[GMCnet] last fuel

[Dean Hanson via Gmclist]

In my 73 Glacier, the gas left when the low fuel light came on was described
as enough for 60 miles which would be somewhere around 6 gallons. But don't
count on that as I know from running out and the 3 to 4 gallons it takes to
light it up again, that there is some fuel that is unusable./



Dean C. Hanson 75 Avion and 76 Eleganza II

P.O.Box 2096

Fremont, Ca. 94536

(510) 657-9600



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[Robert Edwin Broadwell via Gmclist]

Never got that low for the light to come on-didn't know that it worked.
--
Bob Broadwell
75 Eleganza II-Rebuilt performance engine, Manny trans, Manny 1-ton front end, 73 23ft with a side bath getting some updates-both living in Las Vegas

[roy keen via Gmclist]

I've had mine so low in fuel that the light was lit on both tanks in the middle of no where then a gas station appeared I was sure I screwed up royal.
When the light comes on you have to switch tanks then switch back and forth each time a light comes on till it doesn't help and there is a steady
light on each tank. After this happens you'll never let it happen again trust me.
--
Roy Keen
Minden,NV
76 X Glenbrook

[Peer Oliver Schmidt via Gmclist]

On 17.11.19 07:02, roy keen via Gmclist wrote:
> When the light comes on you have to switch tanks then switch back and
> forth each time a light comes on till it doesn't help and there is a
> steady light on each tank.

I use it differently. When the light comes on because I didn't watch my
fuel close enough, I start looking for the next gas station. It happened
twice to me now in Europe that the main tank went empty. When that
happened, I switched to the aux tank, engine starts again, and I merely
slow down.

In the Nevada it happened to me, and I did switch. However, the switch
only changed the display, but due to a failure in the selector valve,
did not change the tank. I ran out of gas 400 yds next to a gas station.

--
Best regards

Peer Oliver Schmidt
PGP KeyID: 0x4196BF22
'76a 26' Eleganza II - Virginia, US
'73 23' Sequoia - Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

[James Hupy via Gmclist]

I got to thinking about gas tanks around 3:00 A.M. this morning. A standard
GMC gas tank holds 25 gallons when (if) it is full. It is about 6" deep.
So, when it is 1/2 full,12.5 u.s. gallons, there is approximately 3" of
fuel in it. When it is 1/4 full, (6.25 U.S. gallons) there is only 1.5" of
fuel left in it to slosh back and forth, and if the coach is going up a
steep hill, or down one, or leaning from side to side, what are the chances
of uncovering the fuel pickup? Pretty darn likely, I would guess.
If you suck in air, even a small amount, your mechanical fuel pump
ain't going to like it, not even a little bit. Engine stumbles, or worse,
quits altogether while going down a steep hill. Then, you lose power
assisted steering and engine vacuum for the power assisted brakes.
Definitely NOT SOMETHING I want to experience. You run on fumes if you
prefer, but not me.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

[John R. Lebetski via Gmclist]

For those that have converted to or added electric fuel pumps the situation is worse. Sucking air damages most electric pumps due to loss of fluid
lubrication and cooling.
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

[Mike Hamm via Gmclist]

I've wanted to test the fuel gauges and low level light but never have.
My gauges read high and don't have a clue if the light works.
Maybe some day
--
1977 Kingsley 455 as stock as it gets except lots of Ragusa parts

[roy keen via Gmclist]

Another thought the original tanks each have a sock filter at the end of the pick up and the pick up is not extended to the bottom of the tank maybe a
1/4 or 1/2" from the bottom. When I installed a large filter in front of each electric fuel pump I removed both failing socks and extended the pickups
closer to the bottom of the tanks into the dimple or shallow well in the tanks.

