Broken fuel gauge wire

Okay, here's the situation.

Decided to throw the vacuum gauges at the bike yet again, because the last two times I had decided to tweak the sync screws, I had forgotten to put in the YICS tool. Two things happened.

1) One of the vacuum/blind plugs ripped taking it off the carb boot. I hope/imagine those are readily available.

2) Whilst trying to extract the fuel gauge sender wire from near the fuse box, I ended up pulling the wires off the tank end. The black wire with its spade lug popped right off. The green wire, on the other hand, flat out broke off where it crimps into the connector, which appears to be hardwired...?

What would be the recommended repair procedure at this point? Will it be necessary to drain the tank and remove the sender unit to fix the wire? For that matter, is the sender unit removable at all?

 

#1, I got one or two for ya if you don't simply use a new vinyl cap (my suggestion)
#2, I would crimp a new spade fitting onto the existing wire and plug it back in. Easy day and I have the contacts. The sender unit is removable and can be fixed rather readily. If you are unable to source the needed parts, you can shoot it to me and I'll repair it for you (you cover shipping and parts). Another option is that I take a nice long ride up your neck of the woods and we beat this wire into submission.

 

Well. That won't take long, did it?

1) I have no problem with vinyl caps -- where can those be had?

2) I took a second look and saw the four mounting bolts for the sender unit. Crimp a new spade fitting onto the existing wire? That connector doesn't look like it comes out... ah, hell. I'll just pull the sender unit and see what there is to see.

Added bonus: I discovered that my neato fix for the dribbling petcock didn't help; it appears to be dribbling more than ever if I pull the vacuum hose off. The good news is, it seems to have fixed my racing idle.

Trying everything you can think of to manufacture an excuse for a road trip, are you? :mrgreen:

 

Yes that connector is hardwired. I forget what it looks like, but I think it's just a crimped connection, with a rivet through a nylon insulator making the connection to the rheostat inside. Depending on where it broke, you may be able to fix it. If there's a little tab of metal sticking off the rivet, you can clean it with a wire brush and solder the wire back on. I would not do it with gas in the tank though, since a full tank will be awkward to work with. You do not have to remove the sender.

If there is nothing sticking off the rivet, then you will have to take the sender out, drill the rivet, and punch on a new one with a new ring terminal.

 

PepBoys.

 

Okay, so it is a common item then. I'll swing down there tomorrow.

Taz: the wire itself broke off at the bottom of the crimp, so all is not lost. I just need to finish draining the tank.

 

Task complete. Cleaned off the crimp with my cheap-a** little rotary tool and its wire brush (courtesy of Harbor Freight), stripped/tinned the wire, soldered it to the crimp. New vacuum caps are installed, although maybe I should have gotten the next size up.

***Edited by Robert, language please! Thanks. ***

 

Wahoo! Glad to see you whipped that puppy into shape!