LCGB Forums

Hi Chaps,
I have always wanted a fuel gauge but did not want big holes in my tank for the float and with the mild winter have been tinkering in the garage and have come up with this albeit experimental idea based on a sight tube.If you connect a clear tube to a fuel tank and run it up the side the level in the tube is the same as in the tank.
A 10mm reinforced tube divided by 6mm nuts into chambers for 2,4,6 and 8 litres has been plumbed into fuel line via a brass T piece.Light from leds shine through the tube and into fibre optic strands that can be terminated in speedo,legshield tool box or in my case temporarily a toothpaste tube top on my crash bars.AS the fuel level drops floats lower and block off the light see diagram

A vent pipe is arranged so that should machine end up on its side it is always higher than fuel tap. 12volt dc power for leds comes from back light drawing 110 milliamps just over a tenth of an amp.


You can run this off two AA batteries using standard leds via a 47ohm resistor, or just have one chamber and strand for reserve.


This is still experimental but If anyone is interested I can post more pics.Cost about £20
Folly or FFOLLI ( fuel fibre optic Led light level indicator)
Its all done with lights, pipes, pens and some 6mm nuts although one nut is 1880mm( that's 6foot 2 in old money)
Grandpa

Very Clever!

Why not just buy one that replaces your fuel Cap?

dave411 wrote:Why not just buy one that replaces your fuel Cap?

You can't see it if you are ridding

Nice work Grandpa

Colin

Have this idea on me....

Apply a similar principle to detect positions & you could have a matching gear selection indicator on the other side of your bars....

I'll get me coat........

What a cracking idea Grandpa.
Stag

Nice one

I think this is incredible !
Careful that some budding entrepreneur doesn't refine and market it. Much better than my notched dowel rod !
More please.

Warkton Tornado No.1 wrote:Have this idea on me....

Apply a similar principle to detect positions & you could have a matching gear selection indicator on the other side of your bars....

I'll get me coat........

It would be far more useful in my opinion - I've never seen the point of a fuel gauge on a Lambretta, tuned or standard.

If I'm running a tuned motor then I start to looking for a petrol station after 50 miles (100 if using a Diablo tank).

If I'm on my stock TV 175 my arse will tell me when it's time to refuel.

(Nice bit of innovation though Grandpa)

Warkton Tornado No.1 wrote:Have this idea on me....

Apply a similar principle to detect positions & you could have a matching gear selection indicator on the other side of your bars....

I'll get me coat........

Thank you for our comments,
I have gear positions stamped on the gear change! However, I like the idea of of something matching on the other side of the crash bars, so may take that up..The toothpaste top is temporary and am now thinking of terminating the fibre optic strands in an adapted chrome bullet indicator with say voltage display on the other crashbar.
Re Digger's comment above, I don't really need a fuel gauge ( I do very few miles) it was a challenge and kept me busy, come to think of it I don't really need a Lambretta ..... I have a bus pass

Grandpa

Nice one Grandpa. come to think of it I don't really need a Lambretta ..... I have a bus pass

ive got a fuel gauge on my gp, sender unit is inside the tank, also got a gear change indicator, its digital.

first pic also shows water temp gauge, and the dark one is an exhaust gas temp gauge.

Hi Holty,
Amazing engineering solving all the problems fitting the Yamaha engine into the Lambretta panels.I see you have added temp gauge and gear positions since the article in March Scootering.It got me wondering how to drive the 7 segment display....3 micro switches to a binary chip or does the Yamaha have a gear position feature for its 6 gears.Well beyond my O level metal work skills
Grandpa