fuel level tube and float

[exchead]

ok while tank is off for serviceingi took out the fuel sender unit,i have taken the cap off the end of the tube and cleaned float and tube,i assume float only goes in one way and dimple which i think is magnet should face bottom  which i have done,i have placed cap back on and secured the two plastic tabs,sometimes when i turn float tube upside down to check float is moving from bottom to top it will stick at the top or sometimes will pop the end cap off from its tabs,now i know perhaps the movement maybe a bit extreme but dont fancy loseing float and cap in tank if bike ends up on its side,will fuel pressure when tank is full help float slide and keep cap in place,or can u get new cap with stronger tabs i have tried bending them outwards a bit but still not a very tight fit,what about glueing cap on end of tube? or will i end up buying complete fuel sender unit

[Bixxer Bob]

There's not a lot of history regarding the sender unit on here. You may be the pioneer    I'll be watching because my low fuel warning doesn't work and sooner or later I'm going to have to strip it......

[exchead]

There's not a lot of history regarding the sender unit on here. You may be the pioneer    I'll be watching because my low fuel warning doesn't work and sooner or later I'm going to have to strip it......

well i dont think im going to be ordering a new one seeing as triumph want £70 for one,going to look at glue that can withstand petrol and just put it on the tabs to help fix end cap in place,stupid thing is there was nothing wrong with my fuel gauge etc was only stripping it to clean it and itwas like new inside,the float goes up and down a plastic flat rod with circuit board on it

[iansoady]

As you guessed, the float contains a magnet that activates reed switches on the circuit board. Earlier bikes had a spongy white float that gave erratic readings - later ones had a hard dark grey float that was much better. No idea when the change was but my 05 had the early one.

The low fuel light is dependent on the gauge sender - there isn't a dedicated sensor for it so if it isn't working that's where I'd look first.....

[Bixxer Bob]

Thanks J.  I regularly fill up at around the 200 mile mark and find I only get about 20 litres in, so maybe it does work but I'm not tripping it.  I won't risk it without a can of fuel with me though because I ran out once having only done around 190 miles.

[exchead]

having now spent some time on surfing the web the cap at the top of sender tube can cause the float to stick which when i took mine off for cleaning i could replicate,the cure it seems is to drill two holes in top of cap  and re fix with small cable ties through cap and tube tab holes giving float more room  and no chance of cap coming adrift when u drop bike and losing float in tank,my float is the later one and can also be trimmed to give a better sliding action on pcb board ,i have also been looking into sealing cap on tube with a petrol resistant silicone or super glue type product

[iansoady]

i have also been looking into sealing cap on tube with a petrol resistant silicone or super glue type product

Not sure why you'd want to seal it as it is designed to fill up with petrol - won't work otherwise.....

[exchead]

i have also been looking into sealing cap on tube with a petrol resistant silicone or super glue type product

Not sure why you'd want to seal it as it is designed to fill up with petrol - won't work otherwise.....

i only want to glue the cap in place when u take the cap off to clean inside u have to bend the tabs to release it,when u put it back on its supposed to snap back into the two slots on side of tube  a little bit of glue or sealant will keep the tabs in the slots so their is no chance of it coming off because if u have the tube in your hand and turn it upside down hard the float hits the cap and off it pops it will do this 3 or 4 times out of ten attempts,maybe when installes back in tank with fuel in tube it wont do it unless u drop bike on side hard