Fuel Sender Float Modification

[55 Fargo]

Hi all, on my new aftermarket gas tank from Tanks inc, the sender hole is in the right spot for the access hole cover in the trunk, so that is good news, easy access, without cutting a new hole.

But here is the problem, the 5 machined hole pattern for the sender is in the wrong direction. What it does, is have the sender float go in the wrong direction, the float will not fit as it will hit the back of the gas tank. I need the float arm to swing up in the opposite direction of the stock float swing direction, or cut the arm back 2 inches, but this would mess with the fuel gauge reading and accuracy.

Can the float arm be made to go in the opposite direction, is this a good idea or not, I have to use a 2 wire sender for my gauge, this is a 6 volt car, so I do not want to go with an aftermarket 1 wire sender and aftermarket gauge, that would not work, because the new gauges are all 12 volts.

Any suggestions guys, not sure what to do here. The tank is 8 inches deep, from the sender hole to the back of the tank wall, it is 5.5 inches approximately, so you can see my dilemna, if the float is going in that direction, the other direction toward the front of the tank there is lots of room..................Fred

[RobertKB]

Can you use any of the holes with the sending unit turned around. If so, you could drill and tap new holes for those needed or even for all five. The gasket will stop any leaking from the old holes. This could be a solution and should be easy to do. Hope this helps.

[Young Ed]

Fred is this a new sender? On some of the new ones the rivets are in the screw holes. I've heard of a few guys having this issue with the repro 39-47 pickup senders. Also I wouldn't see why you couldnt drill 5 new holes. Either should work.

[randroid]

Fred,

My tank isn't aftermarket but I had the same problem. Thing is, those five screws are not the same distance apart so what I did was to rotate the sender until all five screws can be used. Sounds simplistic but I'm honestly not being condescending; there should be a position where it will fit.

If, as has been suggested, rivets were put in the screw holes (I understand that's a common practice in China) it seems to me that drilling out the rivets would be a lot simpler than drilling into the tank. And safer, too, because if there's been any gas in the tank the welding necessary to affix the nuts might attract a lot of unwarranted attention.

A penny for my thoughts and my two cents worth; who gets the extra penny?

-Randy

[55 Fargo]

Hi Ed and Robert and Randy, Could I not just drill the pattern in the opposite direction on the new sender unit, the gasket would be under it anyway, so having a couple of extra holes in the sender should not hurt anyhting, would it. I do not like the idea of drilling into my new tank if possible, it has not had gas in it yeat. I ahve not got a new sender yet either, but was trying with my old sender...............Thanx Fred

[Young Ed]

Fred what about drilling out the rivets and using those holes? See if you can use the gasket to line it up that way.

[55 Fargo]

Will try it when I finally get my new sender, this is bit of a pain, but can be done, I suppose I could drill the need holes in the sender to make it line up on the tank, then fill the preiously driied holes with brass or solder, or jb weld........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Randy, when the sender holes line up to the gas tank 5 holes, the sender is in the wrong direction resulting in this. The floatarm, hits the back of the tank, is restricted through it's range of motion, resulting in a not vey accurate reading. Empty on the gauge could very well have 1/4 tank of gas left, maybe its not a bad idea, will never run out of gas when it first reads empty. I plan on drilling the correct holes on the sender to get the sender to go in the opposite direction. The gas tank is new, never had gas in it, but don't want to drill holes into either, unless I have too...........Fred

[Jerry Roberts]

When you get your new sender , those holes might be backwards too . Then everything will fit .

[randroid]

Fred,

Drilling the sender instead of the tank is so simplistically correct that it plumb evaded me.

I'm assuming that you'll get a new gasket with the new sending unit which could then be used as a pattern for where to drill the new holes. I made my own gasket from some gasoline-proof rubber but I still could detect the smell of gas so I ended up installing some rubber washers under each screw above the sending unit. All is now right with the world.

-Randy

[55 Fargo]

Hi Jerry, just for curiosity, what makes you think this is a possiblity, has this happened to some of you guys, on new senders, cuz that would be a very nice surprise.

The senders from Bernbaum and Roberts, are these actually remakes of some type...................Fred

When you get your new sender , those holes might be backwards too . Then everything will fit .

[55 Fargo]

Hi Randy, each of the sender machine screws that was supplied has a tiny rubber O ring, so hopefully this will not happen.

Not exactly sure how I am going to set this up yet, will either have the sender modifed, or make an adaptor plate to be fastened to the tank first, the sender could then be attached to the adaptor plate going in the right direction.

I am going to phone Tanks Inc today, I am going to let them know, if they intend to market and sell this 40 to 48 Mopar tank, they could have the sender screw pattern in the right direction, as a lot of us will be using our OEM senders and gauges, The current pattern is okay foraftermarket senders, as they can be moved around , as they are universal types............................Fred

[Jerry Roberts]

Fred , Yes I have recieved senders that have had the holes reversed . I don't remember if they came from Roberts or Bernbaum though and they were for 1939 through 1947 Dodge and Plymouth trucks . If you wish , I will look in my files to see where they came from .

