Help identifying coupe

[jeans_old_man]

Zero ohms represents an empty tank and thirty ohms full. If you disconnect the sender the needle will move fully to the right (past full). If you short the sender wire to chassis it will show empty. If, when you connect the sender, it shows full it does indeed suggest that the arm is stuck in the up position. The float is made of cork. Maybe it has disintegrated and dropped off but most faulty senders I have seen have a winding that is worn through by the wiper.

Do you have a multimeter to measure the resistance of the sender (you will need to disconnect it at the gauge). It does sound like you need to remove it to fix it. It is very frustrating that you can't get at it. Is there not a panel in the back of the car that can be removed?

[ColinB]

The back of the car is all screwed together Brian - there is an opening to allow access to wire up the sender but it is not centred on the sender either fore and aft or laterally, so I doubt if I can get the sender out even if I rotate the tank. I think I'll just live with it and carry a can of petrol!

[ColinB]

Having had a root about under the car I can see that I was mistaken and the tank would drop out if I could get to the bolts holding the straps and they would undo. I had thought the tank sat in a cradle on the chassis but in fact there are steel straps top and bottom. I'll leave if for a while especially as I can't take her out at the moment and I have many other things to get on with.

[jeans_old_man]

The tank looks like it has been brush painted and the sender is made of alloy so I am guessing a previous owner has had it out. Given the problems you are having with debris coming from the tank I think it would a good idea to have a look. If it has been internally coated there may be an issue with the ethanol in modern fuel slowly dissolving it.

[ColinB]

I imagine the last time the tank was looked at was when the Gibsons restored the car in the 1960s. I'll get her up on axle stands and have a look at the bolts sometime this week. I do agree if the tank was out I could really give it a good clean as well as sort out the sender.

[cdk84]

Hello Brian, Hi Colin,

As ethanol has been in fuel for some time, I've come to wonder whether anyone has developed an updated kit for 'refinishing' the interior of petrol tanks that is compatible with the 'new' fuel.

Anyone?

Seems you lot are making the most of your time with progress during our 'down time'.

I hope you are well. You 'Over There' seem to being Far more sensible and level headed about all this that we Yanks. ( To be fair, there's Nothing that even resembles consistency ( and certainly not competence ) let alone leadership coming from 'on high': everything we hear is false and optimism ( I'm sorry: when was the term Fake News ever better exemplified? ) and ignorance. Another opportunity to wish to be under the Crown again... ) I'll stop there. Genuinely didn't mean to turn this into a rant. Sorry.

What I'm really wanting to say is Please take all precautions necessary to remain well and weather this storm.

The up-side is that we can look forward to some Singer seat time when things are finally better.

Colin, I looked up Parson Drove and we would have been neighbors, somewhat distant as you say. Thanks for your sentiment about family. I've come to feel that 'blood is thicker than water' says more about blood than about water. In my family, blood is more akin ( pun intended ) to sewage than aught else. Another cultural myth exposed for what it is: at very best, wishful thinking. I'll stop there, too, save to say that there Are families where the adage holds true. Sounds as though I need a long walk in nature to get the burrs out from under my saddle.

Happy you are receiving excellent counsel from Brian on your petrol tank sender. Unless I miss my guess, you will have this sorted and in good nick in no time.

Brian, thanks for providing such sensible advice, clearly put. I'm an idiot when it comes to electrical matters but you and Colin have helped me gain a little understanding; most appreciated.

Warm Regards,

David

[ColinB]

Good to see you on the Forum David - I hope you are isolating in the US as it seems to be the best way of safeguarding yourself and your loved ones. I'm planning to drop the tank sometime during the coming week so see what I can sort out. I do have an option of having a new tank made in stainless by my good friend Dick who made a stainless tank for my Junior but he is so busy it would be a last resort.

[Peter McKercher]

Surely current treatments for tanks take into consideration the use of ethanol.

[jeans_old_man]

Wow! David. Thanks for your kind comments. Good to know that the fifty years as an electrical engineer were not wasted.

Yes Peter, modern treatments seem to take account of the ethanol but the issue is with tanks that were coated some time ago. Adverts aimed at motorcycle tanks recommend removing old coatings and they sell various chemicals to do this. I am not sure how effective this would be on tanks fitted with internal baffles.

I made a new tank for my 4-seater and found it easier than expected and very satisfying. I was fortunate to get hold of some lead-coated steel which made soldering very easy but I found that with a good flux I could solder mild steel - for example around the filler neck.

The original tank had a double fold on the joint which I replicated using a separate stip of brass shim:

tank sketch.jpg (32.95 KiB) Viewed 38987 times

If I was making it now I would consider making it from aluminium. If soldering proved impossible Araldite is an alternative (they developed epoxy resin to glue the wings onto Vulcans so I am sure it would be strong enough!)

[ColinB]

Nice job Brian!

[ColinB]

The Bangers and Cash programme starts with a new series on 22 October at 8.00pm on the Yesterday channel. I am told that my coupe will be one of the cars in one of the programmes but I'm not sure which one. Although filmed last September I think the lockdown has delayed the new series.

[ColinB]

Fuel sender arrived from the US today. Modifying it to the tank size (9") was easy but the top fixing was problematic: although it is a 5 bolt fixing like the tank, the two are of different diameters so the holes don't line up. OK I thought I'll just drill new holes only to realise after they were drilled that the original holes in the sender would open into the tank itself. This didn't seem like a good idea what with the fumes and fire risk. Fortunately the sender is only bolted together so the top plate came off really easily and tomorrow I'll make a new one of the right size with holes in the right place.

Not the job I was hoping for as the weather forecast is good for tomorrow and I had hoped to take her out to get a few more running-in miles on the clock. Never mind - nothing is ever straight forward with old cars and that is probably why we do it!

[ColinB]

New top plate made and installed. The tank is now back in the car although I have to tighten up the bolts and run the new 8mm copper pipe to the fuel pump. Still she should back on the road very shortly.

[Peter McKercher]

Glad to see it worked out for you Colin. Nothing like having a proper working fuel gauge.

[jeans_old_man]

Very neat. Good to see a 0V connection rather than relying on the copper petrol pipe.