--
Roy Keen
Minden,NV
76 X Glenbrook

[James Hupy via Gmclist]

When Hal St.Clair converted his coach to a 6.5 diesel, he made a fuel
reservoir between the tanks and the engine, and it holds a considerable
amount of fuel. The engine gets its fuel from that reservoir, and the tanks
supply fuel to the reservoir as well. I am not sure if the unused fuel
returned from the injectors returns to the tanks, or the reservoir, but it
really works well. You really, really do not want to run a diesel out of
fuel, and this system works well. Similar in concept to the Fi-Tec command
center.
Might be a worthwhile addition to any coach, gas or diesel.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sun, Nov 17, 2019, 8:55 AM roy keen via Gmclist <gmc...@list.gmcnet.org>
wrote:

[Ken Henderson via Gmclist]

About 10 years ago, I cut a 12" long section of 10" OD aluminum tubing with
1/4" wall and had my superb welder friend attach 1/4" thick rectangular
plates on the ends. Angles on those ends make the "feet" by which that
accumulator is mounted on the vertical step wall beneath the driver's
seat. The wheel well liner provides good protection for it from road
debris. An assortment of threaded 3/8" holes at top, bottom, and ends
makes connections simple. When I ran a Quadrajet, the Carter 4070 pump at
each tank fed one of those ports through check-valve equipped tee near the
pumps just ahead of the Aux tank. A return line ran from the accumulator
to the drain plug on the Aux tank, with a sturdy protective shield over the
line where it passes from the crossmember to the drain protects it from
road damage.

When I upgraded to EFI, I merely added a high pressure filter and pump to
the output of the accumulator and connected the return from the throttle
body to one of its spare ports. I've never had any indication of vapor
lock nor other fuel starvation with this setup. I HAVE had a couple of
high pressure pump failures during the several years I've run EFI, and I'm
suspicious of the one in there now. I've procured a second high pressure
pump to connect to another port on the accumulator so I'll have selectable
redundancy on the high pressure circuit, just as I've always had on the low
pressure side.

Ken H.

[Carl Stouffer via Gmclist]

Another factor to consider in this discussion is that our tanks tend to build up a little pressure, due to the inadequate venting system, and balloon
downwards (the only direction they have to go) making it seem like you have less gas in them than you really do.

When the tanks expand, they tend to move the fuel even further from the pick-ups and the gauge reads empty when it is not. Same effect since you
can't access that fuel anyway.
--
Carl Stouffer
'75 ex Palm Beach
Tucson, AZ.
Chuck Aulgur Reaction Arm Disc Brakes, Quadrabags, 3.70 LSD final drive, Lenzi knuckles/hubs, Dodge Truck 16" X 8" front wheels, Rear American Eagles,
Solar battery charging. GMCSJ and GMCMI member

[Jim Kanomata via Gmclist]

When the light comes on, I drive it till I feel a surge, then flip to the
aux tank and drive for 120-150 and get gas.
It is not a bad idea to pull fuel from the bottom of the aux tank as crud
does accumulate there.

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
ji...@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmcrvparts.com
1-800-752-7502

[Johnny Bridges via Gmclist]

JimK, you go 120 - 150 miles >after< the main tank surges and you switch?

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

[Ken Henderson via Gmclist]

Sure -- He ALWAYS gets 20-25 mpg! :-)

Ken H.

[Les Burt via Gmclist]

He probably was referring to yards travelled. Or seconds if he was thinking time. :)

Les Burt
Montreal
'75 Eleganza 26'

> On Nov 19, 2019, at 10:12 AM, Ken Henderson via Gmclist <gmc...@list.gmcnet.org> wrote:
>
> Sure -- He ALWAYS gets 20-25 mpg! :-)

[James Hupy via Gmclist]

He must have 3 gas tanks. If I tried that stunt, I would wind up pushing my
coach for 100 miles or so. (Grin)
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Tue, Nov 19, 2019, 7:59 AM Les Burt via Gmclist <gmc...@list.gmcnet.org>
wrote:

[Richard Denney via Gmclist]

It seems to me that the aluminum air tank for the Power Level system is
perfect as a surge tank. It’s about the size you describe, and has a
fitting on one end, plus four fittings on the sides. Turn it on end with
the end fitting at the bottom, plumbed to the high-pressure pump input. Low
pressure pump to lower of side fittings, and continuous low-pressure tank
return to higher of side fittings. High-pressure return to the other higher
side fitting.

It might have a bubble of air at the top. If that’s a problem, turn it
over, putting the end fitting at the top, and use that as the low-pressure
return to the tanks. Plumb one lower side fitting FROM the low-pressure
pump, and the other one TO the high-pressure pump. High-pressure return
from the TBI goes to an upper side fitting.

