I keep worrying about running out of gas with my goofy bouncing gas gauge. I'm thinking about putting a 356 fuel tap and lever with reserve on my car. It looks like everything should work but will this thing block fuel flow enough to starve my engine? Thanks.
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Unless you have the actual 356A style tank with the reserve partition I am not sure if you can get it to work on a regular vw tank. I had that valve and it did save me on my original 59 356A but never had one since and yeah I got stranded once, in my youth I think I found the bottom on most of my cars. Some tanks guages do not react then all of a sudden the guage is on empty, that is an issue. My new IM has a 15 gal US capacity and it gives me more range, but you still have to be on guard 
Ray
Unless you have the actual 356A style tank with the reserve partition I am not sure if you can get it to work on a regular vw tank. I had that valve and it did save me on my original 59 356A but never had one since and yeah I got stranded once, in my youth I think I found the bottom on most of my cars. Some tanks guages do not react then all of a sudden the guage is on empty, that is an issue. My new IM has a 15 gal US capacity and it gives me more range, but you still have to be on guard Ray
There are also a couple of part numbers available for beetles. They look almost the same but I thought the Porsche one might have larger passages for fuel. The tank in my car I think is for a 67 bug. It looks like the bungs are the same for most of them.
For what it's worth, Honda motorcycle tanks from the sixties (and maybe today, too?) had one tank (no partitions), but two different feed tubes of different lengths.
The main feed was from the longer tube (which stuck up higher in the tank) and the 'reserve' feed was just a shorter tube.
The fuel level dropped until below the level of the higher (main) feed, you puttered to a stop, switched to the shorter (reserve) tube and were on your way.
If you were good, you could catch it in time, switch to the reserve feed before the engine quit, and no one - including the guy behind you - was the wiser.
Why not spend your money on getting it right?
Either the VW or the 356A (or pre-A ($$$$$$$)) reserve petcock will work. Both use 1/4" fuel line (don't know what that is in Metric - 63mm?). Get the cheaper one (try Bug City in CT).
Some have better mounting tabs than others - make sure it is mounted securely as you'll be turning the diverter shaft from time to time and that torques the entire assembly.
Truly, though, I have a HUGE amount of fuel gauge needle swing and after a while you get used to it and know when to find a gas station - it ain't that bad........ If you get the needle to swing even a little on turns, then there is gas in the tank. If it gets to the point that it no longer even lifts up off the "E" stop on hard cornering....Well, then you're in deep Bantha Doo-Doo.
I removed my float and bent the arm so I got a more accurate reading and that helped alleviate a lot of the bounce. I also reset the trip odometer when I fill up and glance at it on occasion.
I also read a few postings about people replacing the bent arm senders with the tube type senders and those people said it eliminated their bouncing needle issues. I haven't tried it myself though.
http://www.justkampers.com/211...2-bay-1967-1973.html
FWIW - I just got back from a weekend trip and my one way mileage was almost 200 miles. I filled up and left and never once looked at the gauge. I have a 10 gallon tank and at 32 mpg I knew I had enough to cover the trip.
Wild Bill is running one of those tube-type senders and reports little or no needle bounce.
While running my Oil temp tests this last week end I ran out of gas. lucky enough I coasted into a gas station. I noticed that the gauge read full when I went out to do these tests I was surprised because I couldn't remember filling it up. Guess what...the gauge had stuck in the up position. I put 5 gallons in so I could get a reading on the gauge fo a half full tank...ah ha...still read full. I pounded on the top of the tank near the sender.....ah ha.....1/2 tank exactly....sticking fuel sender !!!
Question....Where do I get the tube type sender ?........Bruce
@ Bill
Click on the link I posted above. The link was for a Type 2 application so you might want to search to see if you can find one for a Type 1 application, if it matters. I remember seeing one before for a Type 1 application IIRC.
Thanks for the advice guys. That is a good point about not waiting til it stops bouncing to gas up. I'm just a little surprised lately because I was getting horrible mileage, like 10 mpg. I changed my main jets from 150s to 140s and my mileage has more than doubled. I keep driving and it's going way farther than the last time I filled it and it still looks like it has about 1/2 a tank.
I'll have to look into the tube type, I hate the bouncing needle and my odometer only lights up when it wants to. Lucky for me the gas guage stops bouncing when it gets below 1/4 tank.
I thought the 'gas gauge' was just for entertainment.
I treat it like a sort of video game. Learning to interpret the needle bounce has been one of those long lost skills that this car has brought back for me.
After about 100 miles, I need a break anyway, so that's when I top up. It usually takes 4-5 gallons, depending on how much fun I was having.
It looks like the tube type is for other models. I think my VS tank is a 67 repro and uses the lever sender. Aren't these tanks baffled? Ive never tried to look into it to see baffles.
Nope - no baffles.
It's an economy car, after all......
After reading the issues with gas gauge bouncing needles I sure do feel a lot better about mine. Thanks for the info, guys!
I pulled and adjusted the sender float arm so the gauge does read a little more accurate and the needle bounces just a bit less...but it still bounces. When my gauge stops bouncing it is at or below the 1/4 tank level and I know it is time to find the nearest gas station.
Not going to worry about it now, though I do not like the bouncing gauge I'll learn to live with it.
Most of us live with it.
You'll learn to love the eccentricities of these cars. Much like we all learned to love the "Basic Transportation" afforded by the original Volkswagens - which these sort-of ARE, right?
If all you have is a bouncing gas gauge, and the car doesn't "porpoise" back and forth going down the highway, I'd say you're ahead.
It runs out and drives fine after I messed around with it last winter. New shocks all around smoothed out the ride and a tune up and rejetting of the carbs for this altitude seemed to take care of the hesitation and rich running that it did when I first got it in late October. It fires up and idles immediately now.
I'm at the point where I'm seriously rebuilding it so to say. Go thru the engine and transaxle, new clutch and throwout bearing and I'm considering doing a bit of bodywork, fill in all the badge holes etc, go more Outlaw...LOL and paint it PPG fire RED and redoing the carpet and maybe re-upholstering the seats and door panels...but for now I've got to live with it as is since I can't really do a whole lot with my bunged up shoulder and I'm not about to pay someone to do something for me if I can do it myself.
