How to measure fuel tanks

The calculator can be used for that scenario. You just don't understand how to find the volume missing from that step, subtract it from the overall volume, and then use the equation to find the answer. But honestly, the volume of that step is insignificant anyway and might make your calculations off by a couple of gallons. If you need the fuel gauge in a tractor to be that precise, there's a whole other issue...

 

240 gallons total on my truck, quarter tank puts me at 180 gallons, 180 gallons x 5.5 mpg= get fuel before 990 miles, usually 850-900 depending on what I’m doing

 

I always wondered how if the fuel pickup is on the bottom of the tank why does the fuel disappear from the top first?

 

Your tank must have been installed upside down!

 

Makes sense now!

 

Or it has an inverse sump pump that moves the fuel on the surface down to the bottom? It must run in reverse when you pump new fuel in…

lol!

 

I'm dumb, I'd just get a 20 gallon can and run it empty. Keeping an eye on the gauge and weight. I.e each gallon wieghs 7 lbs..etc. I would weigh at full tank bob tail only, then half, then quarter. To see if the gauge is semi I accurate.
If not I would have 20 gallons just in case.....To the op. Don't do it this way. Every one else has a easier idea.

 

Have you ever seen a lighter burn fuel?

According to the training video. It's not possible. Diesel fuel requires compression to burn. A match will.just flame out.

This training video used a tablespoon of fuel in one glass and a tablespoon of gas in another glass.

Gas requires flame to burn.
Diesel requires compression to burn.

 

My trucks fuel gauge is way off. Years ago i stuck a stick in it, held my thumb on it about an inch below the filler neck, because I don't fill it to the top. Then got another stick and did the same for the passenger side tank. I marked them both in 1/8 th tank marks, filled them both up, and went driving. Roughly every 1/8th the gauge dropped, I stopped and measured them. When the gauge read empty I still had about 3/16th left on the sticks, but its the smaller bottom part of the tanks, so lets call it 1/8 th left. So at empty on the gauge, I can still drive a long while. Very rarely do I actually fill up. 98% of the time I top off the drivers side tank only. While speccing a new truck the other day, to likely order soon, I intentionally did so with just 1 tank on the drivers side. Yes it is larger than the tank on this truck now, but not as big as both combined. It will still give me more than enough fuel to get through an average day. Fuel stops really are not that far apart. On a far north run i have done a few times, there is an area where fuel is unavailable for 560 kms. That is the longest distance between fuel I've seen. This one tank should give me a fuel range, double that distance.

 

Not so fast,,a guy that was leased to our company, had all these scars on his face. I asked him, how he got those. He embarrassingly said, one night he was tired, not thinking, opened the cap, and lit the lighter, thinking what you said,. Apparently, the vapors flashed didn't explode, but sent a flame out the hole. Seemed like a pretty dumb idea to me in the 1st place.