2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Fuel Tank Sender repair

[fortunate1]

My original sender was replaced shortly after it quit giving reliable readings, at about 117K miles. I didn't know about the repairs that CJ Johansson and Huey Conway imagineered, so I bought one from the dealer, dropped the tank, and installed the new sender. I did notice some gouges that were worn into the 2 slide brackets, but left them alone.



Now at 235K miles, the sender is again acting up. I kept the original one, so I think that I'll try fixing it with Huey's method. I'm also going to try to secure the floating module at the bottom so it doesn't float up and down with the level in the tank. Will that keep the guage reading at "full" for a longer time? I guess if it does, then the bottom half of the tank should read just as it always has.



I've noticed that the black float at the end of the lever arm was worn away some. The hard, shiny outside "skin" on the float is what has worn away. It leaves the "powdery" inside susceptable to more wear and fuel soaking I guess. That would probably make it sink down into the fuel a little. Any ideas for a fix for the worn float? Do you think that any kind of cork or closed-cell foam would work? Can you believe that I'm being this cheap?!?

 

[DSiemens]

If you find a source for a replacement float, well, I need one too.



Dan

 

[GBaines]

I have been having problems with my sending unit. I pulled the tank and took out the sending unit. Its readings were out of range of what the shop manual said it shoud be, ie the empty or down Ohm reading was 175 Ohms not the 220 +or- 6 Ohms called for. As it dried out it finally read about 185 Ohms, still out of range. I ordered a new one from the dealer, but it also read out of range at 199 Ohms so the dealer ordered another, which also read the same and out of range with the specs. Both of these senders would get near 200 Ohms then go to no contact or infinite resistance for the last 5th of the swing. I installed an after market sender and guage in my tank so I will know whats happening, and reinstalled my old sending unit. I am wondering if I can just install a pot or variable resistor to bring the resistance into spec. As my sender does not give enough resistance to set off the low fuel warning lights and reads slightly less than 1/4 tank when the engine stops and causes air to get into the injector pump and injectors. I had to learn to bleed the system in the middle of nowhere Mexico. The New senders do not seem to be any better. So what about using the pot to correct the reading?

 

[MLee]

sending unit

I found this same thing when i done mine, the float had worn away. I bent the rod down a little to get away from the foam rubbing on the tank. Its very ruff inside. If it was possible to turn the float around so the float would go up into the raised portion of the tank, this would take care of the ware. they need a brass float on there, like inside of the carburetors.

Marv.

 

[fortunate1]

Guess I'll be checking the resistance along the contact swing of the sender. I'm going to do the fix on it, but I'd like to know of a material that will float in the diesel, not absorb it, and is more abrasion resistant than the original stuff.



FWIW, when I last did this, I found the tank to be very clean. Wiping out with clean rags didn't bring up the crud that I thought would have been in there. Interesting that the sender is acting up again at almost the exact same milage as the original.

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I replaced my sender back in '00(?) It was the revised model (like we all get, had an AA at the end of the p/n). Knock on wood but it's been fine.

 

[bubba_zanetti]

My second one just went bad... at 160k total.