MY GAS TANK IS ALMOST FULL, YET THE NEEDLE REGISTERS ABOUT 1/4 TANK. wHEN I GOT THE CAR THE GUAGE WASN'T WORKING. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TERMINALS ON THE GUAGE WERE REVERSED. AS SOON AS I SWITCHED THE WIRES IT SPRUNG TO LIFE.

HAVING SAID THAT, I'M ASKING IS THERE IS SOME TYPE OF CALIBRATION THAT CAN BE PERFORMEND ON THE GUAGE. I HAVE A DIGITAL METER AND CAN MEASURE THE VOLTAGE COMING FROM THE SENDING UNIT. BUT BEFORE I JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS I'M WONDERING IF CALIBRATION OF THE GUAGE IS POSSIBLE.

ANYBODY KNOW?

GOTTA31

There is an OHM's reading but...Sorry this may not answer your question but my 38 Master had guage problems and I had the sender rebuilt, and it works great. I have a 93 Dodge Dakota, a 03 X Type Jaguar, my daughter has a 93 Bonneville. None of the fuel gauges are as accurate as my 38.

Check the float on your gas tank sending unit. It may be losing buoyancy. Also, the float arm on the sending unit might be sticking as well.

You can also test the accuracy of the sending unit with an Ohm meter.

I thought that something might be wrong with the sending unit or some part of it(float).
Please don't tell me the only way to check it is to drop the tank and pull it out!!!!!!!!!

I thought that something might be wrong with the sending unit or some part of it(float).
Please don't tell me the only way to check it is to drop the tank and pull it out!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I won't tell you that......but that is what you will have to do if you want to check the sending unit arm, the float and the accuracy of the unit.

Hey MACHB:

With the OHMS scale you can only check continuity in the wire. Since the guaage works, I know I have continuity. The sending unit decreases or increases the current by very small amounts. This change in current then passes through the gas guage and the needle moves according to the change.
I think JunkYardDog is sniffing in the right place but I just don't wanna hear what I'm afraid the "DOG" is gonna say!!

GOTTA31

DOGGONIT DOG!!!...I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ME THAT!!!

wOULDN'T IT BE EASIER TO TAKE A CAN OPENER, MAKE A HOLE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK, STICK YOUR HAND UP IN THERE AND FEEL IT THE FLOAT IS WET???

The Ohm meter can also take the place of the gas gauge when testing the sending unit. When the Ohm meter is attached to the sending unit, you can raise and lower the sending unit arm and the Ohm meter needle should go up and down with the movement of the arm if the sending unit is working correctly.

The float is supposed to be wet....it is sitting in gasoline! Bow Wow!

Yeah, the sending unit is a simple variable resistor circuit, however the way the gauge works is not a simple resistor circuit, the change in resistance changes the potential of the coils on either side of the needle and that small current change works the guage without having to apply a 6 volt current into the fuel tank, for safety reasons.

OOPS! a

A few years back for a short time when they were using gas that I believe had alcohol in it here in upstate NY, my gas gauge started reading about half the amount in the tank. I think that years ago schellac was used to help seal the cork and the alcohol removes it and it has lost about half its bouyancy??? I got use to it and didn't bother pulling the tank yet.

Doug might have something here. I've been thinking I would replace the cork with a new one.

Or make sure all grounds are clean!

HEY YOU GUYS.....THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP. THIS IS RARE OCCURANCE, BUT I FILLED THE TANK ALL THE WAY UP AND ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, THE GUAGE WENT ALL THE WAY TO FULL. I GUESS THE ARM NEEDED MORE GAS IN THE TANK TO SLOSH AROUND IN, GET LUBRICATED, AND THATS IT.

BY THE WAY, SOME OF YOU ASKED TO REPORT ON MY CLUTCH INSTALLATION. SO HERE GOES.AS I STATED EARLIER, THE PRESSURE PLATE HOUSING HAD A CRACK IN IT SO I FOUND ANOTHER AND INSTALLED IT ALONG WITH A NEW THROWOUT BEARING. THIS HELPED ALOT BUT MY PROBLEM IS NOT COMPLETELY SOLVED. THE GEARS STILL GRIND BUT NOT AS BAD. I'M THINKING NOW THAT MAYBE THE SYNCHRONIZERS IN THE TRANNY ARE WORN. ANYBODY OUT THERE GOT ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS??

GOTTA31

If that is a 31 tranny there are no synchronizers to go bad.

O.K. WHERE WOULD YOU LOOK NEXT, WOODY?

THANKS.

GOTTA31

Yes, the cork floats were coated with shellac.

The sending unit can get really scaled up and cause the armature not to work. Mine actually froze and would not move. I had the old unit rebuilt, checked it with an OHM meter and reinstalled.

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL YOU GUYS OUT THERE.....

WHERE ELSE WOULD YOU LOOK FOR THE PROBLEM OF TRANNY GEARS GRINDING DURING SHIFTS? NEW PRESSURE PLATE AND THROWOUT BEARING INSTALLED AND CLUTCH PEDAL ADJUSTED FOR 1/2" FREE PLAY. SINCE WOODY SAID THERE ARE NO SYNCHRONIZERS IN A 31 TRANNY, I'M AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM. ANYBODY GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS??

GOTTA31

Maybe you are not "double clutching" correctly?

It is only necessary to "double clutch" when down shifting. Shifting up through the gears, it is normally only necessary to move the shift lever into the neutral position, hesitate for a couple of seconds and then shift into the next gear. If you want to engage and release the clutch when in neutral (double clutching) it is ok but not normally necessary to make a grind-less shift.

