Odd Ammeter Movement

[Raywilson]

81 F150. Something I've never noticed before. My ammeter, after starting, goes past C for a couple beats before settling back to just above neutral. I replaced my regulator, no difference except the guage no longer bouces slightly at idle. Is that normal?  It's always something...
Ray

[Gary Lewis]

The regulator should bring the battery up to ~14.4V after starting, and that takes current.  So the ammeter should show it, as it is.  If it didn't use to do that but does now with the new regulator then your regulator was bad.  And it shouldn't bounce at idle.

[Raywilson]

Thanks for that. It is and was charging properly @ 14.4. The boucing is gone. So all is well...
Thank you
Ray

[ArdWrknTrk]

Yep
That's how it should actually show

Completely normal.

[Raywilson]

Thanks for all your help.  I'm getting the truck sorted out slowly but surely. Just figured out (or read) why it's been difficult to put gas in the new tanks sometimes. My filler hose to the front tank is mostly horizontal and it needs a slope. So if I filled where the truck was on a slight angle it would fill properly. If it was flat, it was impossible. I'm going to see if I can shove the hose further up the gas cap to give it some drop. So, I've got a new tach, trip meter and gas fill dilemma figgered out ish. And a sunny day...
Ray

[ArdWrknTrk]

Congratulations!

Progress is Good!  

[Clutch47]

Kinda hard to beat a sunny day.
  Glad it's working out. 👍

[mat in tn]

I stopped for gas today at a little single island gas station which has a sloped driveway. I got the spot where the driver's side was lower. I got almost a dollars' worth in and 45 cents worth on the ground. got my dollar and 35 cents receipt and when the other side opened, I swapped. filled it up quickly with the passenger side low.

[Raywilson]

In order to remedy my horizontal gas tank hose issue, I'll need to remove it from the tank itself and cut an inch or so off the tank end so it will have slope. That's what the guy did where i got my info about the horizontal filler hose being the problem for refueling. It's a newish tank so at some later date I'll do that.

[mat in tn]

I have found no true remedy for this. the filler hose goes horizontal between the bed and frame at best. if the truck has mis fit or poorly fitted parts it just gets worse. the bullnose filler assemblies are different from the 87-97 series and if those get used, they will not fit right at all.

[Raywilson]

So the smart thing is to carry a 4x10 to park on when getting gas. Most gas stations tarmacs are pretty flat these days

[ArdWrknTrk]

The smartEST thing to do, would probably be switch over to '87 up filler necks and tubes.

They fill down the middle and vent in the circumference.... 💡

[mat in tn]

I have considered this also but the top hat flange where the filler tube mounts to the bed side is square to the tube on the bull, yet the next generation is not. it's a whole new fitment issue. and with the plastic overflow box on the bull, being twisted into "out of shape" is not going to be good for an already old and fragile part. 87 and newer are steel and welded to the bedside at the odd angle.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I wouldn't say "at an odd angle".


They're right where they need to be, to keep from having these fill problems.

A few members have "glued" the later fill boxes behind the door, inside the bed.