I’d uses Band-It to strap it to a mounting frame attached where you
describe.

All that said, my low-fuel light starts flashing when the tank is about
half full. But my Autometer fuel gauge isn’t as damped as the factory
gauge, and it swings widely on turns, stops, and hills. When it swings as
low as about 1/8, the warning light comes on.

Rick “still getting used to it” Denney

--
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com

[Vern Crawford via Gmclist]

A huge thanks, and howdy everyone,

Somehow comments that started with original "Help..." thread migrated to
this one...

Well, I successfully eliminated the horrid loud buzzing alarm by cutting
and insulating one of the tiny wires coming from the "Low Fuel" TellTale
light to the obnoxious critter! My hunch was correct, as the buzzer was
somehow triggered by the low fuel warning circuit.

Before this problem my Low Fuel warning light *and* buzzer would typically
come on when the fuel gauge indicated about 1/8 the left. My fueling
habits echo Jim Hupy's, as i'm usually looking for fuel and a stretch break
at around the 250 mile/half-tank range, so my average fill-up is around 25
gallons. In over 45,000 miles I've only had to flip the switch back in
forth between tanks perhaps 5 times to keep the buzzer and light in check.

Well, after silencing the noisy gremlin, I had to check on how my coach's
warning system would now respond to a low fuel situation. So, with a 5
gallon plastic gas can attached to the rear, we set out to see the
granddaughter's new house in Houston. When the gauge got down to around
the 1/8 range there was no light or buzzer, but we were traveling on I-10
with a full head of steam, so I went into careful monitoring mode, ready to
switch tanks back and fourth as might be needed to keep from stalling out
if she stuttered. About 50 miles later she had not thrown any warning
light or buzzer, and the gauge indicated less than 1/16 left, as the exit
for my granddaughter's house came up., with city traffic and stoplights for
the next ten miles to her home.

I figured it was time to end the experiment, rather than having the coach
die in the middle of an intersection. At the first gas station, about
three blocks off the highway, I set the dispenser on its slowest rate of
flow, and checked her vitals, cleaned the windshield et cetera. The pump
kicked off at 46.683 gallons. I did not top it off.

Lenore was happy, no longer having to put up with that loud malfunctioning
buzzer. And although we no longer have a low fuel warning system, the
gauge is very accurate at the low end of the range, provided you're driving
a steady rate of speed on a straight stretch of smooth, level highway!

Hugs,
Vern, Lenore, and Knibbles D. Kat

--
Vern Crawford (and Lenore Langsdorf)
155 JJ Lane
Center Point, TX 78010
(618) 203-8296 Vern's cell
(830) 928-5550 Lenore's cell
VernCr...@GMail.Com
LenoreL...@GMail.Com

[Mike Kelley via Gmclist]

Vern C.:
Soo very glad you got it all sorted out!
Hoping to see you at the Jan. Classics rally!
Mike/The Corvair a holic

Sent from my iPhone

[Mark Sawyer via Gmclist]

Another option to level out the fuel delivery in our large, flat tanks (other than a header tank) would be a product like Holley's Hydromat:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfE1v65fNZI

I'm running fuel injection in my coach and without fail, braking on an exit ramp on a fuel stop almost always results in engine stumble....

I have currently not done either solution, but both have merits... I like the simplicity of the hydromat installation, but the header tank option
would probably work just as well but be less money at the expense of more complexity... (A large hydromat like we would need for our tanks is pretty
pricey, and to do it right, you really need 2 of them....)


--
Mark S. '73 Painted Desert,
Manny 1 Ton Front End,
Howell Injection,
Leigh Harrison 4bag and Rear Brakes,
Fort Worth, TX

[Jim Kanomata via Gmclist]

I use all the fuel in the aux tank till it stalls ad go back to the main
and pray that there will be a station.
Yes, I slow down to 55mph and turn off the A/C and hope I'm pulling the
toad so Grace can push me if I run out again.
She has gotten good at that after about 6 times.

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
ji...@appliedairfilters.com
http://www.appliedgmcrvparts.com
1-800-752-7502

[Johnny Bridges via Gmclist]

I believe all of that >except< that you slowed to 55 :) :)

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell