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New user
Posts: 1
| Bought my 08 Vision used. Fuel level never showed over 5/8 full. Since lower fuel levels worked, I lived with it for a year. Finally, on a fill-up, it barely moved off empty. Time to do something. The combination fuel pump/float sender price was almost $400, and if taken to a shop, would likely be another $200-300 in labor.
Here's what I did that resulted in a satisfying solution for me:
1. Bought the shop manual. As it turned out, very much worth the $75 on this very first job. Bought a new o-ring (gasket) to have available if I needed to remove the fuel pump/sender unit.
2. Filled the bike with fuel so I'd know what resistance the sender unit should read.
3. Removed fairings. With the manual, it still took me 3 hours just to get access to the top of the fuel tank where the pump/sender unit is located. Not a job to be taken lightly. The manual has pictures, is pretty good, but did not take me 'all the way'. It was silent on how to remove the speaker volume box. Frustrating but doable.
4. Disconnected the electrical plug and checked resistance on the sender side. Sure enough, it read resistance numbers indicating an empty tank. This told me the problem was not in the dash fuel gauge, but verified the sender was not working. Could be the sender was just not sending the right resistance value, or that the float was physically hung up in the tank, or more likely, that the float was 'gas-logged' and just not able to float any longer.
5. Removed the fuel pump/sender unit. Here again, it's very valuable to have the manual. It reveals one must turn the unit 180 degrees while removing the unit. Not easy to remove and install...PITA actually!
6. Set the unit into a tub of fuel, and sure enough, the float barely moved off the bottom. So where to find a new float? Did a search, but didn't find much.
7. Finally, I found specs for a stewart warner F-385 series float. The entire sender retails for about $30. I couldn't use the entire unit, it was only the float and float rod I needed. The float itself was 2" long and 1.25" in diameter. That was a bit longer than the original, but the float diameter was the same. Decided it would not be too large to fit. Since the attaching rod was also the same diameter as the original, all I needed to do was to bend the new, straight rod, to be identical to the original. That done, it was simple to remove and clip in the new float rod with the new float attached.
8. Verified the resistance values changed appropriately with full movement and then tackled the job of re-installation of the pump/float assembly and the fairings. Again, a major PITA, but doable.
9. Success!! Fuel level at full fuel registered 7/8 full. Not completely full, but according to a Victory employee, typical for the Vision. Job done. Total cost, about $100 and a whole lot of labor and patience. Hope this description can help someone.
Roger, Tucson, AZ | |
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Tourer
Posts: 366
Albuquerque, NM | Great write up! | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 155
Victoria Tx, TX United States | WOW!! Great write up!!!
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 7
Coquitlam, B.C. Canada | I've been putting this off for years. Think you my have given me the answer to give it a go. Wasn't willing to dish out the money for a OEM sender.
Can see it now , parts spread all over the garage for the spring..
Great write up, thanks for taking the time.. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 161
Albuquerque NM | I did virtually the same repair, I at first tried it using a carb float and it worked for a few months then it sank. Now i'm using the float off a used fuel pump that was in the core bin at my local auto parts store. Like you said 7/8 when all the way full, but it beats the tar out of watching miles for the right time to stop and fill up. | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 22
Madrid, --- Spain | Congratulations for the job done! | |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 7
Coquitlam, B.C. Canada | Well, I'm off to get the parts. You gave me the confidence to tackle this. Been putting it off way to long, and plan on a few longer trips.
Mine is now at the point were it reads Low Fuel most of the time and tired of looking at the fuel light on the dash..
I'll take photos if the parts that are left on the floor when I think it is done...
Thanks for the write up.
Mike | |
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New user
Posts: 1
| I had the very same thing going on for a while.. it would show 5/8 then nearly just above 1/2 full after a fill up... Then I put two bottles of sea foam in her and 200 miles later it was fixed. Could have been a fluke.. but maybe not. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 251
Mechanicsville, VA United States | That's really weird jkhuston, over the winter I put seafoam in my bike and when I got it out for Spring the gauge was reading just a little over a half of a tank when full, then the other day I filled up at a Sunoco(Premium) and when I started the bike up the gauge was reading full for the first time in one a year....lol....I've filled up at least 15 times since Spring weather came around and twice since the Sunoco fill up and these were not Sunoco stations. So all I can say is try some Sunoco gas if you can just for shets and grins. | |
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Cruiser
Posts: 178
LaGrange, GA | I did the same thing last summer. I used this float (because it was cheap) and soldered it to the stock rod where the original float was. It required bending a little to get it in the right place, but it was no biggie.
http://www.cjponyparts.com/fuel-tank-sending-unit-float-brass-1965-...
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Vision Fuel Level Repair