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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Fuel gauge - how can it suddenly start working aga

Completely baffled. Can anyone help? Bought my Healey Fogeye (IoW) in November and fuel gauge has been erratic, to say the least. On filling to brim it has always shot rapidly round to showing half full, then quickly to empty after about 90 miles. Been through years of threads, and was just about to to delve into depths of tank and get hold of the float and arm and start complex bending procedure, when suddenly, I filled up on Sunday and since then the gauge has shown an accurate and logically predictable fuel use - about 35 mpg and an even needle swing.
How on earth can it suddenly have sorted itself out? Delighted to not have to start bending the float arm, but puzzled as to how this has happened.
Any suggestions?
Only work done to car is five-speed gearbox conversion a week ago, but never went near fuel tank or sender unit.
C Whiting

C Whiting,

I see nothing unusual about your experience. Such self correcting things are perfectly common with old cars. That's just the way it is. Enjoy it, and don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I once had a 51 Ford pick up that used a quart of oil every 50 miles. It had a rag for a cap on the oil fill tube. One day the rag was gone. I don't know where it went, but I think it went into the engine. I then drove the truck about 2200 miles from California to Kentucky, and it only used about 4 quarts for the whole trip.

Charley
C R Huff

C.W. With the IOW Frogeye being fibreglass, maybe a bad earth has corrected itself whilst you were fitting the 5 speed.
Charley. That reminds me of the tricks that second hand car dealers were reputed to get up to. Putting nylon stockings in the engine to thicken the oil to disguise knocking and sawdust in gearboxes to quieten them.

Bernie.
b higginson

Bernie - I think you have hit the nail on the head. I should have thought of that. When we were removing the engine and gearbox, we noticed a thumping great earth strap had been left disconeccted by someone in the past. With the car back together and the strap back in place, the headlamps, which had been pretty poor, became hedge-meltingly good. I hadn't considered the fuel gauge problem might have been the same cause, but it makes perfect sense.
Thanks!
C Whiting

This thread was discussed between 21/04/2011 and 22/04/2011

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