Curiosity killed the cat

[Blue Marlin]

I was strolling by Brum a couple of weeks ago when curiosity got a hold of me. I knew the fuel gauge was reading below zero and I wondered how much fuel is still in the tank.
I picked up a nice straight piece of plastic pipe and dipped the tank. Oh I cant see the level, I'll just go and get my glasses. As I dipped the tank again the nice straight piece of plastic pipe slipped from my fingers, slithered round the bend and disappeared into the tank.
That's not good I thought so I fetched a wee torch and had a look down the filler neck. I cannot see into the tank due to the bend.
Oh well I'm sure it will be ok.
Wrong! Yesterday I pushed her out of the garage to tinker with some carpet and when I stopped her all I could hear was a nice piece of straight plastic pipe rolling up and down the tank making a rather nice,loud and annoying noise.
Looks like I may have to remove the tank sender and see if I can somehow fish it out.
Bummer

[Mike]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

I was strolling by Brum a couple of weeks ago when curiosity got a hold of me. I knew the fuel gauge was reading below zero and I wondered how much fuel is still in the tank.
I picked up a nice straight piece of plastic pipe and dipped the tank. Oh I cant see the level, I'll just go and get my glasses. As I dipped the tank again the nice straight piece of plastic pipe slipped from my fingers, slithered round the bend and disappeared into the tank.
That's not good I thought so I fetched a wee torch and had a look down the filler neck. I cannot see into the tank due to the bend.
Oh well I'm sure it will be ok.
Wrong! Yesterday I pushed her out of the garage to tinker with some carpet and when I stopped her all I could hear was a nice piece of straight plastic pipe rolling up and down the tank making a rather nice,loud and annoying noise.
Looks like I may have to remove the tank sender and see if I can somehow fish it out.
Bummer

........... moral of the story......... use a painted metal rod next time.
That way you stand a chance of dropping a magnet on a string line to fish it out.
How do I know it works.......?

I've just done the same thing with our house heating oil tank.

[b_caswell]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

You need one of these https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...QvhcINQ&adurl=

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

........... moral of the story......... use a painted metal rod next time.
That way you stand a chance of dropping a magnet on a string line to fish it out.
How do I know it works.......?

I've just done the same thing with our house heating oil tank.

On the bright side the house tank doesn't move

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

[QUOTE=b_caswell;41786]You need one of these https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...QvhcINQ&adurl=[/QUOTE

Thanks Ben, bought

[Mike]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

On the bright side the house tank doesn't move

No, but the heating oil in it did ........ some b*****d removed the vent and syphoned/pumped off two hundred litres a few nights ago.

I decided a padlock on the screw cap vent would be the only deterrent, and whilst trying to bolt a 12mm lifting ring to the tank to give me an anchor point I dropped my spanner in the tank.
Initially I was going to leave it, but then began to think that two different metals might lead to galvanic corrosion over time, and I'd require a new tank as well as a top up......... hence the magnet on a piece of string.

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

!!!!!!

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

Flexible grabbing thingy arrived today so I had a go at fishing out the pipe. I could grab it but try as I might I could not get it round the bend in the filler neck. I guess I was grabbing it to far down it's length.
Out came the sender and there it was in all it's glory. One grab with the thingy and it was out. I then used the opportunity to fiddle with the sender as, although the gauge showed below empty, there was quite a lot of fuel in the tank. It now reads a smidge above empty with approximately a quarter tank in there.
What I was really pleased to see was how clean the tank was inside with only an absolutely miniscule amount of sediment in there and no visible rust as far as I could tell from peering in the hole.
Worked out OK in the end. No need for dipping with plastic pipe now

[Blue Marlin]

Re: Curiosity killed the cat

Brum road tax renewed today so I thought I nip down to the garage and fill the tank ready for the new season. This will also see if my adjustments to the fuel sender lets the gauge show full when the tank is.
Would you believe it, about half way there the gauge settled back to below 0 and when I filled the tank the gauge resolutely refused to move from 0.
Got home, got the meter out and low and behold the gauge has gone open circuit. The sender was showing 74.5 ohms with a full tank. Does anyone out there know if this is correct?

Coincidence or what

Return of the plastic pipe??????