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I'm looking but I cannot find what I am looking for.... how do you install a fuel sending unit on a 76 without dropping the tank? I ordered a fuel sending unit and there is NO way this thing will install from the top.... Help!
I own a 77. I'm no expert on 76's . However I believe that 75 - 77 are much the same with the large oval top door.
you have no chance of installing a sending unit with the tank in the car. The tank however is easy to remove and reinstall.
I just went out to look...My 74 installed from the bottom of the tank but I can't see the 76 because the spare carrier is in the way. The 74 was easy with fuel removed.
wow, no wonder I couldn't see the fuel lines like on the 74...they are up top. But yet the tank drop isn't real hard. Go for the tank sticker while the tank is out.
What do you mean "go for the tank sticker"? Anybody know of a good instructional vid or procedure for taking the tank out? I looked the last time I had it up on quickjacks, I don't see how the tank can come out without damn near dis-assembling the rear end....
Your undercar exhaust is the hardest part to get the tank past . Try and siphon out as much fuel as you can so its light weight to help you juggle it out .
The tank sticker is your cars build sheet attached to the top of the fuel tank.
Agreed about the exhaust being the hardest part of the removal.
You don't need a hoist, just raise the rear of the car to a comfortable working height.
Also, replace all the rubber fuel/return and vapor lines.
Last edited by bmotojoe; Oct 20, 2020 at 07:56 AM.
Thanks guys, I looked at the docs the seller provided me when I bought the car... it had been into a Corvette-only shop for restoration by the previous owner. I remember seeing a new fuel tank on the parts list but when I called the Corvette shop the guy told me the previous owner had told him NOT to put a new sending unit in the new tank. I thought that was the most idiotic thing I've ever heard, but oh well. Anyway, thanks - the fuel gauge never has worked since I've had the car, tested the gauge itself and it checks out. It's either the sending unit or the wiring.
The connector for the sending unit is in the left-hand rear quarter panel. Rubber covered two wire connector just hanging in there. Super easy to get to. Unplugging said connector allows you to test wiring back to guage. And with an Ohm meter and a friend with a coat hanger and flashlight, test the sending unit. I would test first before dropping the tank. I had my tank out a little over a year ago. Super easy to get out. No, you dont have to disassemble the whole rear end. Yes your tail pipes and mufflers if you have them will likely be in the way. I unhooked them, loosened the clamps near the diff and just pushed them outwards a couple inches. Was enough to get the tank out.
test the wiring and sending unit first. If you need to drop the tank the rear of the car on jack stands is all you need. I'm over 60 and had no troubles. There are a couple you tube video's I've seen. But the ones I seen sucked. After you test. Get back on here for more direction if needed.
Oh, have that friend with the flashlight look into the gas cap hole, should be able to see the sending unit float hanging there. With the coat hanger. Hook it and raise it up and down while your in the quarter panel with an ohm meter.
4vetttes, can you possibly elaborate more on the testing of the sending unit? I'm guessing, now that I have a replacement sending unit, I could wire it up to the harness and test it with the replacement gauge? I'll look for the connector, any pics would help.
I see... put an ohmeter on the tank side of the connector while a friend changes the resistance by moving the sending unit... gotcha.
Well yes. If you have a new sending unit. You could connect it at the connector in the left rear quarter panel. No I don't have a photo handy. And no I don't have the rear end of my car up on jack stands at the moment. Unfortunately, I did just a couple days ago. Look up there. One round 2 wire connector with wires that go up with the fuel vent line heading toward the center top of the tank. Certainly you can find this.
unplug the connector. Tan wire and a black wire. Ground the tan wire. Your fuel guage should peg. Test the ground wire (black) with an ohm meter for continuity to ground. Sending unit side. Connect ohm meter between both wires. Raise sending unit up and down. Should go from something like 80 or 90 ohms to near zero full up. And of course, progressively.
Sorry for the late reply, had some family business that needed attention. So, to start with, my guage has been on about 1/4 ever since I've had the car. I found the plug, and grounded the tan wire. It did NOT peg, in fact the guage went to zero! Then, without doing anything other than removing the tan wire ground (it was NOT hooked back up to the sending unit), my gauge goes all the way to FULL. So, I plug it back in and the gauge goes down to just below 1/4, where I think the tank is really at. I'm going to go fill the thing up to see what happens, got a big car show tomorrow so I need gas anyway. I'm thinking this may have just been a connection issue all along.... More to come!
Build shieet would NOT be on top of tank,. It would be on glued to the top of the tank shield because that's how the car came down the assembly line before the body was lowered on the car. And the tank shield does NOT need to be removed to drop the tank so most people never see the build sheet.
People with older cars seem to forget that the 75 and up cars were configured and assembled diffetent because of all the mandated crash stuff in the rear.
1976 Fuel Sending Unit?
