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'28 gas gauge cable repair


Dave_B

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Hello all,

 

I am trying to replace the control wire for the gas gauge in my 28 standard. In this set up there is a small fine wire that goes from the gas tank to the dash gauge. The tank end is connected to a small lever that is actuated by the float. This small lever pulls the wire and rotates the drum in in the gauge. The wire in mine has broken and the gable that the wire runs through is blocked. The blockage is a few inches from the gas tank end. My question is how can I clear the blockage, which I think is a rusted piece of the wire? The next challenge is to thread a new wire through the cable. I was thinking of using some mono-filament fishing line this time so it will not rust.

 

Thoughts??

 

Thanks,

Dave

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Guest Flyer1

Never had anything to with things like that , just a thought i had after seeing the wire is that you might be able to use something 

like "marlin wire" as it known over here , available from a fishing tackle store, it is thin,semi springy/stiff , use a bit of graphite powder

for lubrication and should last a good while ?

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I agree with Mark and Flyer1. a type of wire would no doubt work best. Piano wire or "music wire" as it is sometimes called is available in various diameters from places like McMaster Carr and Grainger. It is  tough, spring like and resists rust. In fact, it is used for making springs. Stainless steel wire is also available in sizes down to .006" in diameter. That would definitely solve the rust problem. 

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Thank you all for the suggestions. I'm not sure how much the line would stretch as it doesn't take much to pull the drum on the gauge but definitely something to consider. What ever is used it needs to be flexible enough to be tied in a loop at both ends.

In any event I still need to clear whatever is blocking the cable. Today I was taking a closer look at the gas tank end of the cable and the hole where the wire comes out is maybe 1/32 in diameter. Too small to push a stiff wire through to try to clear it. I'm afraid I may have to cut the cable at the gas tank end to clear it out.

Dave

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Guest Flyer1

I would try not to cut the outer cable if possible,considering a new or good used one may not be available ?

 

If it is broken off a few inches from the tank end this method might or might not work ?, the outer cable looks to be wound, and it too may be 

a high tensile wire.I would try lightly hitting the outer cable in the problem area with a piece of hardwood or timber mallet on another piece of hardwood,after some hitting flex the outer cable in a circular motion in the problem area and even try to gently twist the outer cable against it's wound rotation in an attempt to expand it slightly , insert some sort of stiff wire from the other end and try to push it out the tank end rather than try and push the broken piece all the way through.

 

Hopefully the broken piece will be rusty enough so that after a bit of hitting/twisting the rust/gunk will loosen up enough so that what is left of it will be free to move,who knows it might even just fall out?.....worth a try before the snips come out? 

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Update-- First, thanks for all the input. It's very helpful.

 

So far I have been able to push a small gauge wire into the cable and have determined that there is not anything blocking the cable. So that is good. The entry hole for the wire in the stamped steel cover is less than 1 mm diameter so that's why I thought it was blocked. I'm guessing the small hole is to minimize the gas that sloshes out into the cable.

I went through some parts and found an old gas gauge that still had a piece of the factory wire attached. It is stiff spring like wire though very small diameter. I have attached a picture of that.

While I have been able to push in several feet of wire I think the stuff I'm using is too soft and bends too easily. I think the spring steel "music" wire idea is the way to go. It seems to match the original and will be easier to push through the cable housing. I tried to find guitar string in a 12 ft length but no luck. I ended up at McMaster-Carr and bought a 410ft roll of stainless steel spring wire 0.015" diameter. It was less than $20 so not bad. That's it for now.

 

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Dave

 

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The wire from McMaster-Carr came today. Man, that was fast. I bought it on Saturday, it was shipped on Monday, yesterday, and it arrived today. I removed the wire I had been trying to install and discovered I had run 4 feet into the cable, about a third of the way. I then cut off a thirteen foot length of the stainless spring wire and folded over the end so as the help prevent it from getting snagged on anything and proceeded to push it up the cable housing starting at the gas tank end. Wow it just slipped right in like a hot knife through butter. The whole process took about 3 or 4 minutes. Amazing. Thanks to all that worked out really well. :)

 

BTW I have a lot of leftover wire if anyone needs some (enough to do about 30 gas tanks) and I'll cut you a piece and send it for the shipping expense.

 

Dave

 

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Hello, I went through this ordeal a while ago and it was quite a pain.  There's a lot of upside down work under the tank and the dash. I replaced the tank float with a scrapped out fuel sending unit float, because of the new gas. I also used new screws and cut a new gasket. The hard part was making the cable connection to the float, I used a very small fishing swivel, in case it had to be removed, so far so good. I also shot a good light weight oil into the cable. Here's where the under work gets rough. Your gas gauge has a return spring in it, so don't let it unwind if that part of the wire is damaged. I used a hemostat to hold it in place while I made the connection. Here's where the overall length is important. Make sure you anchor the cable from the tank to the dash because this effects the final cut and adjustment.  I made a drawing to clarify the give and take of the wire as the float was in the empty and full position, I hope your tank is mt. Now see how your gage responds as you gently pull on the hemo's and have someone watch it, while you zero it for empty....also the brass pipe that attaches to the rear of your gage is where you make the final adjustment. Good Luck  I have a service bulletin re: this that  helped. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I believe that they are the same.  If not exactly the same they are close enough that the procedures will work.

 

I saw George Hopper, an early BCA member use small copper tubing inside the conduit for the gas gauge piano wire.  

 

Thank you Fred, that is good information!

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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Dave_B. Today I was trying to push the wire you very kindly sent to me, a while ago, up into the housing from the gas tank end. Im sure it is the correct type wire, both thickness and quality, I compared it with a small piece of the old wire remaining in the housing. But I must have dome somthing wrong, the wire would not go through. The hole in the tank end is VERY thin, so it was impossible to get the wire in if I folded it. So I tried without folding it, but it stopped about halfway through. I tried so many times, that the wire you sent me, now is destroied.

 

Do you have any idea what Im doing wrong?

 

Do you still have more wire? If yes, could you send me another? But now I want to pay you for it!:)

 

 

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