Thread: How to install a Fuel sending unit?????????

Tweet

I wouldn't recommend silicone - natural rubber would be fine. Most auto parts houses have rubber gasket material.. might try a NAPA outlet..

Good Luck,
Glenn

Take a look at this site - they have most everything you need parts wise including instructions for most common after market gauges


http://www.egauges.com/

I just had to put a new sender in my car's tank and a new gasket was included.

Couple of points of importance:

1) DO NOT use your shop vac IF the tank ever had gas in it . The fumes can be ignited by the non ignition protected motor of the vac. People have died doing this.

2) Self tappers are fine, just do not overtighten to strip them out of the thin aluminum skin. I have done that routine a bunch of times on cars and boats. The machine screws they give you are generally used when there is a thick ring welded to the tank so it can be tapped for threads.

3) As mentioned make sure you orient the arm of the sender so it misses baffles. It is preferable to put the arm left to right as opposed to fore and aft, relative to the cars position. This will minimize the arm moving up and down under movement. If you put the arm facing front or back it can make the gauge jump up and down as you move forward or slow down.

4) You can run a ground wire from one of the screws to a known ground on the frame or body. Without it the gauge won't work.

5) The rubber or cork gasket under the sender should go on dry. It will seal just fine if you use even torque all around the perimeter.

Don

All great points,

Just as a side point if you need a replacement sending unit gasket for an aftermarket tank most marine stores (boat) carry them in stock. (Westmarine, etc) A very common part.
Don Jr.

One more little tidbit - the bolt holes in the replacement gasket only line up one way (and I'm embarrassed to say why I know that)

Thanks guys ,I took Glenn's advice and made the gasket ( fuel p/u plate) the sender gasket I had from having to re-order a sender with the right ohms when building the coupe. The fuel plate is larger and had 6 screw hole spacing and the sender is 5 and smaller.

It's back on and yet to be filled and checked. Someone mentioned not to ever fill the tank full,why I'm not sure. My roll over vent is about 5 in. above the tank top and using a full seal cap.

Again Thanks to all who responded.

Originally Posted by Don Dalton

Thanks guys ,I took Glenn's advice and made the gasket ( fuel p/u plate) the sender gasket I had from having to re-order a sender with the right ohms when building the coupe. The fuel plate is larger and had 6 screw hole spacing and the sender is 5 and smaller.

It's back on and yet to be filled and checked. Someone mentioned not to ever fill the tank full,why I'm not sure. My roll over vent is about 5 in. above the tank top and using a full seal cap.

Again Thanks to all who responded.

Overfilling can cause the gas to expand or to slosh out on your nice paint job is really a primary reason if you don't have a charcoal filter and/or a return line. If you do have a charcoal filter, you could contaminate it, making it useless.