of a yes you got gas and then a you better get gas type gauge.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

May just do that...after I spin the needle closer to Full. 😁

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

Fuel gages are a trick. I have massaged couple of them into compliance by draining the tank and adding a gallon at a time until I see the gage move off of empty. NOTE: Shake the cab well in between gallons to slosh the fuel and make sure the sending unit is not stuck. I like to have 2 gallons right at the "E" mark. If that does not happen, I pull the sender and bend the rod the right direction so that it should be closer to the 2 gallons I have added. This may take several attempts, but is worth it to me compared to having many gallons at "E" and knowing you have a lot of fuel left, but not knowing just how much. Nothing worse than having 5 gallons at "E". Then I fill it a gallon at a time taking notes of how much was added to get it to the 1/4. 1/2, 3/4, & FULL marks. These notes go in the glove box...then I fill it plumb full and see where the needle lands. FULL lands where it lands! This is the best way I have found since you can not get it to read correctly at all the marks and EMPTY is the most important. You might be able to get it to read proper at EMPTY and FULL, but that would mean changing the sender's rod length and that means cutting and welding. This approach has cost me a sending unit once since they don't weld back together worth a darn, it removes the galvanization, and I decided NOT to be that picky and live with a good EMPTY reading.

If your needle is not on the pin correctly, you won't be able to get to the "E" mark once the tank is drained. Add 2 gallons (or what ever amount you want at "E") to the empty tank and reset the needle...go from there.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

Holy cow! Mine in my 67 does exactly the same thing, since I replaced the sender and the wiring. Figured it was 100% better than nothing at all (previous condition) so left it like that for several years now. Following to see what the resolution is.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

I think since I can see the bottom of the tank with a flashlight, I'm just gonna run it till it close to empty and adjust the needle. If that doesn't work I'll adjust the float instead.

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

I have a dealer installed 45 gallon tank in my '72 and when I first got the Suburban, the fuel stopped flowing with about 1/8th tank still showing on the gauge. When topped-off, it went past the full mark and touched the next mark (at the end of the blank section). I pulled the sender and it tested with very erratic readings, so I replaced it with one making sure that the filter sock was hovering just above the bottom of the tank. Now when it hits the empty mark, I have approximately 5 gallons before it will run dry...and when topped-off, it barely goes past the full mark now (and I didn't adjust the needle at all). I filled it starting at the empty mark and every 5 gallons aligned with a mark (1/8, 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, etc)...so now I just consider it a 40 gallon tank with a 5 gallon reserve, which on a good day is only about 60 miles with a 454! The "E" in EMPTY is where the fuel stops flowing so I try not to get lower than the "T"...

Woody

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

Following

Re: Is this a 'normal full' fuel gauge reading?
 

The gas gauge in my '68 C/10 acts exactly like that. FULL at 3 O'clock, and on fumes at about 1/4 tank, indicated. I haven't run it dry to see exactly where that is because there are a lot of carb and fuel pump issues with fuel starvation.
Fuel gauge indication was never an issue before I replaced the main tank, but a chewed up filler neck, and with ethanol gas dissolving a lot of the old sediment in the original tank's bottom, I decided to replace it with a cleaned-up tank out of a '67.
The gas gauge on my '71 Jimmy never did work when I bought in 1995.
I pulled the Tan wire from the fuse box so it doesn't read almost EMPTY. It points to 3 O'clock like the pic in Post 1. [Quells passenger panic.] I did bring the dark dash back to life. Because it has a 1/4'' steel plate armoring the gas tank, I can't easily access the tank or the fuel sender.
So I keep a clipboard in each truck and note the odometer miles whenever I fill up or add gas, and the start and end miles on each leg and at day's end.
This gives me a mind picture of how much fuel is onboard.
I usually figure on 10 MPG, and fill up or top off at 100 mile intervals.