Best way to adjust fuel level sensor?

[Guest]

My fuel level gauge is quite a ways off. After burning about 1-1.5 gallons of fuel it'll show half a tank. It'll basically be on E by the time I burn 3.5 or so gallons. Tank removal is a pretty quick process on this bike but I was curious about the best way to adjust the sensor would be? Bend the float arm or go in and adjust the wiper arm?

Thanks,
Josh

[Steve]

Bending the float arm is the better way to go.

You will receive a few different opinions on how/where to adjust your readings, I'll offer mine first.

Does your gauge have a red zone? If it does, I prefer to have the transition from MAIN tank to REServe happen at the transition from white zone to red zone. The easiest way to set that point is to fill the tank above the REServe level. Attach hoses to the fuel and vacuum ports on the petcock so that the fuel hose will drain into another tank, can, whatever, and the vacuum hose can be sucked on. It will need constant vacuum, so a Mity-Vac or electric pump is best. Apply vacuum, drain the tank to the REServe level, observe the gauge. If the needle is in the red zone, finish draining the tank, remove the float assembly and bend the float arm DOWN. Should not have to be much, maybe 1/2" or so. Unless you are incredibly lucky, plan on doing this more than once. Put it all together, try again. Repeat as necessary.

Your gauge may never get to the FULL mark. Or it may go above the FULL mark and take 50 miles to get below FULL and be on HALF by 75 miles. It really doesn't matter. You will KNOW that when it gets to the red zone, you will be switching to REServe. Another advantage of this method of calibration comes in handy if you forget to turn it from REServe to MAIN when you fill up. Hopefully you will notice the needle in the red zone, realize that you have not switched the petcock and realize your mistake.

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[Downs]

I've got a pingel in there now. I'll do your calibration method as that seems pretty straight forward and makes sense with the "danger zone" of the fuel gauge that's on there matching up with the reserve setting. Assuming the reserve on the pingel is about the same as on the factory petcock. I've honestly never measured it before so I'm not sure. This will be a good excuse to do so.

[chuck hahn]

Heres my take. First see what the manual staes as the fuel capacity of any given tank. Then get half a tanks worth of gas in a can..if it says 5 gallons then get 2 1/2 in the can. Be sure the tank is 100% empty and dump in the gas from the can and turn on the key. give it a good 2 or 3 minutes to settle in because the bimetal strip that moves the needle has to get as hot as it will for whatever level its trying to read.

If the needle settles BELOW the half mark you bend the arm down. If its ABOVE, then you bend the am up. You may have to set the petcock on prime and drain the gas back into the can to remove the sender unit and tweek the arm. Yes there are OHM readings in the manual but , myself, i like to see the needle settle in where it should and adjust accordingly.