Seat base modification for aux fuel sender removal

 Since I installed my aux extended range tank, https://poppageno.blogspot.com/2015/03/land-rover-extended-fuel-tank.html   https://poppageno.blogspot.com/2015/04/land-rover-extended-range-fuel-tank.html  in 2015, I have always wondered how many gallons does it hold and where is empty on my fuel gauge?

Well for a couple of days I watched the gauge slide down to the bottom and a couple of days ago as I pulled out onto the main road the engine died. Flustered, pushing the clutch in and nowhere to roll on the side of the road, I took a moment to figure it out and slapped the switch over to the other tank, I popped the clutch out and it started right back up! I was amazed it was that quick and easy, I didn't even have to hit the starter button. The newer 200 tdi's have self priming injection pumps whereas the 2.25 I would have had to get out and bleed the system.

  As I ran my errands I cogitated on the aforementioned questions and decided to not fill and open it up at home and see how much I had left and if my float was indeed at the bottom.

At my first stop I took a picture of my gauge with the MT tank;

A close look shows the pointer halfway through the Empty white block. Next I wanted to pull the sender to check the remaining fuel level.

It wasn't easy. So I decided to modify the seat base to make it easier in the future. First I started by drilling a couple of holes in the lip so I could access all the screws. I use allen screws for solidity and being able to get an angled tool on them in a difficult to access spot.

 

   Once all the screws were loose and removed I couldn't get the sender out. I had to remove a section of the lip. So I drew out a shape and cut it out with the cutoff wheel on my dremel tool.

This allowed for me to snake out the sender.

   Then I measured the amount of fuel left in the tank. Right around .5in. It is 12" to the bottom. My float reaches as far as it can go down, 11.75". I tested the gauge by hooking it up and cycling the float. I was hoping I could get it to read empty below the white square. Oh well.

Since it was still awkward to remove the side screws, I cut the opening a little wider. There is a bit of edge seal to stop the lid from vibrating.

I cleaned it up and put it back together. Next up I have to fill the tank to know how much it really holds.

30 Apr 2025

I went to the gas station today. Wish I could have been sitting down.

So 14.63gal when it came bubbling out the vent. Well, at 22mpg(conservative) that gives me around 320 miles per tank. 

Crap though, diesel was $5.29gal here in central coast California.