35' Viking - Floscan anyone?

We bought a 1987 Viking 35 last summer. First run with the new boat was bringing it home from central New Jersey to Annapolis. I love the Viking rigging and build quality (why we picked this boat, I've had offshore sport/race boats before so most boats we saw didn't meet my idea of proper rigging). The one "omission" that really bugs me is no fuel gauge. Yes, there is a mechanical gauge but it's under the bait station so not very useful. The prior owners dip stick is accurate, but also not what I consider appropriate. I'm also spoiled by the accuracy of the fuel readout for the Verado's that were on my center console.

I've been looking at installing a Floscan system and wondered if anyone has had one installed before. It's a gas boat. The convenient place to install the flow sensors is right at the tank outlets, accessible by removing the stbd fish box. The problem there is I'd need to also install a secondary set of fuel filters ahead of the sensors. The other candidate location is at the fuel filter outlets, but there I'd need to plumb in some hard lines to provide the suggested bubble loop for fuel to flow back up a bit after leaving the sensors. There isn't anyplace in the system where fuel conveniently can go that flows up leaving the sensors.

A second option is to just install a remote reading fuel gauge sensor. I can machine an custom fitting for the NPT access at the fuel line outlet plate to hold a capacitance fuel sender. There is an access in the cockpit floor directly above so that's pretty accessible for install. The NPT bung/plug is however directly on top of where the fuel tank drops down further inside the inner stringers, so requires some careful positioning to reach the true bottom of the tank and not hit the side of the tank at the step-down.

Any other owners have other solutions to getting fuel info up to the bridge, or experience with installing a Floscan system?

Thanks - Greg

Haven't heard them called "Wema" but the small (1/2" or 1/4") straight tube senders I'm familiar with are the capacitance sender I mentioned. I haven't seen any that are a direct replacement for the NPT threaded float gauge that is currently installed and sounds like the Hatteras one you mentioned. Can you post a link to the one's your familiar with?

Thanks

Those are the reed and float type. They would work for replacing the existing gauge but I think the float is too big in diameter to use in the fitting at the fuel outlets which is easier to access. I'd have to remove the bait station to get access above the existing manual gauge to put in a replacement, guess I need to take a look at how hard it would be to remove next time I'm at the boat (it's at a marina on land for the winter).

Thanks

Ok. I was looking at the full senders.

Thanks

Thanks

Wanted to put in a final update. In the end I decided to use the capsule pointed out by Capt J and added a fuel gauge to the helm. I put the gauge in the small sub-panel on the right where the windless remote is. It will get a good test soon as we are going on a two week cruise to Norfolk doing a loop of the southern Chesapeake Bay.

Thanks for all the replies.

-greg