location of fuel gauge sender unit under floor

[dorill]

have a 2008 R25 Tug. The fuel gauge stopped indicating the fuel level, just shows full tank at all times while key is on. May have to access the sender unit which the factory buried under the floor with no access. Where is it located so a proper access panel can be installed for service?

 

[Metric Rider]

I have a similar post running for my 2008 R25 Lil Toot, the only difference my guage is stuck on full. Would love to share information as we both receive it. I wish us both good luck!

 

[tugnnaweigh]

My 2008 R25 has two hatches in the walkway of the cabin. The rearmost one accesses the sender. To access the pick up I had to install another hatch. I'll try to post pics of that process in case you have to install a sender hatch. I've seen information on the Nuts that the factory has the measurements you would need to install the sender hatch. Well, I tried to put the picture in with the Img button, no luck.

 

[dorill]

The photos would be most informative.
Please post if you can or email to me?
THANK YOU,
Bill H.
Dorill

 

[dorill]

The factory sent me a photo of the sender unit location and another Tug owner sent me photos of the fuel pickup and return line location. Looks like I cannot use just one 6 inch inspection port to service both (that would be too easy!) Will focus on the fuel sender for now since that is where my current issue is. Now it is just that leap of faith to make that first drill hole for the 6 inch hole saw location into the floor of my boat, above the fuel tank....

 

[Adagio]

Before you use a hole saw, consider a plunge router. The access plate needs to be flush with the floor, necessitating a recess, a lip to which the plate is fastened, and then an access hole. I removed the baseplate from my plunge router and fabricated an exaggerated egg shape plate out of 1/4" plywood. I drilled a 1" hole for the bit and two two pilot holes in the plate for a pivot screw. I was installing an 8" plate so the first pilot hole was the radius from the center to the outside of a 3/8" straight router bit. I set the depth of the cut equal to the thickness of the plate - about 1/8" - and it created an absolutely perfect 3/8" wide recess. The second hole decreased the radius 3/8" and that cut resulted in a 3/4" wide recess. I then switched to a 1/4" straight bit and made several passes, lowering the bit each time. The teak ply floor is about a 1/2" thick, followed by a thin layer of fiberglass, a honeycomb composite about 1" thick, and another layer of glass. I did that cut by lowering the bit in increments, and (important!) kept a shop vac hose next to the router to capture the sawdust and fiberglass dust.

Sounds complicated but it worked perfectly. I have pics but have never learned how to post. If you're interested send me an e-mail address and I'll send them to you.

Sanford
ADAGIO, '09 R25

 

[SGIDAVE]

Is there not enough clearance between deck and tank to use a jig saw? Use a short blade so it doesn't protrude through too far? Just wondering...


David

 

[baz]

Before you use a hole saw, consider a plunge router. The access plate needs to be flush with the floor, necessitating a recess, a lip to which the plate is fastened, and then an access hole. I removed the baseplate from my plunge router and fabricated an exaggerated egg shape plate out of 1/4" plywood. I drilled a 1" hole for the bit and two two pilot holes in the plate for a pivot screw. I was installing an 8" plate so the first pilot hole was the radius from the center to the outside of a 3/8" straight router bit. I set the depth of the cut equal to the thickness of the plate - about 1/8" - and it created an absolutely perfect 3/8" wide recess. The second hole decreased the radius 3/8" and that cut resulted in a 3/4" wide recess. I then switched to a 1/4" straight bit and made several passes, lowering the bit each time. The teak ply floor is about a 1/2" thick, followed by a thin layer of fiberglass, a honeycomb composite about 1" thick, and another layer of glass. I did that cut by lowering the bit in increments, and (important!) kept a shop vac hose next to the router to capture the sawdust and fiberglass dust.

Sounds complicated but it worked perfectly. I have pics but have never learned how to post. If you're interested send me an e-mail address and I'll send them to you.

Sanford
ADAGIO, '09 R25

Thanks for that detailed set of steps.... I'm curious to know the space between the fuel tank and the lower surface of the final honeycomb composite flooring + thin layer of glass. It seems the total thickness is 1/2" + thin layer of fiberglass + 1" honeycomb + final layer of glass. To me this adds to maybe 1-3/4" total thickness.

Thanks... 🙂

 

[nzfisher]

I guess I don't understand why people with the failed fuel gauges don't use the engine computer to keep track of the fuel. It will be more accurate and will put on screen, at least it does with the Garmin, how much fuel is left on the boat if you add the amount of fuel each time you fill up to the engine input screen. Mechanical float devices for both water and fuel are usually the first failing bits of hardware on a boat. I am not intending to be critical just maybe I am missing some bit of knowledge I don't have and should know.

 

[baz]

Yes.... I always cross check the fuel tank level with the Garmin fuel left readout and the Yanmar displays fuel tank analog reading.

 

[dorill]

I checked the floor dimensions and tank placement.
The floor is about 1.5 inches thick. the nearest projection from the tank (in this case a wire lead), was 3.75 inches below the bottom of the floor. So from the top of the floor to the nearest thing that you do not want to cut is about 5.25 inches. The actual tank top is about another .25 to .375 inches below that wire lead stick up.
As to the above posts about why I don't use the Garmin or Yanmar readouts... my boat has neither. it is a 2008 Ranger Tug and those options are not part of the build up. So we have to rely on the old fashion fuel gauge. Compounding the problem, when the factory built the boat, they provided no access to the fuel tank to allow for repair nor any manual indicating where the components are located. Thus the flurry of posts from individual owners trying to help one another.