2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Dog gone fuel sending unit

[BarryG]

Has anyone come up with a better alternative to the POS fuel sending unit? My second one went out this morning on the way to work and ran out of fuel. What a pita. I know I can watch the mileage but between towing and empty mileage can vary quite a bit and would rather just put in a reliable sender. Any ideas?

 

[rrausch]

Me too! I put a new one in when I first got my truck 4 years ago, and now it is acting up again. I seem to remember there was a "fix" for them, but can't recall now what it was. Does anybody know?



I am thinking about cutting a big hole into the bottom of the bed... sort of a "quick access" to the top of the fuel tank!!!

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Mine acted up at about 2000 miles. It jumped around from full to empty and back and forth.

It never did it again and now at 139k. ???

 

[RT66DOC]

Mine cra**ed out a year ago so I just go by the odometer. You'd think there would be some high quality, dependable aftermarket sender out there somewhere. Wonder what senders aircraft mfrs use? Something from the aviation world ought to be accurate and reliable. Probably cost an arm/leg.



It's outrageous DC hasn't stepped up to the plate on this issue - and a couple others. 5th gear comes to mind.

 

[CumminsPower98]

Search for "fuel sender fix" or something like that and you should come up with something. I know there is a write up on it some place. Also check this site: http://dodgeram.org/ there might be something on there about it. I have fixed mine and one other one. I don't have any fancy write up with pictures though. Mainly it involves removing the sender, removing the stock pivot pin and replacing this pin with a threaded screw, installing a small spring and capping it off with a nut. This will then hold the unit down so all the contacts stay in contact. The factory pivot point and hold down wear out causing it to loose contact.



I did take one picture of the finished fix on the last one I did so here it is.

 

[BarryG]

This is my second one. First at about 52k and now this one at 108k. I have owned a lot of cars over my life that are were much older and junkier and never had one go out before and now 2 on the same vehicle in a year and half. Just seems that it shouldn't be that hard to make a quality sending unit but oh well.



Thanks cummins power I will do a search and see what I can find on that fix. It may be the ticket. at least worth a try.

 

[RT66DOC]

Alternative to POC Fuel Senders

Found this on the Westach site.



http://www.frostalarm.com/cat/fuelinfo.html

 

[rblomquist]

If you use fuel additives some of them will cake on the sender and foul it. We've seen it happen with Stanadyne, Power Service, and Mystery oil to name a few.

 

[jspringer]

Try this, I think you will find what you want.



www.dodgeram.org/tech/repair/fuel_sender/sender.htm

 

[rrausch]

I've seen that before. It is helpful. Is anyone making the pins for sale? I tried e-mailing the guy in the article, (Huey Conway) but the e-mail was returned.



Does anyone know of somebody making repair kits for the sender?

 

[MLee]

What about the float?????? Has anyone came up with a better idea on this? we need something that won't wear a way on the tank. one guy mentioned that his was a plastic material. you have to buy the whole sender from the dealer to just get the float. A $. 25 cent part how about brass?? or a tougher product.

I bent my rod a little the time I done mine, but maybe not enough. Its doing it again, not giving a full measurement.

Marv.

 

[tractorface]

Found this on the Westach site.

We use a similar product on all of our diesel fuel tanks and have had very good success with them. I was going to switch to a capacitance type sender when my gauge went up recently but in the end I was too lazy to finish the job. I did Ohm out the old sender and wrote down the information for future consideration. There is an extra hole on top of our fuel modules that would make installation very easy. The probes we use are equipped with 1/2" threaded bushings per our spec. and that is easy to retrofit into our gauge. I have a bunch of Fuel module pics I need tp post that will help anyone that has not had the thing apart.

Anyway I was torn between using a capacitance probe to drive our fuel gauge or using a probe with a 4-20ma output to a digital fuel monitor like we do at work. So in the end I did nothing.

At some point I am going to install a Fuel totalizer in order to do some "research" for future projects at work. Anyway if you really want to take the next step I can pass on what I have learned if you like. The trouble with the digital monitor is that it gets to be a little $$$ for our application. In the end I am happy enough with the stock sender (once it is replaced)

 

[John - K5AWO]

Originally posted by tractorface

Anyway I was torn between using a capacitance probe to drive our fuel gauge or using a probe with a 4-20ma output to a digital fuel monitor like we do at work.

That reminds me of the Rosemount pressure transducers we used in the oil field. 1/4 inch accuracy of fluid pressure, 4-20 ma loop current. Would make a nice mod for our Dodge fuel tanks. Only set back would be the $900+ to get the transducer and you still have to decode the results.

 

[tractorface]

The Capacitance probe with a 4-20ma output is only around 75$ and the Red Lion Controls meter can be had for under $300. Still pricey compared to the $65 a new sender costs. Now using a capacitance probe with the proper resistance for our stock fuel gauge does make sense. I will probably go that way the next time my sender starts acting up.



http://www.centroidproducts.com/



Call these guys and ask for Joel. You will need the tank depth (plus the height of the adapter to fit the thing in the tank) as well as the empty and full resistance of our stock senders. I can try and get the information and pics together this weekend in order to post them next week. (lightining took out my home computer).

 

[Neibe]

I figure 15 mpg empty and 10 mpg towing and I have never run out of fuel. When towing I fill up at 300 miles we can't seem to go farther than that without stopping anyway.