1980 Riviera Fuel Sending Unit

[jwar117]

1980 Buick Riviera
5.7L V8 350 Vin R I'm trying to find a replacement fuel sending unit for this car and am just about ready to give up I cannot find one that is compatible anywhere. A Shop tried helping me find one without any luck either. I tried cross referencing it at parts stores with other years and models that had the same engine in them but as soon as I put 1980 it says it isn't compatible.How many lines are on the 1980 sending unit? I was thinking same engines would probably have same gas tanks and sending units but everything's saying I'm wrong on that. Does anybody know where I might be able to find one? Thanks for any help.


UPDATE- I moved the car earlier today and noticed when I get in that fuel registered on the gauge a little less than a quarter of a tank.
As soon as i turned the key the gauge drops below zero and stays there until the ignition is switched back off. It's almost like it's working backwards of what it should be it reads when cars off and drops off to nothing when switch gets energized what would cause that and can it be fixed?

 

[MelsRegal]

Has anybody removed the sender to see if it's repairable?

 

[jwar117]

Has anybody removed the sender to see if it's repairable?

Sender was out for short time but put back in o reillys sold universal sender and wasn't compatible with vehicle so tank was put back up to make vehicle drivable again. This was all done at a shop but the shop wasn't able to find a new one for that year model so put it back together

 

[MelsRegal]

Sender was out for short time but put back in o reillys sold universal sender and wasn't compatible with vehicle so tank was put back up to make vehicle drivable again. This was all done at a shop but the shop wasn't able to find a new one for that year model so put it back together

You need to find shop that is willing to try to fix the original or willing to send it out to a service that repairs them.

 

[LARRY70GS]

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[Rick the pool guy]

You can swap on to the old unit float arm with a new arm assembly I do it all the time. Just make sure it has the same resistance value (ohms) so the fuel gauge will read correctly. I think it might be 90 ohms.
Ps. Have you replaced the ground wire on the old sending this could fix your problem

 

[jwar117]

You can swap on to the old unit float arm with a new arm assembly I do it all the time. Just make sure it has the same resistance value (ohms) so the fuel gauge will read correctly. I think it might be 90 ohms.
Ps. Have you replaced the ground wire on the old sending this could fix your problem

No havnt changed anything yet it sucked paying to have tank dropped and not getting it fixed first go round do you know where I can get a arm assembly and ground wire that will work for the 1980 riviera? Thanks!

 

[MelsRegal]

No havnt changed anything yet it sucked paying to have tank dropped and not getting it fixed first go round do you know where I can get a arm assembly and ground wire that will work for the 1980 riviera? Thanks!

The ground wire is just a piece of wire , it's not car specific.
You never stated why you are trying to replace the sender.

 

[jwar117]

The ground wire is just a piece of wire , it's not car specific.
You never stated why you are trying to replace the sender.

Fuel gauge is inop it reads some when car is off but when turn switch on it drops below empty and stays there

 

[MelsRegal]

Fuel gauge is inop it reads some when car is off but when turn switch on it drops below empty and stays there

While the sender was out was there any attempt by the shop to read the resistance of the sender with the float at empty and full?

 

[jwar117]

While the sender was out was there any attempt by the shop to read the resistance of the sender with the float at empty and full?

All they told me was that it did register ohms I was not told what the reading was though

 

[MelsRegal]

All they told me was that it did register ohms I was not told what the reading was though

On many GM vehicles the two readings are 0 and 90, 90 full, 0 empty. If they got those type of readings the sender is good and there is a gauge problem.