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How accurate is your fuel gauge?

wallew

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OK, so our club is going to be at a gun show/MV show...

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/upcomi...-arms-collector-assn-mv-show-june-9-10-a.html

one of the requirements because it's indoors is no more than 1/4 tank of fuel...

SO, I purchased a 12v electric fuel pump. Mounted that to a piece of wood. Added two clips for power and 8' x2 of fuel hose. Then slowly pumped fuel out of two of my trucks into a 30 gal barrel.

It seems that my M1009 fuel gauge MAY be off a bit. I thought I had a full load of fuel (27 gal) but I only pumped about 12 - 14 gallons and it was WAY below 1/4 tank. SO either it doesn't actually have 1/4 tank of fuel OR it didn't have a full load of fuel as the gauge said.

I know, I know, PIX

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DXTAC

New member
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Location
Plainfield, Illinois
When mine reads empty it still has about 7 gallons in it (it takes about 20 at that point). That works for me. I don't have to worry about running out of fuel, I know I still have well over 100 miles before empty.
 

hlcrkfrm

Member
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6
Location
wi
My M1009 at 1/4 tank only takes 16 gallons to fill it up ,than the gauge is way past the full mark when i fill it up.
 

chevyCUCV

New member
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Location
Massachusetts
Mine is accurate
E takes 17 gallons to fill up, i usually do it when it just starts to touch e,
I pushed it for longer once, and it took 19 gallons, but its not worth running out of fuel. Bleeding the ip would suck on the side of the road
 

ryan77

Well-known member
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Location
Cary IL
Ive never had one with a accurate fuel gauge! If it goes bellow 1/2 a tank i fill it up!!!
 

MDSA

Member
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Location
Valdese, NC
An accurate military fuel gauge is like an honest politician - no such thing - but I'll trust my Deuce fuel gauge first.
 

wallew

Active member
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Mine is accurate
E takes 17 gallons to fill up, i usually do it when it just starts to touch e,
I pushed it for longer once, and it took 19 gallons, but its not worth running out of fuel. Bleeding the ip would suck on the side of the road
Not trying to give you any grief, but a full tank to you is 17 gallons?

Mine takes almost 24 when it's on E...

I'm pretty sure that the M1009 fuel tank IS at least 25 gallons, which means you should be able to get 24 gallons (maybe a smidge more) because you will never be able to pull ALL the fuel out of the tank with the MECHANICAL fuel pump.

Now maybe with an electric fuel pump you might actually get ALL the fuel out.

I could be wrong, but I've owned two M1009's that had 25 gallon tanks and several Suburbans with 25, 31 and 40 gallon tanks, so ... just saying...
 

top_prop

Member
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Location
Suffolk, VA
When mine reads empty it still has about 7 gallons in it (it takes about 20 at that point). That works for me. I don't have to worry about running out of fuel, I know I still have well over 100 miles before empty.
Dittos.... and m1009's have 27gallon tanks IIRC
 

papabear

GA Mafia Imperial 1SG
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Fuel gauges in military vehicles are just there to fill a hole in the gauge cluster IMO.

I look at every other gauge and make sure they work...but fuel? Forget about it...the "stick method for the deuces/5tons etc and the "fly by the seat of yer pants" method for the CUCV.
 

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iacucv

Member
153
1
18
Location
Spencer, IA
The M1008s had a 20gal tank correct? I did some testing and learned that at dead E I could only get 15 gallons in, and at full it takes about 80 miles before it gets before the F mark. That said, she drops like a stone once you get past 5/8 tank. A little scary on the first drive home when I went from 1/2 tank to 1/8 tank in 25 minutes in between places that had diesel!
 

kd4iff

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Bluefield/Va.
Thought I had IP trouble last weekend. 5 Ton died just after start up and fuel gauge showed over 1/4 tank. The stick method showed 1/2 inch and truck was on a hill. $200 of fuel later truck runs great. Stick method is the only way.
 

EMD567

Driver for the Ga Mafia
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Aiken SC
Always carry a MK I fuel gauge, no matter what the military vehicle. And if your smart, you will COMPLETELY empty the tank, then add fuel five gallons at a time, marking the MK I fuel gauge as you go. Then the MK I fuel gauge can be upgraded to a MK II fuel gauge. A MK II gauge is better, because then you can give the proper amount of money to the fuel seller, and not have to go back in to get your change.:mrgreen::jumpin:
 

Castle Bravo

Hundredaire Socialite
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Arizona
The needle of the gauge on my M1028 starts moving when it gets to about 1/2 a tank. So, more or less, when I see it read 1/2 a tank, I have about a 1/4 of a tank, etc.

One of my habits is that I record odometer readings at fuel stops in all the vehicles I drive.

I want to put a pyrometer in my M916 and I'm thinking about using the fuel gauge spot and not looking back.
 
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