Dano's Navajo is back on the road!

This last weekend i took a gamble and decided to drive up to Nevada with a friend to try and fix the ol Navajo. allot was riding on it because my wife didn't want to come pick me up if it didn't work out..

For those who didn't know, my Navajo stopped working one day and dumped allot of issues on my lap for me to fix. i couldn't figure out why my fuel pump was not working. i replaced everything pretty much to no avail. so i ended up taking my sending unit.. (i think that's what its called.) that the fuel pump attaches too. and testing the wires out.
the buffoons at Autozone told me everything was A-Ok! but personally i thought the bridge for the ground looked burnt out.
so i went back and just re routed the ground, drilled a hole through the cap of the sending unit and just spliced into the original ground on the other side. turned the key for a functional check and presto! worked as advertised.

had a good 500 mile confidence run back to California. so i think it will hold up. the only problem is. which i didn't think about at the time. there is no ground for the fuel sensor now.. so the fuel gauge doesn't work.. yet.

I know its long, and some of you older guys may think "well duh" well just close your eyes and think of earlier times when you were learning on the fly and fixed a seemingly huge issue with your truck. and the awesome personal achievement you felt. its awesome. thank you everyone who helped me on this issue.

and if you want please write down a little story of your own when you finally figured out how to fix your rig and made you feel on top of your world.

thanks again. pictures coming soon.

-Dano!

Glad you've got her running again

Welcome back to the I can actually still drive it club....

Dano that was beautifully stated! I know exactly what you mean - and the gratification to drive and connect with your truck again is something that feels so damn good after having a break down. Congrats on you.

Glad ya got it running again. .If you have smog checks with the evap test make sure that hole is sealed up good or it may not pass

Thanks for the advice. i have to drop the tank again to get my fuel gauge working again anyway. i will have to drill another hole through the sending units cap. i am thinking of just adding some fuses to those wires and splicing all the wires going through the sending unit. i don't want any energized wires hanging in my fuel tank. (i capped the old ground off. but you just never know what could happen with this truck.)
ill add sealing the holes completely to the list of things i want to do when i drop this thing again. i plan on using the helpful posts on this forum to make a access port to get to my fuel pump and splice all the wires through the sending unit. ill take some pics when i do it and make a little tutorial. so anyone else who have this terrible wiring unit go bad they could follow my lead.

thanks again.
-Dano

I would also like to see some members write some interesting and possibly useful achievement stories.

What was your problem and what did you eventually do to figure it out.

My rig

Well done, Dano!

hey dano!

you live in my old home town! 17th & idaho to be exact

That's awesome i like this town, ive lived here for close to 6 years. its a a good place

your also just a bit south of me out here on HWY 41 and Manning ave.

This would be a suggestion from me. Why drop your tank out???

Gas Tank Access Panel Mod

Burns said:

This would be a suggestion from me. Why drop your tank out???

Gas Tank Access Panel Mod

Click to expand...

If I ever have to do it that’s how I plan to get it done but I may also make a gasket for it with a bolt and welded nut to close it off so I can get it open again at will. Just a thought.
The welding part scares me hmmm wonder just how good JB weld is?

I plan on making the access port, i got an angle grinder to get through the metal, i just don't want sparks flying everywhere on top of my tank. this will be the last time i drop my tank though.
after i get the tank down ill make the access port and figure out a removable patch for it. i just need to see for myself how much room i will have between the hole and the tank.

knowing my truck, it would be more than happy to burst into flames for me, i am going to take a few precautions to keep that from happening.

drop the tank, re-route all my wires and make an access port for it. all part of the master plan.

more issues need some help

I got the tank out and took the sending unit out and i got some questions. i am trying to fix my fuel gauge that doesn't work which stopped working when the original ground for my sending unit went bad. i fixed the ground as seen in the photo but fuel gauge doesn't work.

I took pictures of my sending unit from the top and bottom for reference. from the top you see 4 wires going in and from the bottom you see 3 wires. i am assuming that the 4th wire (red and gray) is a ground from the sending unit itself while the "black" ground is for the fuel pump.
the yellow wire going into the sending unit is the only one that gets me confused, is it power for the fuel gauge? the smaller blue wire from the other side of the yellow wire looks like it might not be original. for whatever reason my gauge doesn't work. if you guys think its a wiring issue let me know and i will modify it as i go along, i just would like some second opinions.

i plan as of now would be just to drill more holes through the sending unit and route the red and yellow wire through. replace the blue wire entirely and leave the red and gray wire alone. and hope for the best.

pics

pic to see where blue wire goes

anyone?

Dude I had the same thing this summer.... Truck died on a country ass road for the same reason(FP harness took a ****). Cept-When Mine died I hada replacement pump in back but no shoes on. Never thought I was a redneck - til that night..... Hada change a fuel pump and harness in my rig with no shoes on next to a corn field on a dirt road. I gave in at that point. I decided that there was no use fighting it - I was a redneck.


If you need to find the harness and or connector check "Lmctruck.com" and look in the broncoII and or gen 1 explorer section. OR PM Me - I have extea harness and pump

-Mike