The float will hang.down farther than the pump. So basically lift and tilt but make sure the pump goes in the same position it came out or the float ARM will either fall off or get stuck

 

OK, thanks, I'll get it figured out. I just hope it's not one of those things I need three hands for -

 

My 9/94 mfg dakota has similar issue. Reads full to around 2/3 then the gauge wanders. Idiot light goes on at correct level though, due to letting that happen with a can of fuel ready if it was bad. Usual 13 gallon fill when the light went on. I was imagining the sending unit was snafu. You feel it is the same situation? And, you cant just drop the tank? Thanks.

 

I didn't know there was a warning light for the fuel level. (There is one for the washer fluid.) Then again, I rarely let the fuel level get too low. Had a bad experience with my Fairmont years ago, letting the tank run too low and sucking up carp from the bottom of the tank.

I plan to remove the pickup bed next weekend and pull the pump/sending unit, try the solution posted earlier. Can't do it this weekend, going up to Savannah to pick up a virgin dashboard for my Taurus wagon. Florida sun is murder on dash vinyl.

 

i own a 88 dak and a 93 taurs lx with 3.8 engine. sometimes that gauge cluster in ur dash just goes bad or components erode. an alternate method here might be to get the wire that sends info which on my 88 is a white cord with a stripe of black and get the ground which is a leaf green color and just hook them up to a third party guage like the chrystler ones sold at oreilly's. thats an easy way to see if its ur gauge or ur sender which it most likely is ur gauge.

 

This happened in my 93, driving down the road and when it would hit 3/4 full the gauge would bounce around like crazy. I finally just replaced the whole unit after trying too figure it out and it stopped after i replaced. Oh and I dropped the tank only 2 bolts rather then 6.

 

For me it's much easier to drop the tank than raise the bed, just run the truck as close to empty (after fuel indicator comes on you can expect at least 30 miles without running out of fuel) as feasible first and one man can do the job start to finish. I've owned several Dakotas and all of them have had this problem sooner or later. First the fuel indicator starts jumping around erratically after fillup and later they just show empty all the time. My first went at 60k and I finally replaced it @ 80k. My second and third both started jumping @ 100k. For $100 you can replace the entire assembly- fuel pump, fuel strainer, and fuel sending unit. I've never had a problem with the replacement units.

 

i just changed out mine here about a month ago i have an 89 Dakota but it should be almost the same first you can remove the truck bed or drain and drop the tank. then with the tank out or bed off there is a clamp looks like a super sized hose clamp take that loose as well as the hoses for the fuel lines loose the whole assembley comes out as one piece the problem with mine was the yellow wire (hidden) on the back side of the float gauge had burned off and was causing the gauge to read empty all the time there are 2 screws that hold it on the sending unit i replaced it all with a new sending unit and tossed the old one or i would put a pic up for ya sorry

 

https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...pump-died.html

I went through a replacement over the summer. If anything above leads to more questions I'll get back to you. My gauge still works great today, and I feel better knowing the other side projects on my truck will make her last longer.