Insight of a few small issues.

[FONT=verdana, arial, helvetica]I have a 90 XJ(Renix) with a bunch of small, but still driveable, problems.


First off, I replaced my gas tank and now my "full" is at a little under 3/4. It is actually full because it will start pissing gas out after roughly $40 has been put in. I did put the 13.5 gallon tank in, so I know it holds less gas, but does the float not go as high in this tank or something?

Second, my electric fan cacked out. I'm not sure if its the relay or a temp sensor. The fan itself still works as I have it wired to a switch. I''ve heard that temp sensors usually dont last after they've been run without being submersed in coolant. Which has happened a few times in the past week or so. I dont have another relay either, since theyre not exactly cheap I'd figure I'd ask first.

Lastly, my motor has a very severe clicking noise coming from the top end. It comes and goes also. I know it's from the valve/rocker area because when you take the oil cap off, it gets louder and clearer. Is this a common problem for these motors? How would I go about fixing this. Everything under the valve cover is tight also.

Thanks in advance.[/FONT]

I can only comment on the gas tank. Mine has the original 13.5 gallon which gets filled about every third day and that really sucks. Anyway, it never reads full and I've actually pumped a little over 13.5 gallons into it. It reads a little over 3/4.

Mine is an '88, by the way, and I've been getting 21mpg. Not too bad considering.

The fan relay (if that is a problem) is actually fairly cheap - you can substitute a Bosch or Hella lamp relay for it. I buy them by the dozen as spares.

The temperature sensor is the one in the driver's side radiator tank, and is OEMR only. Find a dealer for that one.

The top end noise may be due to excessive valve lash. Remove the valve cover, turn the crankshaft until both valves on that cylinder are closed, and torque the caps to 19 pound-feet (? I'd have to check to be sure. It may be 21...) and see if that solves it. If not, you're probably due for lifters, but you'll have to remove the head for that job.

The fuel tank? Sounds like they stuck with the 20-gallon-ish sensor for both tanks - I can see why it wouldn't read "full" with the smaller tank. The float won't go as high before it hits the top of the tank.

Temperature sensors should not fail because they're dry - they just won't work while they're dry. It may want replacing anyhow - and you might want to search up my posts on "drilling the thermostat" for instructions on how to make the air pockets in the engine eliminate themselves when you refill.

Is the fan switch wired directly to the fan, or through the relay? You'd be better off doing it through the relay - not only does it mean less power through the switch, it means MORE power to the fan, and it allows you to "override" the sensor to back-check the relay.

5-90

Got 8 sensors for $7.57 apiece at the local dealership...HELLA brand

you can find them in your local parts store (advance auto parts here) in the electrical section. Just pull your relay and match it to the one at the store to make sure.

Gas tank only input- I swapped the other way in my 88 from the small tank to the 20 gallon tank, now I drive 100 miles or more until my gauge gets to full and starts dropping normally. Since you know full is 3/4 does it die on you at empty? if not, have you run around another 40 to 60 miles after that to see if it is empty, sounds dumb but have you checked this? The needle gets to E plus the little light on my dash lights up and I still have about 3 gallons in the tank, did this on the 15 gallon tank, still does on the 20 (yes I have let it get that low its not the best thing to do). I think you might have a bent float, especially if you replaced the tank due to a dent or impact.
Just my 2 cents.