What I discovered today is that IF I DO double clutch when shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd the grind is greatly reduced or doesn't even occur. However, once I'm in 3rd, if I have to slow down enough so that I have to downshift to 2nd, there ain't no way its going to go into 2nd. If flat refuses until I slow down almost to about 5 to 8 mph. So I'm thinking SOMETHING still ain't right. I just don't know what that SOMETHING might be.

Has anyone out there ever had this problem? If so,
what did it take to fix it?

Gotta31

When you downshift, you have to rev up the engine to match the speed of the car in the lower gear.

Did you check out the pilot bearing?

If there are no synchronizers, it seems double clutching would be required always. As chipper says, you don't have to goose the throttle going up because the new engine speed is lower than the previous speed.

Thanks to all you guys.

I'm going to do more experimenting tomorrow morning.

Gotta31

What weight gear oil is in your tranny?

Woody: I sent away for 2 quarts of that 160 wt. oil from the Filling Station. Thats whats in there now.

Wilson: I tried that and it worked at a slower speed but not at a slightly higher one. I can't tell how fast I'm going because my speedo is being repaired.

I'm just going to keep on trying different combinations.

Thanks to all of you for all the great suggestions!!

Gotta31

Double-clutching on the up shift helps because it gives your foot something to do whilst you are doing the hesitateing for a couple of seconds thing.

Down shifting, is really only needed to get more power where the rubber meets the road, like a steep hill, most straight six cylinder Chevrolet engines are well adapted to lugging, they don't need to be wound up, tight as Dick's hatband, under normal driving when you are comeing up to a stop sign, there is no need to gear down, slack off the foot feed, and when the car slows down just mash in the clutch at the same time you apply the brakes, at a dead stop shift into first gear. Driving one of these old Chevies is much different than driving a high winding Rice Rocket.

Mr. Mack:

Your 1st suggestion is what I'm doing and its been working fine.

On down shifting, I tried it today going up an on-ramp to another street. I slowed the car down in 3rd (but maybe not enough) while going up the grade and tried to downshift into 2nd. No dice. I had to slow down even more and then do the clutch/brake thing before the tranny and motor synched.

The last time I drove this type/year car was 1956 so I probably forgot more than I remember some 50 years back.

Gotta31 :rolleyes:

I think that if you want to down shift into second from 3rd, that you shift into neutral, release the clutch peddle, speed up the engine and while the engine is winding up clutch again while moving the shift lever into second, it should slip right into second when the engine speed equals the drive shaft speed. Think about that for a while then try it on the road. I do it after some practice without even using the clutch, without any grinding at all.

I do remember doing the "no clutch" thing when I was a kid with the first '31. Just a fun thing to do then. Now though, I'm scared I'll break something and the money won't be coming out of dad's pocket this time!!

I'm tempted to take the top of the tranny just to look and see what condition all the guts are in. I just may do this this week.

How do you remove the shifter from the tranny without grasping the top part with a pair of pliers and scratching it?

Gotta31

There is a special tool to take the shift lever out of the top. The sheet metal part surrounding the lever must be pushed down as it is turned counter clockwise (if I remember it correctly). It can be done without the special tool but is tough. An alternate is to remove the four bolts holding the top cover and then look inside. All that you need to do is line up the slots in the gears with the arms on the shifter when put back together.

Thanks. That sounds ike the 'no scratch' way to do it.

Gotta31

Hey GOTTA 31,
I just read this thread and I think I have a similiar problem starting. The through-out bearing on my '32 is starting to squeal, it lessens when I touch the clutch pedal. I noticed you replaced yours. Where did you get it, I didn't see it in the Filling Station catalog? Also , my car shifts fine up and down but much quicker going down when I double clutch.

The clutch throwout bearings are available from the Filling Station and they are listed in their new catalog. The bearings are on page 292, the part number is FS-116, and the price is $95 each.

Hey FDNY---I called the Filling Station and they have them. But before you do and if its not a panic situation,I'd look in our monthly Chevy club mag and find one of our members who sells parts. I'll be you can find one there and it'll be cheaper than the Filling Station. I had a painc situation going on so I needed one 'Yesterday' !

BTW, I know we haven't gotten together yet and thats because I've been working on this car constantly. I'm trying to fix all its little problems so I can take it across the pond to Tarpon Springs and we'll have some coffee.

Gotta31

FDNY -- I sent you a response last night but I don't think it went through since I don't see it here.

So here goes again: I don't know if the squeal if from your throwout bearing or not. Although it does have a place to put oil in it.

Filling Station does have them. Thats where I got mine, but the FS ain't the best deal. Its $95.00

I'm sure that if you look in the monthly magazine we get, you'll find members who deal in parts. If possible, I would rather patronize them. However, mine was a panic situation. I couldn't shift gears without grinding about a pound off them with each shift.

Through trying the suggestions many of our good members have given me on this chat line, I have the shifting down pat now. My biggest succsss was when I started to hesitate just 2-3 seconds before shifting up.

I hope this helps and good luck on finding the squeal. I'm sure that Chipper and/or JunkYardDog can answer that question.

By the way, if you have a repair manual, don't be afraid to tackle the clutch job. I did my own with the help of a friend and his grease rack and it wasn't bad at all. Just follow the book and you won't have a problem.

Let me know how you make out.

Gotta31

JunkYardDog; I took a second look and found them on p270 of my old cataloug dated 4/05, the sun must have been my eyes the first look.

Gotta31; The pots always on, and I,m not desperate to fix the squeal. I'll be here till the end of April then join the northern migration.

Thanks guys