no fuel gauge
- Thread starter dlewis812
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Lewis: What material is your tank made from? If it is poly you will need a method to cut and seal the sending unit. You can also get one that attaches to the exterior of the poly tanks.
If it is metal you can drill a hole for the sender and tap the screws.
I purchased a electric one from WEMA USA. They are not very expensive. I had the luxury of having a manual gauge so it was a direct replacement.
We keep track of the hours and gallons after each fill too.
If it is metal you can drill a hole for the sender and tap the screws.
I purchased a electric one from WEMA USA. They are not very expensive. I had the luxury of having a manual gauge so it was a direct replacement.
We keep track of the hours and gallons after each fill too.
So i guess your saying there is no hole in the tank for a sender ?
For the most part a tank would have a welded on fitting with 6 holes to hold the sender in place on a gasket
If your diiesel there is still some level of risk drilling into a tank of fuel and fumes and gasoline is OUT of the question
For the most part a tank would have a welded on fitting with 6 holes to hold the sender in place on a gasket
If your diiesel there is still some level of risk drilling into a tank of fuel and fumes and gasoline is OUT of the question
You undoubtedly have 'port connections' on your tank for fill, vent, main engine delivery line and fuel return. These are usually attached to the tank by welded-on 'tank bosses' - welded on threaded fittings.
A reliable and economical way to monitor tank contents is to 'adapt' the present tank connections with a 'tee' and an additional 'threaded' tank fitting through which you apply/screw-on a simple 'dip stick', the dip-stick is sealed to the 'fitting' by the threads of the fitting and a flat gasket (neoprene) under the 'face' (built-in thumbscrew) of the dipstick.
Any 'hydraulics shop' or industrial hardware supply/shop should have such 'tank / boss' fittings. Then all you need (firstly) is a 'screw-on' type dipstick (typically obtained from a marine engine distributor) and cut it to length and with the correct inscribed lines across the 'dipstick' to indicate the level of 'fill'. If the tank is somewhat regular shape (rectangular, etc.) then if you have the math background you can calculate where the 'lines on the dipstick' should be inscribed ... if not then simply fill the tank in small increments increments (say, 5 gallons, etc. at a time) as you 'inscribe' the dipstick.
A reliable and economical way to monitor tank contents is to 'adapt' the present tank connections with a 'tee' and an additional 'threaded' tank fitting through which you apply/screw-on a simple 'dip stick', the dip-stick is sealed to the 'fitting' by the threads of the fitting and a flat gasket (neoprene) under the 'face' (built-in thumbscrew) of the dipstick.
Any 'hydraulics shop' or industrial hardware supply/shop should have such 'tank / boss' fittings. Then all you need (firstly) is a 'screw-on' type dipstick (typically obtained from a marine engine distributor) and cut it to length and with the correct inscribed lines across the 'dipstick' to indicate the level of 'fill'. If the tank is somewhat regular shape (rectangular, etc.) then if you have the math background you can calculate where the 'lines on the dipstick' should be inscribed ... if not then simply fill the tank in small increments increments (say, 5 gallons, etc. at a time) as you 'inscribe' the dipstick.
Our boat has twin 15 gallon diesel tanks but no guages. The prior owner had made up a wooden dip stick, painted white from its tip up to the point that the tank was full (first time - fill tank, dip stick, mark where fuel ends, dry and paint), and marked with a sharpie pen at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 levels. Dips through the deck fill.
I have to admit I had a bit of trouble actually seeing the wet fuel on the stick. So, I hunted around on-line and found 1/4" clear polycarbonate tubing, lined a suitable length up with the dipstick and marked it with a sharpie pen. Now, I dip the clear tube through the deck fill until it touches the bottom of the tank, put my moistened finger over the upper end of the tube to seal it, and lift the tube out - it's easy to see the diesel fuel through the clear tubing.
Obviously this is pretty much only good at anchor or at the dock. I still keep track of run times and know my consumption rate (3/4 gallon/hour at cruise RPM) so I can keep track of consumption while under way.
When filling the tanks, I stick, guesstimate the amount of fuel needed to tank up, and slowly fill. Always ready with an absorbant pad to catch any overspill.
Oh, and to keep track of which tank I'm on, I use an el-cheapo hook and loop fastener around a bimini support tube on whichever side the tank is I'm using. Beats having to open up the cockpit lockers to check which tank is on, particularly if the boat has been sitting at the dock for awhile. I also enter in the log whenever I switch the tanks so I can try to keep track.
