Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[D4B]

Decided to try and fix the fuel guage in my 1961 Peugeot van....

Here is what I found when I took out the original sender unit



I spent about 2 or 3 hours trying in vein to repair the
variable resistor, so in the end I bought a similar sender
from a supplier in Germany ~ for a Peugeot 403 ~ the vehicles
share many parts

My question is, the resistor / electrical part of the original sender
is not submerged in the fuel as it sits in a seperate compartment
only the float and float arm are in the petrol...

However the replacement one, has the resistor part sitting in the fuel

I can only assume there is no risk of explosion ???? 12V contactor sliding along a resistor is gonna make sparks???

Or am I worrying about nothing?

Here are pics of new sender




Thanks Steve

[Roger-hatchy]

Steve
The sender unit in the DLM's fuel tank is almost the same as that unit.
Only differences are a longer arm with a ball on the end.

Works fine mate.

Might be something to do with the fact that there is no 'make and brake' contact, it is a continuous sliding contact, it's make and brake that can cause a spark.

Mine is 12 volt as well by the way.

Roger

[D4B]

Thanks Roger, puts my mind at rest, I had visions of me driving
over a speed bump and disappearing in a ball of flames!!

[alec.elliot]

Hi there

I found that the sender was in similar condition with my 1936 Morris 8 when I had a look at it a short while ago.

The internal part of the diecast zinc body had almost completely disappeared leaving the resistor and wiper fully exposed to the atmosphere inside the tank so I was initially alarmed by it also.

I guess its possible that the atmosphere inside the tank is just petrol vapour and has less than the amount of Oxygen inside required to start/ maintain combustion. Without the oxygen you have removed a part of your fire triangle. (the other bits being heat and fuel.) so in theory an explosion/ fire cannot start no matter what the resistor and wiper get up to. At least, that what I thought about it at the time.

All the best.

Alec

[D4B]

Thanks Alec

[Churchill Johnson]

Believe me do not be fooled into thinking that petrol vapour will not ignite it will, a sender unit has a resistance to earth not the same as shorting out a live wire to earth, and if you look at any sender unit covered or not the arm that move's the wiper contact cannot be sealed against fuel entering the so called work's, the only time one should be worried is if the wires are mixed up and voltage is sent down to the sender unit, then as Basil Fox used to say Boom,Boom.