no the potentiometer gets loose and there is a diealectric compound you can pour on it to complete the low resistance/low voltage connection it requires to work properly.

Dang, you guys do stuff the hard way. I just replace them with newer, properly working fuel gauges from later models (i.e., 93-95). You can buy whole clusters on eBay for <$100. I've had several of the F/O/T gauges fail in different ways... temp or oil needles may stick at one end of the range, or fuel gauge needle jumps around instead of moving smoothly, etc. Now I bench test them prior to installation with various different resistors to make sure that all the gauges read accurately. It's a bit tedious but at least then I know it's working and that I won't have to swap it again.

__________________
Dave
Boise, ID
Check out my website photos, documents, and movies!

I live in Brazil and I have a w124 330E 1990 and I had the same problem. After all and without solution I took off the take and figured out it had shrunk from 75 liters to 46 liters total (around 39%)