I have to admit I had a bit of trouble actually seeing the wet fuel on the stick. So, I hunted around on-line and found 1/4" clear polycarbonate tubing, lined a suitable length up with the dipstick and marked it with a sharpie pen. Now, I dip the clear tube through the deck fill until it touches the bottom of the tank, put my moistened finger over the upper end of the tube to seal it, and lift the tube out - it's easy to see the diesel fuel through the clear tubing.
Obviously this is pretty much only good at anchor or at the dock. I still keep track of run times and know my consumption rate (3/4 gallon/hour at cruise RPM) so I can keep track of consumption while under way.
When filling the tanks, I stick, guesstimate the amount of fuel needed to tank up, and slowly fill. Always ready with an absorbant pad to catch any overspill.
Oh, and to keep track of which tank I'm on, I use an el-cheapo hook and loop fastener around a bimini support tube on whichever side the tank is I'm using. Beats having to open up the cockpit lockers to check which tank is on, particularly if the boat has been sitting at the dock for awhile. I also enter in the log whenever I switch the tanks so I can try to keep track.
Foolproof way to measure tank
Remove the panel inside the boat and use a flashlight to sight the fuel level. Take the panel home and reinstall it if you sell the boat.
Remove the panel inside the boat and use a flashlight to sight the fuel level. Take the panel home and reinstall it if you sell the boat.
These are all good ideas. BUT...
Most folks can drive their cars quite close to empty, and still find a gas station ('ceptin' in the boonies). And car fuel gauges are pretty accurate these days.
Boat fuel gauges simply aren't. There was a thread about this just last week, which included two important issues: 1) the gauge read full for a loooong time then worked OK; 2) many fuel tanks are not rectangular, and narrower to the bottom, which makes the commercially available sender AS WELL AS THE DIP STICK concepts pretty unhelpful when the tank is getting low.
Save time and effort. Keep doing what you're doing by keeping track of fuel consumption, which is THE most important issue. Unless you are doing a lot of offshore work or traveling where there are fuel stations few and far between, this has worked for me for the past 14 years. You could also carry a 5 gallon can on deck.
I have a 23 gallon tank, I fill up usually with 10 gallons each 20 hours of run time. Say 20 gallons = 40 hours at 5 knots = 200 nm. That's a LONG way to motor before a fill up is required. M25 engine.
And I do this maybe once every six months, and we sail here all year round. What's so hard to keep track?
Here's my fuel log: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3841.0.html
Most folks can drive their cars quite close to empty, and still find a gas station ('ceptin' in the boonies). And car fuel gauges are pretty accurate these days.
Boat fuel gauges simply aren't. There was a thread about this just last week, which included two important issues: 1) the gauge read full for a loooong time then worked OK; 2) many fuel tanks are not rectangular, and narrower to the bottom, which makes the commercially available sender AS WELL AS THE DIP STICK concepts pretty unhelpful when the tank is getting low.
Save time and effort.
Keep doing what you're doing by keeping track of fuel consumption, which is THE most important issue. Unless you are doing a lot of offshore work or traveling where there are fuel stations few and far between, this has worked for me for the past 14 years. You could also carry a 5 gallon can on deck.I have a 23 gallon tank, I fill up usually with 10 gallons each 20 hours of run time. Say 20 gallons = 40 hours at 5 knots = 200 nm. That's a LONG way to motor before a fill up is required. M25 engine.
And I do this maybe once every six months, and we sail here all year round. What's so hard to keep track?
Here's my fuel log: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,3841.0.html
Funny, I keep track of my motoring time because I do not trust the fuel gauge and here you are going the oposite way. If you are having problem keeping track of motoring hours get yourself an hour meter. It only runs when you turn the key switch on the control panel and that engine should be running or you will be listening to the warning buzzer. All you got to do is keep a log a write down the hours reading everytime you fill up the fuel tank. After that by glancing at the hour meter you can easily figure out how much fuel has been used and how much should be left.
Benny's right. It hadn't occurred to me that you may not have an hour meter. If not, as he says, simply install one. Doesn't have to be on your cockpit panel, either, anywhere will do. Reason I didn't think of it is that Catalina usually installed tachs with hour meters in them. You could probably get one at Radio Shack.
Yea, My boat didn't have a tach or hour meter which I thought was strange but I guess that's not as uncommon as I thought.
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