Speedometer Service Company was recommended by Autometer for having a speed sensor custom made for the Mini's 3/4-26 speedometer drive. Roger at Speedometer Service is familiar with the necessary configuration - he has made them before. He should soon have the parts to make several more. The website for Speedometer Service is:

http://www.speedometersolutions.com/

"..Screw the custom sender onto the transmission speedometer drive, calibrate the electronic speedometer, and no more worry about which way the speedometer is inaccurate. The speedometer can be easily re-calibrated for changes in anything from tire size to gearing..."

Sorry, being a bit slow this morning...  Is this available from Auto meter - or teh guy they recommernded - in which case can we have the details please??

Cheers, Ian

I checked out the egauges site. For the ones I am likely to get, they would save a little bit on cost. Unfortunately, they don't have a direct fit speed sender for the Mini transmission. The Autometer folks recommended a service and retail place that has done the senders to match the Mini transmission to the Autometer gauges. The guy there is already getting a fresh batch of the parts to make the sender, so it is worth it to me to get the whole set from him.

Screw the custom sender onto the transmission speedometer drive, calibrate the electronic speedometer, and no more worry about which way the speedometer is inaccurate. The speedometer can be easily re-calibrated for changes in anything from tire size to gearing.

(See Isleblue's speedometer thread.)

Edit: PS> I've been somewhat documenting the "refurb" effort of what will become the donor car over on the Mini Owners of Texas site. As I undertake the Mini Marcos effort, I'll try to do the same with it - maybe a better job with remembering to take pictures along the way.

After owning several (hundreds) of minis, l say a working petrol guage in any mini should be an option-

BIG AL-

Thanks Chuck.  No surprises there.  That is why in an earlier post I gave the range as "ish".  I have not seen two senders that measured exactly the same.

Mplayle, don't forget to check out eguages.com for good prices and service.  They are a good company.  

Be sure to post pictures of your project.

That gets me more than close enough for the project. I'll keep in mind checking the electrical connection area and making sure it gets sealed well when I get to that stage. (Currently that is quite a ways out.)

Cheers, M. Playle

Measurements not precise, but I was getting in the 240s empty and as low as 17 full. That's close enough (for a British car!) to say that the AAU part is intended to function the same as other '64+ Minis.

Rec'd your email. I may have a sender out of a car that I can measure for you, but dollars to donuts it will match the '64+ saloon sender range as indicated by a couple of previous posters.

The real issue with the underfloor tanks is not the resistence range but that they are poorly made and tend to leak around the electrical connection if not sealed well. But that's something else you get to look forward to!

It seems I was the one not getting the dots connected in your explanations until these last ones.

I have not yet ordered the gauge or the Mini Marcos kit. I've been doing the "homework" before placing orders so I can order the correct items the first time.

I'll check out the site Doug linked.

Cheers, M. Playle

I don't think either of the us misunderstood your question.

The AutoMeter gauges will be available for 240-33 Ohms as I mentioned earlier.  The post 1964 Mini sedans use a sender that operates between 270-30 Ohms (ish).  To use the same gauge, the vans/estates would need to use a similar sender with the same range.

I understand you want to buy only one gauge.  My observation was that the sender you selected 1) does not have any mention of "exclusive to early vans", and 2) fits tanks used on Minis including Clubby Estates (well after 1964).  Therefore, it would appear that the sender you have been told to buy is the later type, 270-30 Ohms, and therefore will be best compatible with a 240-33 Ohm gauge. 

Obviously it would be best for a van/estate owner to measure this for you but I understand the sender is not easily accessible on those cars.

If you have not already bought your gauge, be sure to check pricing on the www.egauges.com web site.

EDIT:  The link below is the closest thing I can offer (short of resistance measurements) to confirm that the AAU8340 sender should be the later 270-33 range.
//www.somerfordmini.co.uk/eshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=328&products_id=13384
The Somerford product listing says the sender is for van/estate from '64 on.  That would be the later gauge system using the 270-33 range.

There has been considerable discussion not too long ago on the specs of the sedan senders - I was pointing out that this discussion is relevant to your query.

If there is only one kind of van sender, it is compatible with the later fuel gauge so the specs of the later sedan sender (as discussed) are what you are looking for.

