All Fuel Gauges Inop

[jason.erbecker]

The gauges to my belly tank and two saddle tanks on a 1974 46' Hatteras Convertible are inoperative regardless of fuel level. I am a new Hatteras owner having moved up from a 28' Bayliner so I am unfamiliar with "common gripes" that these boats might have. If it is a common thing, is there a common fix? Any help would be appreciated!

Jason Erbecker
1974 46' Convertible
"Liberty Risk"

 

[whoover]

Hello, my fuel gauges are direct read through a window in the cockpit sole. I have to pull them out
this year and clean up the floats on them as they are starting to hang up an not read. If you have electric gauges then disregard my comment.

Walt Hoover

 

[jason.erbecker]

Whoover,
Thanks, I read mine through the cockpit sole as well. I'll try removing and cleaning them.

Jason

 

[SEVEN]

When you’re ready to clean them make sure you’re very gentle with the rods in the center spindle. They are easily bent. I took a Dremel with a wire wheel and then 400 grit sandpaper to knock off any extra burrs. I’ve replaced mine With new ones but I’ve rebuilt three other sets. Fairly easy to do but just be careful. And if for some reason they’re not working there is another Hatteras site where somebody is selling four used ones of the units for 30 and $40 each. If you prefer new call Sam’s.

 

[Lmcruiser]

If the gauges are Rochester gauges/senders they are still available. I had to replace one in a water tank that was direct read and electrical sender combination and it was a bit pricey. About $190.00 but are reported to be improved and not a likely to stick as older versions.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

If the gauges are Rochester gauges/senders they are still available. I had to replace one in a water tank that was direct read and electrical sender combination and it was a bit pricey. About $190.00 but are reported to be improved and not a likely to stick as older versions.

Yes they are.

 

[MadHatter53]

What's this "other" Hatteras site you speak of ??

 

[SEVEN]

Facebook. It’s called Hatteras owners. Not nearly as informative as Sam’s. I ask them all to join Sam’s. Here is the add I saw yesterday.

 

[jason.erbecker]

When you’re ready to clean them make sure you’re very gentle with the rods in the center spindle. They are easily bent. I took a Dremel with a wire wheel and then 400 grit sandpaper to knock off any extra burrs. I’ve replaced mine With new ones but I’ve rebuilt three other sets. Fairly easy to do but just be careful. And if for some reason they’re not working there is another Hatteras site where somebody is selling four used ones of the units for 30 and $40 each. If you prefer new call Sam’s.

Thanks for the steer! I appreciate it

 

[madhatter1]

When you get them operating they still will not be exact. Just ball park. What I did on new to me boat was to fill, Run for quite a bit over time to burn off fuel (during normal use), and using worst case fuel burn I could find on my engines calculated I could find to make sure I didn't get to low I did this starting from 1/4 tank slowly filled up writing down number of gallons to 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, full, and then full to pinned, Full to pinned is a big one, at least to me. Mine takes 35-40 gallons more past full to pinned. So based on this I can easily fill at full speed up to full. Then top off with 20-25 gallons more but not needing to sit and listed for fuel vents to avoid dribbles into the water. I am within 10-15 gallons of being totally topped off.

Then as fuel is burned the tank markings have fairly accurate readings of what is gone VS tank gallon size. Also just to be safe I use only 90% of reported size by MFG. Not every drop is usable.

 

[whoover]

While we are here, does anyone know the socket size required to fit the nut. My set goes to 2" but its alot larger than that.

Thanks
Walt Hoover

 

[jim rosenthal]

I think on my boat is was 2 3/8, but we ended up having to take the old water tank gauge out with a cutoff wheel or a Dremel; it was corroded into place.

I have found my tank gauges to be predictably wrong, which is a good thing. Unpredictably wrong would be useless altogether. I know when they read 3.4 each side on fuel that the tanks are actually full. Etc. They are consistently about 1/4 tank low reading, but since I do all my boating in the Chesapeake, where it's easy to get fuel, it has never been a problem. .

 

[jason.erbecker]

All good gouge. Thanks!

 

[jmooney]

I replaced all my gauges with electric only senders from Sam’s. They have been in for several years and are reliable. They come in various lengths. I found that the direct reading gauges where sticking all time , especially the water tank gauges. The fuel tank gauges would stick too, just not as often. I would like to add ultra sonic senders in addition in the future.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Not had fuel direct reads hang up yet. But, I always check them with a rough calibrated rod before a trip anywhere long enough to get into trouble.

 

[whoover]

Thank you Mr Rosenthal, the socket size required is 2 3/8". At least it was for one of my gauges which came out with very little effort. The other one however must be a replacement because it is 2 5/16". Luckily I remembered and old millwright trick of adding
a dime to shim the socket. This gauge required more force but eventually it loosened and came out. Today I will clean them up.

Thanks
Walt Hoover

 

[jim rosenthal]

Funny how I actually recalled that' it's been years. Glad to help.

 

[whoover]

After getting them home and measured they are both 2 3/8". I was using a 12 point socket and I think that was the cause of the slipping. One of the gauges was surely Hatteras original as it was all brass and cleaned up easily. The other had steel rods and required more sanding. If anyone else does this be careful with the rods that the float rides on and the spiral rod that turns the needle, you could easily make the gauge worse than when you started.

Walt Hoover

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Been there, done that. Pulled all of mine years ago and put all new corks on them and cleaned them up. One of them was a problem and I worked on it several times before I got it just right so it wouldn't hang up. But, like I said, that was years ago and no issues since.