Fuel gauge conversion from oil pressure guage? Options

[lapuwali]

I got my numbers by hooking a DMM up to a fuel sender, and sliding the float from top to bottom. I have a 10-180 ohm VDO fuel gauge on my shelf, it pegs at empty if I hook it up to the 914 sender with the float at the top, and reads slightly above empty with the float at the bottom. Not useful.

The aftermarket tube type sender is capacitive. It has no moving parts. Adding a low-fuel light that operates in any way like the stock one isn't possible. The stock one is very nice in that it simply uses a pair of contacts at the bottom that are closed when the float touches them, thus it's completely independent of the variable resistive sender used to move the needle. If one fails, the other continues to work. The low-fuel light setups I've seen on the capacitive senders simply use a comparator in the gauge itself, which means if the sender fails, both the needle and the light don't work. That said, the capacitive senders are very reliable, and almost never fail.

[Dr Evil]

James,
I didn't get a notice that you replied till today. That was the same way that I tried to do the range, but when I called the speedo places thay told me that that was incorrect. VDO does make one that looks just like the one that I have. It was used on the 916 in the dash center area.

Bryan, when I am at the point of goofing with my gauge, I will be very happy indeed. Unfortunately, I am far from that stage so I have no supporting or conflicting data. I would recommend calling Palo Alto Speedo, or North Hollywood speedo. If you buy it from them they can calibrate it if it needs it and if it doesnt work as advertized then they will make it right. Waldek over at NH speedo is a great guy and loves what he does.

Are our senders not the same as 911? I believe that they told me that they were, but it has been a bit since I talked to them.

[Dr Evil]

Here is an option if the stock sender is not 10-180ohm

http://www.egauges.com/vdo_send.asp?Sender=10_180ohms

[lapuwali]

Just buying that gauge would probably be expensive, however, I believe the way they make it is to use a 924 or 944 combo gauge, remove the idiot lights on the sides, and swap in VDO gauge modules. You could theoretically construct something similar yourself using used gauges from Ebay or suchlike. I don't know how you'd do the voltmeter, but the others are easy. Alternatively, look at the thread on this board about 904 style gauges, which are three gauges (oil temp/press, and fuel) in one combo gauge, assembled yourself from used bits and some custom bits.