Cheers, Ian

voila..

dklawson Total Posts: 7087 Last Post: Jun 21, 2012 Member Since: Jun 5, 2000

I plan on using an aftermarket fuel gauge - Autometer brand to be specific. Therefore, I need to match the Autometer gauge to the sender.

The Mini Marcos kit uses the Van/Estate tank and sender (AAU8340).

To select the correct model gauge, I need to know the specific range of the sender. The gauge is available in either 0-90 ohm version OR 270-30 ohm version. Which version will match to the sender? I don't want to have to buy two gauges (one of each version) to find out which one works correctly.

I have searched online and get lots of references to places SELLING the sender - NONE that have the specifications of the sender.

I don't have access to an AAU8340 sender to measure it myself. If someone that has one would be kind enough to measure it, please?

Its been a while since I tampered with mine but I'm sure you'll find that van senders come in the same varieties as the sedans.. Except. 

Early cars will have the "moving coil" gauge that runs at 12V while later ones use the 10V (stabilised) heated bar type mechanism - and you need the senders to match.

The "except" above referrs to the fact that the later van sender retains the 'bolt in' mounting style of the early sender (but is electrically compatible with the late gauge)

As I am curently using S instruments mated to a van sender I would suggest that the senders are the same electronically.

Cheers, Ian

The voltage stabilizer I mentioned is not the same as a the charging system's control box/regulator.  Starting in late 1964 BMC began using the later style gauge system that required that the gauge voltage be dropped to a controlled 10V.  The voltage stabilizer drops the gauge voltage only.

Since the tanks were used on cars as late as Clubby Estates my gut feeling is that the sending units will have the later resistance range.  You may want to send a PM to Chuck Heleker and see if he knows for sure.

Thanks for the information. I had done some searching online and found the same description references you indicated, but nothing that stated the resistance range.

The Mini Marcos uses the Mini running gear and wiring from a donor car. I have a cobbled MK-I Saloon I am refurbishing that is likely to be the donor. I have already converted it to an alternator, so the main voltage regulator is gone. I will not be using the original Mini center pod gauge setup. I plan on using all new gauges. The Marcos kit uses the Van/Estate flat tank and sender, thus the need to match a new gauge to that sender.

The Marcos kit supplier does not have the specs on the sender, just the part number. (They are in the UK and probably get it from one of their local Mini parts suppliers same as we would.)

You may need to start a thread with a different title to get the answer.  Or... go back to the Marcos literature you have.

I did some quick checks on the web.  The descriptions for the sending unit sometimes refer to this as being for cars with "underfloor mounted tanks".  I also found one link for that style of tank that said it was used on the Clubman Estates.  That probably indicates the sender is for cars with the voltage stabilizer.  That should indicate that the sender operates from about 270 Ohms = Empty to 30 Ohms = Full.  If your Marcos wiring diagram includes the a voltage stabilizer that should confirm the resistance range.

The 270-30 Ohm range is approximate and varies a bit from sender to sender.  The industry standard range is something like 240-33 Ohms.  If you buy a gauge compatible with the 240-33 range sender it should work with this sender but give a slightly early indication that the tank is empty.  (That's not necessarily a bad thing).  Remember that if you use a non-Smiths gauge it will likely have its own internal voltage stabilizer.  In general... do NOT supply power to your new aftermarket gauge from the Smiths voltage stabilizer.  Supply it with whatever the manufacturer calls for.  That is likely to be a full 12V. 

I'm trying to find out is this sender a 0-90 ohm sender or a 270-30 ohm sender.

I could get a programmable gauge at 2.5 times the cost of the one I would prefer. The programmable would cover both those ranges (and others). The style gauge I would prefer is more cost effective and comes in fixed ranges - both the above ranges are available. I know the very early MK-I cars usually had the 0-90 ohm senders and later ones had the 270-30 ohm senders. I just have not been able to find out which the AAU8340 (Van/Estate) sender is. The project I am investigating uses a Van/Estate fuel tank and sender.

It is the sender that comes with the tank kit for a Mini Marcos and I want to be sure of the resistance range for properly matching a fuel gauge.

Thanks. M. Playle