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Rochester in tank fuel gauge and pickup


Fordy

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Hi all.

I have just posted these for sale in the Hupmobile section of the forum. I thought I would also put them here in case they also were used on other makes. Hupp used them on the series R from 1923 to 25 and I think Pierce used a very similar one with a black dial.

Main thread is 2 inch 24TPI and the gas takeoff is 1/8 NPT.

These bodies were printed direct to metal in Aluminum and all the other parts handmade except the dial face so there is no expectation that they will be exact, but they are very close (or at least as close as I could manage). 

I also have a range of spares to suit that interchange with original items. 

See the Hupmobile section of this forum for more detail.

Thanks

Steve

Completed gauges 1.JPG

completed gauges.JPG

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In response to PFitz, the length on all the ones I have made is 11 inches but there is no reason I can't do longer ones.

mahdniwc, The unit cost is A$350 and the quote for post to the US was A$40 so total A$390 shipped and at todays exchange rate I make that US$255

Lee H, the cork is "natural", and I am assured that fuels will not be a problem. I was originally thinking of the composite type as it is easier to get but that definitely dissolves the rubber binder when it is immersed in fuel.

9 hours ago, mahdniwc said:

Looks like you have hit on a much needed replacement part=THANKS. 

Yep - looks like there may be a second batch on the way going by the response!

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Cork needs to be coated or it will sink. It looks like this gauge will come out of the tank pretty easy, so maybe it's not a big deal. I think the corks if left uncoated will need changing out fairly often. Back in the day, shellac was often used as a sealer on cork floats. That wont work with ethanol blended fuel because ethanol is the solvent for shellac.

 

Several years ago I restored 2 GM fuel senders, one for me (36 Pontiac), and one for @37_Roadmaster_C (37 Buick). These are electrical gauges, with a gauge on the dash and a sender in the gas tank that uses 2 corks. Both of us bought coated new corks from Bobs Automobilia. I put the new corks on @37_Roadmaster_C's unit, but on mine, I wanted to answer the question of whether the corks need sealing or not. Some say cork is a closed cell material, and coating is not necessary. Others say it will take on enough fuel to sink anyway. I took my original corks (from 1936) and sunk them in ethanol blended gasoline for a week. There was no difference in buoyancy, so I put them back on the newly rebuilt sender and put it it in the car. I threw the new Bob's corks in a box and forgot about them. I mentioned this on the VCCA forums. One of the sages over there (sorry, cant remember who offhand) told me it would probably last about 6 months. That is exactly what happened. For the first 6 months it was fine. Then for a little while it would only go to 3/4 tank when full, then 1/2 tank, then less than 1/2 tank...

 

I dropped the tank and took the sender back out. I did not have to sink the corks in gas to tell what the problem was. They felt heavy, not like corks at all. I found the Bob's corks I had previously bought and put them in. Meanwhile, @37_Roadmaster_C's Roadmaster, still under restoration, did not yet have the gas tank reinstalled. A few weeks before the BCA nationals, I took my 36 Pontiac on a shakedown cruise out to Odessa WA. I wanted to make sure it was ready for a road trip and a week in Spokane. The gas gauge started behaving strangely on that trip, and has not worked correctly since. It goes almost to 1/2 full with a full tank. It sure looks like the Bob's coated corks probably sunk. It took about 3 years if so. That's a huge improvement over bare cork, but still too short of a lifespan in my view. I have only tested the dash gauge so far, and it checks good, so I know it is a sender problem, but I don't know for sure if the coated corks have failed. I will know in the next few days. Now @37_Roadmaster_C is holding back on installing his tank until I figure out what happened to the 36 Pontiac's sender. It sure behaves like sunk corks. His tank has brand new Bob's coated corks in it from the sender rebuild several years ago, still unused.

 

Edited by Bloo (see edit history)
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1 hour ago, Bloo said:

Some say cork is a closed cell material, and coating is not necessary.

Thats what I am led to believe. I have also been told that the Nitrophil stuff also has issues despite the claims being made. There is a 10% ethanol blend available here in Australia but I don't use it for the minor cost savings and for fear of it chewing up fuel system components.

Cork was on the original unit so that's what I have run with. If someone can suggest a suitable coating, I am happy to apply it. I did think of the POR15 gas tank sealer but once you pull the lid off the tin it starts the moisture cure process and with only a few to do it would be an expensive exercise having to throw away most of the can because it has hardened, (Been there done that).

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I don't yet know what the best thing to use as a sealer is. In my world, that is a developing story, but from the view of today it sure looks like I am going to have to figure it out, either that or make some floats out of brass. Brass may also be problematic in ethanol. I have an unnatural hate for nitrophyl. I'm not going to use it. :lol:

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I've had problems with the plastic float material used as carb floats. For oil level and gas gauge cork floats I've had good success sealing them with slow-cure (24 hour cure) marine-grade epoxy adhesive.  Gas tank sealer like the Bill Hirsch stuff will also work. 

Edited by PFitz (see edit history)
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17 hours ago, Fordy said:

I did think of the POR15 gas tank sealer but once you pull the lid off the tin it starts the moisture cure process and with only a few to do it would be an expensive exercise having to throw away most of the can because it has hardened, (Been there done that).

The POR-15 is indeed a moisture cured MDI, and I worked for years in that industry. We would use use it from drums and bulk tanks, and often had to store partially filled containers. If you inert the atmosphere remaining in the can (basically displacing the moisture laden air) by layering it with argon or dry nitrogen, you can open and close it multiple multiple times. Just open the can, pour out what you feel you’ll need for the job at hand, and then use something like a wine inerting spray while you replace the lid.

https://www.hobbyhomebrew.com/product/private-preserve-wine-preserver-inert-gas-aerosol-wine-bottle-sparging-system/

 

Edited by Lee H (see edit history)
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  • 3 months later...
On 11/20/2023 at 11:21 AM, SIDEDRAFT said:

Are any of these still available?

I have a few ready to go at 11 inches tube length. Other lengths I can make to order and ship within a week. Send me a direct message if you are interested - you will need to make a few more posts before the system will allow you to do so. Until then - reply via this thread regarding length needed etc.

Steve 

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OH Rochester, bring the Maxwell around and check the gas. Yes sir Mr. Benny. Your at least half empty in the Maxwell. And that looks like the bottom half. 😜 Sorry, I could not help myself. 🙃 Dandy Dave!licensed-image?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ0iN0ER6MURe5

Edited by Dandy Dave (see edit history)
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  • 2 months later...

I'm interested in purchasing a gas gauge for a 1922 Franklin Model 10A. I need an 11-inch long length measured from the bottom of the gauge.

Your description seems to match the Franklin drawing.

Estimated delivery time?

Ed DePouli

mecprocess@hotmail.com

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