Hi Peeps,

I just bought some 8 amp fuse wire at the shop with the idea to replace that hair fine piece in a fuel sender (3 units here - all with broken wire!!!)

It will probably end up being an exercise in stupidity, as I'm assuming the thinner wire is all about electrical resistance, but anyone want to tell me what a dick I am before I start the experiment?

My multimeter is registering some impedence change with the mechanical action of the float... Off i go to hook it up dry.

Yeah, you right, it probably won't work.

Even though the wire is thin, it will still be pretty much bugger all resistance. You can buy special high resistance wire from dick smiths which could work, but who knows what the resistance properties of the original sender is, and you will have to wind the same amount of turns at the same spacing etc. Too many variables to get it wrong i recon. Can always give it a go though!

you can get new resistors from otto 's at Salisbury

Dont do the fuse wire! It could burn out and if you were silly enough to install it in the tank without bench testing........BOOM

It is resistance wire you need. You could work out the resistance required with a potentiometer, then get the right length wire for the value required and rewind as necessary.

it will depend upon the type of float you have as to the resistance value you need.
had an old one that was broken in my bug years ago that had the cylinder type with the float going up vertically inside the tube... think from memory it was 20 ohms to 100ohms range.
you need the correct ohms/metre wire to redo these. fuse wire will not do it.
am guessing the arm type float ones use a coil of resistance wire which the arm "wipes" accross to short out the segments to get the right ohms for the gauge.
these may use coil wire that has the varnish removed on one side (so the rest does not short out together) but only guessing.

good luck with your attempt... let us know how you go with it.

It would be easier to find a second hand sender unit

Did you earth out the gauge to test if the gauge is OK

B4 going to the trouble of trying o repair the sender unit ??

Boom! Arf!

It's not the gauge and I'm a bit cynical about a 2nd hand one, what with having 3 units all of which are broken...

I hooked it up (outside the tank - duh!) and there was no resistance regarless of where the float sat. Worth 5 minutes tinkering though!

I have no problem with learning something new every day.

Has anyone attempted and succeeded in what I'm doing?

I can only suggest a strong word of caution, it takes only an extremely small spark to ignite an empty fuel tank.
I would recommend getting a second hand one as well.