I have the fuel sending unit out of my 69 camaro. I am trying to see if the guage is bad or the sending unit. Can anyone tell me how to check it properly. I was going to just buy another one but everywhere I check they are out of the ones for a 350. Which brings me to another question. Why wont one of the sending units for a 396 or 302 work. The car is getting a 383 stroker with about 400+hp. What is the deal with the vent line I keep being told about? I dont think the one I pulled out of the tank has a vent line either. Any thoughts would be apprectiated. I would like to have a fuel gauge. FYI I am considering putting in autometers console unit that includes a fuel guage and putting a tac in the fuel guage hole.

Place an ohmmeter across the terminal out and ground. One position of the unit will read zero ohms, the other position should read 90 +/- 10 ohms. Should read smoothly though its arc.

If you don't have a vent line, you don't need a vent line. It's been a while since I played with a Camaro sender. The difference between the units may be the diameter of the outlet pipe. Chevy used senders with both a 5/16 and 3/8 line. If you end up using your old one, change the filter sock on the sender.

pull the wire off the sending unit and ground it out(key on, of course http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif ) this should cause the gauge to go to either full or empty(full, i think. not 100% sure, but it should move) if nothing, check all connections.make sure the tank is grounded. sometimes a little corrosion can play hell with these things.
if you do get a new sender, why not just get one for a big block? it will have the 3/8 fuel line, which is a good thing.

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1971 Nova(looks like 69 camaro from underneath!)
355sb, vortec heads, HOT cam,T-10 tranny, 3.70 gears 16" IROC wheels
see pics here http://community.webshots.com/user/novaderrik

Thanks for the advice. I am going to get a digital multimeter and mess with it this weekend.

Also make sure the fuel gauge ground is hooked up.

If the fuel gauge is bad, I've replaced the shunt resistor (in back of gauge) and the gauge worked great.
The part cost $8.00

Where do you get the shunt resister?

i would thin you could take the gauge to the local radio shack and show have them test the gauge. those guys love to show their technical knowledge as it pertains to electronic. hell, if you do figure out what's wrong with it, maybe they will solder it on for you.

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1971 Nova(looks like 69 camaro from underneath!)
355sb, vortec heads, HOT cam,T-10 tranny, 3.70 gears 16X8" IROC wheels
see pics here http://community.webshots.com/user/novaderrik