[55 Fargo]

Jerry that would be great, that way I can phone the supplier and hopefully get a sender that goes the right way, this would save me a lot of grieve in making one work........Thanx Fred

[55 Fargo]

Hi Jerry, just go off the phone with Berbaums and Roberts, both state the 2 wire fuel senders are drilled for only the one way installation, so not sure if the there is a difference between the senders for cars or trucks, they both were of no help, had no suggestions, and quite frankly I will only buy from them if I have to.

I am getting a little thin in the patience department with this one, the dealer Tanks.Inc who sold me the tank had nothing in a way of helping me, so guys beware, the The Tanks.Inc, 1941 to 1948 Mopar tank are not designed to have a stock OEM sender unit go in the right way.Thanks to all of you who have offered some suggestions.................Rockwood

Fred , Yes I have recieved senders that have had the holes reversed . I don't remember if they came from Roberts or Bernbaum though and they were for 1939 through 1947 Dodge and Plymouth trucks . If you wish , I will look in my files to see where they came from .

[Young Ed]

Hey Fred I've got a new in box Roberts sender for the truck. Pretty sure its the same as a car one with just a change to the float arm. On the repro ones the float arm is held in with a set screw. Let me know if I can measure photograph etc for ya

[55 Fargo]

If holes are drilled on the sender unit, do the previously drilled holes need to be filled with solder or anything to seal them, or will the gasket take care of that.

I am looking at my old sender unit, it looks like I should be able to drill more holes in it to get the sender to be postioned in the right direction.

My major concern was making the inside of the sender unit more vulnerable to fuel vapor or fuel itself.The thick neoprene gasket that goes onto the tank 1st before the sender should take care of that.

Wasn't it you Ed, that mentioned your Dad, opened up one of these senders, and then used small screws to hold it together again, was this sender used on a gas tank again with good results..............Fred

[Young Ed]

Yes he did open up and repair the sender on my car. I cant recall if it was small screws or rivets that we used to close it back up. Its been on my car for a season or 2 and probably 2K miles and still works good. The electric wiper in there has now developed 1 dead spot again. At about 2/3s the gauge goes to E for a brief time.

[55 Fargo]

Thanx Ed, so it isn't out of the realm of possibilities to open these or drill new holes in them.............Fred

[Young Ed]

Certainly possible. We may have even gone to the store for non pop rivets. I've heard of a few guys drilling the rivets out and putting them in the screw holes for the 39-47 trucks. However when we built the chassis for dads 40 ply pu we put the sender in the tank before it was in the truck. We flipped it upside down and you could hear it moving perfectly. So its installed with the sender towards the front. Hopefully someday that truck will get some gas in it and we'll see if it really worked! BTW on these trucks you have to drop the tank to switch them. Be glad you have a hole in the trunk floor to work with.

[Jerry Roberts]

Hi Jerry, just go off the phone with Berbaums and Roberts, both state the 2 wire fuel senders are drilled for only the one way installation, so not sure if the there is a difference between the senders for cars or trucks, they both were of no help, had no suggestions, and quite frankly I will only buy from them if I have to.

I am getting a little thin in the patience department with this one, the dealer Tanks.Inc who sold me the tank had nothing in a way of helping me, so guys beware, the The Tanks.Inc, 1941 to 1948 Mopar tank are not designed to have a stock OEM sender unit go in the right way.Thanks to all of you who have offered some suggestions.................Rockwood

Fred , I did not mean to imply that when I ordered my sender that there was a choice of which way the screw holes were drilled . The senders that I had received had been manufactured wrong with the screw holes opposite of the correct position . These senders came from Roberts in 2002 , their product number T 363 for 1939 - 1947Dodge trucks . I ended up re-drilling some holes in the sender . An interesting note ; these units are vented directly into the gas tank , you can see the small hole on the very bottom . The gasoline doesn't get up into the electric winding because the air trapped will only compress so far , like when you turn a drinking glass upside down in a sink full of water . One of my senders leaked when I filled the gas tank to the top as there was no gasket between the two 1/2 s of the sender and the gasoline could just follow the air out . This was one of the new senders that I purchased . After installing your new sender , put just a couple of pounds of air pressure in the tank through the filler and spray the top of the sender with soapy water and watch for bubbles to check for leaks .

[Jerry Roberts]

Ed , Watch out for that sender that was installed in the 40 Plymouth pickup with the float pointied foward . I tried that and my float got all chewed up hitting on the tube that takes the gas up to the carb . It took a while to get all of the peices out .

[Young Ed]

Truck is kinda stuck looking like this. Will perhaps take another look at it if/when it comes home from the shop.

[Normspeed]

Looks pretty darned good to me.

[Young Ed]

Norm its looked like that for like 3 years now