1955 gauge problem temp and Fuel

HI all

My temp and fuel gauges in my 55 are not working. I have no idea where to start trouble shooting these, and info would be a god send. :beer

Thanks in advance .

Ps I did a search and could not find and ansewr.

Cheers Will

 

The temperature gauge in a '55 is not electrical. It is a "vapor pressure type which makes use of a sealed-in liquid". (P 10-76, 1955 service manual). The fuel gauge is electrical. it is conventional in that it draws power from the ignition switch, the current passes through the gauge to a variable resistor which is attached to a float assembly in the tank. You have two separate problems.

 

I dont know about the temp gauge but the fuel gauge on my 62 had an issue of not showing the right fuel level and sometimes not working at all. It turned out to be a bad ground at the sending unit.

 

My fuel gauge does'nt work either. It worked fine up until about a year ago. I'm thinking, as has been said; bad ground.

 

It has been a lot of years since I have worked on '55 electrics, but the easy way to test a fuel gauge is to access the wire that goes to the fuel sender at the tank (OK, perhaps not all THAT easy!) and disconnect it. Turn on the ignition and observe the fuel gauge. It should read either full or empty. Then install a jumper wire from the gauge wire that you disconnected to a GOOD ground. The gauge should now show the opposite of the last reading (If it previously read empty, it now should read full). If it does, the problem is either the fuel gauge sender or the sender ground. About 95% of the time, fuel gauge problems involve the sender.

 

thanks John I'll give this a go

 

Disaster today while trying to remove the vac line for temp gauge i broke the tube the fluid came out and the bulb is frozen in the head, woe is me ou: ou: ou: ou: ou: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:ray:ray: ray: ray: ray: ray: ray: ray:

 

Oh, no. John, Doc, Tom, someone; have you, a solution?

 

Uggggh! Not what you want to hear, but 1. Find a good used gauge assembly. 2. Check in Hemmings and see if there is anyone who rebuilds these things. Do not throw it away! There has to be a way to fix it. Think positively - you haven't lost anything - it didn't work anyhow. The gauge head is still there.

 

Yeah I found a company that rebuild them my problem is the bulb is frozen in the head I'll try to take a pic got to figure how to remove it

 

VICTORY I got the bulb out of the head with some liquid wrench bull nose pliers and alot of luck whew, So now it of to be repaired:beers2: