I Love You, BB, But Your Fuel Gauge Is Crazy!

I thought a quick cleaning and oiling of my gauges would be easy and have a big return.  It did have a big return but it was far from easy!  But, I did learn a thing or two along the way.  For example, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is perfect for cleaning the face of a 53 year old instrument.  And, I have no future in watch repair!  

The fuel gauge is unique in having a ventilated housing, since it uses a resistive heating element to heat a bi-metal in proportion (more or less) to the position of the float in the tank.  You can see from the markings on the gauge how non-linear it is!  Full to three-quarter is nearly nothing and the next quarter is forever, etc.  

Here, you can see the internal mechanism.  It's very clever but crazy delicate!  The needle is literally made of aluminum foil!  I discovered this by cruelly bending the needle base.  After I dried my tears, I used needle nose pliers to straighten it and somehow managed to snap it back into the delicate triangle it sits in.  I even managed a new coat of white paint!

That was nerve wracking but I'm pleased every time I look at it (after applying mental correction factors to intuit the actual fuel level!).  We ain't never not done it yet!  And keep having #funwithcars !