Adding fuel gauge to shallow tank

[ukrkoz]

We acquired a Trailmaster Blazer 200R with 212 engine.
It came with a gas tank with no fuel gauge.
Problem is, tank is wide and shallow, only 2.7 inch depth and 3.7 inch from the neck top to the tank bottom.
I spent days searching for gauge that might fit and apparently, they do not exist.
Any ideas? I can't really get my hands or even tools inside the tank, obviously. Can't drill through the cap as it has some screw on breather thing on the inside.
Tank is very thin metal, so trying to tap into it in sealed manner not happening. Any caps with built gauge are way too long. I mean, yes, unscrew the cap look inside, right? Except that I work normal hours and 10 yo grandson likely won't even be able to unscrew the cap - if he remembers to do it.
Thank you

 

[landuse]

Sounds like it will be a lot of trouble to try get a fuel gauge and get it to work. Do you need a fuel gauge? Maybe you could be satisfied by just eyeballing it all the time?

 

[ukrkoz]

Oh, I can eyeball it fine, except that I am not there all the time eyeball it. Neither my wife nor grandson will. And that leaves him with a good chance of getting stuck somewhere half a mile away from the nearest can of gas.
I start considering replacing the entire tank with one that has fuel gauge.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

When I was 8, if I wanted to ride, I had to be able to start it and keep it full of gas. I had a 2 stroke so I knew how to mix it too.
Never underestimate a determined kid.

 

[Hellion]

And that leaves him with a good chance of getting stuck somewhere half a mile away from the nearest can of gas.

Use an emergency-use bottle of fuel. A 1 liter is probably more than enough. If the main tank runs dry, have the youngster dump in the emergency bottle and head straight home. I like the Optimus or MSR brands. Put the auxiliary fuel bottle on the kart with the aid of a tool tube. Use non-ethanol fuel for best results but it would be a good idea to cycle through the emergency fuel every 6 months or earlier, and refresh the bottle with fresh ‘juice'.

I like this site for the tubes and he also sells the fuel bottles to go in the tubes, in a little DIY kit. You might do better sourcing the parts individually on Scamazon or what-not, not sure: http://www.thetooltube.com/mototubes.html

I agree with W.T.R. Teach the grandson, 10 years is old enough to top off the tank every time and check the oil, etc.

 

[Denny]

He’ll only run it out of gas or oil one time before he learns to check it on his own.

 

[Sparkwizard]

Maybe drill a hole in the top and bottom, install a sight glass. Clear vinyl tubing is cheap and easy to install. Two hose barbs, a dab of sealer and 6 or 8 inches of 5/16 tube.
Get a fuel petcock from a moped or small motorcycle with a "reserve" lever. When it runs dry from the main supply, twist the lever and restart, go home.

Add a small reserve tank and a cutoff valve. When it runs dry, open the cutoff valve from the reserve tank and have that gas run into the main tank.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Maybe drill a hole in the top and bottom, install a sight glass. Clear vinyl tubing is cheap and easy to install. Two hose barbs, a dab of sealer and 6 or 8 inches of 5/16 tube.
Get a fuel petcock from a moped or small motorcycle with a "reserve" lever. When it runs dry from the main supply, twist the lever and restart, go home.

Add a small reserve tank and a cutoff valve. When it runs dry, open the cutoff valve from the reserve tank and have that gas run into the main tank.

Like this.

 

[Denny]

It’s way easier to teach little Johnny to check the gas and oil himself!

 

[panchothedog]

Just refill the tank after each use. That way it is always full. How old is your Grandson?
If he's old enough to go riding unsupervised by himself, he's old enough to refuel the kart. Most karts don't have fuel gages.

 

[Hellion]

Is a transparent or translucent fuel tank an option?

The only thing I’d be worried about with a 10 year old and refueling is spillage due to the weight of a typical 5 gallon jug. A person may be able to heft it but holding it steady is another matter sometimes. So use the 2.5 or 3 gallon ones and a funnel. Love the sight glass idea; superb for refilling a non transparent tank. None of that pour a little, look a little incrementalism when filling up.

Even though you mentioned it already, there’s the cap with gauge. I found one with a 4.5” depth. I think a clever resourceful fella could shorten or customize one to fit. It is a very simple mechanism. Then again we are massively overthinking the issue. Just fill ‘er up.

The emergency use fuel bottle can be the cheapest solution. Fuel tanks for kart engines can be beaucoup expensive.

https://www.amazon.com/fangzi-Kerosene-Outdoor-Storage-Camping/dp/B0CKSS12NS/ref=pd_sbs_d_sccl_1_2/131-8867556-6551163?pd_rd_w=tiSkD&content-id=amzn1.sym.aa738fbd-ad05-4d11-aae2-04b598db6305&pf_rd_p=aa738fbd-ad05-4d11-aae2-04b598db6305&pf_rd_r=GECV7NC504HKJ551151Q&pd_rd_wg=M13ka&pd_rd_r=22911d55-0a78-42de-ad41-622f24427aa5&pd_rd_i=B0CKSS12NS&psc=1

 

[Edwin Spangler]

My vote goes to bigger tank and keep it filled.

 

[Sparkwizard]

My mechanical, paternal and survival instincts say do not let young sprocket ride alone until he (and his Mom) proves they can keep the gas and oil topped up before starting the engine. Adding fuel and oil to a hot engine are not easy or safe for non-mechanical operators.