Fuel tank sending unit
- Thread starter Charlie ny
- Start date
Charlie ny
BANNED
Gracias Muchachos,
The linear thing is what messes me up along with the too rapid fall
from over full reading to almost empty. I'm pretty sure the tech guys at Drake
have peeked in here to see what is being said.
Dan Babarick tells me he purchased a tank and sender from Drake 3
years ago and it went to work ba bing..no sweat. Only a guess here but maybe
the design 3 years ago was proper and todays design is ...well....you know.
Charlie ny
The linear thing is what messes me up along with the too rapid fall
from over full reading to almost empty. I'm pretty sure the tech guys at Drake
have peeked in here to see what is being said.
Dan Babarick tells me he purchased a tank and sender from Drake 3
years ago and it went to work ba bing..no sweat. Only a guess here but maybe
the design 3 years ago was proper and todays design is ...well....you know.
Charlie ny
19Fordy
Well-known member
I do not think that the early Ford gas gauges will work with anything other than a sending unit that uses the same "heating a metallic strip" principle inside the sending unit that is calibrated with the stock dash gauge. The principle of operation is entirely diferent than how the aftermarket sending units work. That is why you must find an original sending unit. Pry the top off the sending unit and you will see what I mean. I think Ford used the same sending unit design up til 1954.
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19Fordy
Well-known member
Old Redneck
Well-known member
CalMI
Member
Hi Guys
I bought a sending unit from Dennis Carpenter for my 36. I have the same problem as all of the rest of you. The gauge reads over full until the tank is nearly empty then drops like a rock. It seems the senders are all the same.
I will be watching this thread to see if there is some resolution.
Cal
I bought a sending unit from Dennis Carpenter for my 36. I have the same problem as all of the rest of you. The gauge reads over full until the tank is nearly empty then drops like a rock. It seems the senders are all the same.
I will be watching this thread to see if there is some resolution.
Cal
Charlie ny
BANNED
Mike,
I'm betting his minions have eyeballed all the back and forth
here. I am sending the sender to Drake in the morning. I will most assuredly
keep everyone informed.
Gracias,
Charlie ny
I'm betting his minions have eyeballed all the back and forth
here. I am sending the sender to Drake in the morning. I will most assuredly
keep everyone informed.
Gracias,
Charlie ny
Bruce in southern OH
Well-known member
Charlie, finally got my Bob Drake new gas tank installed in my 41 1/2 ton pickup truck, ( purchased from Macs ) this has been a fight from the beginning. The new tank would not go back in the truck due to a difference of the lower half of tank being different from the Henry tank!!!! I massaged the lower side under the fuel fill pipe, Great it's in, NOPE, the holes to bolt tank to frame are 5/8 inch different from the Henry tank!!!! Pulled back out and had to drill frame in three places to move tank to correct location so that the fill tube would come out in correct location. ( lots of time doing this )
Charlie, I install the new S/W fuel sending unit and grounding it on the spade terminal and an addition ground under one of the screws that holds the sending unit in tank, NOW I added 2 gallon of gas to a new tank, turned on the key and the gauge just moves up to cover the empty mark. ADDED 5 more gallon from a plastic gas container and it shows just below the 1/4 mark. The new tank is a 14 gallon original looking tank, so I should show 1/2 full. I give up on all these parts. Yes, now I have good clean gas in a new gas tank but every thing I received from Macs needed something done to correct the parts. Now my gas gauge in like everyone on this thread says, JUNK!!!!
Did I tell you the 4" piece of gas hose that goes between fill tube and the tank is to large, had to go to a local hose and hydraulic shop and purchase a piece of PARKER hose to fix this problem, the two hose clamps sent to go around the furnished hose will not fit also, yes it is the correct item listed for the truck, tank etc.
ANOTHER BAD SENDING UNIT IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Charlie, I install the new S/W fuel sending unit and grounding it on the spade terminal and an addition ground under one of the screws that holds the sending unit in tank, NOW I added 2 gallon of gas to a new tank, turned on the key and the gauge just moves up to cover the empty mark. ADDED 5 more gallon from a plastic gas container and it shows just below the 1/4 mark. The new tank is a 14 gallon original looking tank, so I should show 1/2 full. I give up on all these parts. Yes, now I have good clean gas in a new gas tank but every thing I received from Macs needed something done to correct the parts. Now my gas gauge in like everyone on this thread says, JUNK!!!!
Did I tell you the 4" piece of gas hose that goes between fill tube and the tank is to large, had to go to a local hose and hydraulic shop and purchase a piece of PARKER hose to fix this problem, the two hose clamps sent to go around the furnished hose will not fit also, yes it is the correct item listed for the truck, tank etc.
ANOTHER BAD SENDING UNIT IN SOUTHERN OHIO
Bruce in southern OH
Well-known member
Tom, why will the original sending unit not work, the hole in tank seems to be large enough to accommodate the old unit, always appreciate the help and information, Bruce
19Fordy
Well-known member
flatheadfan
Well-known member
Bruce-
The Ford electric sender will work in a Drake tank. That's what I have in my '35 ('36 gauge). The bolt holes are the same but you must remove small flange around the hole. This will give you enough room to insert the float assembly and have it fit flush against the tank.
As for removing the flange, I just set the tank upside down on a couple sawhorses, got out my Dremel tool laid on my back (with safety goggles) and ground away. By doing it this way you minimize the metal shavings from falling into the tank.
The only problem is the Drake tank itself. It appears to be more bulbous on the bottom than an original tank. The net result is the exhaust pipe (in the correct factory position), passes within 3/4" of the tank. It is a little closer than I would like.
Hope this helps.
Tom
The Ford electric sender will work in a Drake tank. That's what I have in my '35 ('36 gauge). The bolt holes are the same but you must remove small flange around the hole. This will give you enough room to insert the float assembly and have it fit flush against the tank.
As for removing the flange, I just set the tank upside down on a couple sawhorses, got out my Dremel tool laid on my back (with safety goggles) and ground away. By doing it this way you minimize the metal shavings from falling into the tank.
The only problem is the Drake tank itself. It appears to be more bulbous on the bottom than an original tank. The net result is the exhaust pipe (in the correct factory position), passes within 3/4" of the tank. It is a little closer than I would like.
Hope this helps.
Tom
Kube
Super Moderator
If we are told they will work in these applications and they do not, they are in fact defective.
I must ask again (rhetorically) "why hasn't Drake responded"?
Bruce,
Sometime around the turn of the century, all of the tank suppliers are supplying tanks with an opening that is too small to accept the original sending unit.
Yes, you can modify the opening and the shape of the tank or take the body off to install the tank. but in my mind a reproduction should fit without extensive modifications.
Sometime around the turn of the century, all of the tank suppliers are supplying tanks with an opening that is too small to accept the original sending unit.
Yes, you can modify the opening and the shape of the tank or take the body off to install the tank. but in my mind a reproduction should fit without extensive modifications.
jdl
Well-known member
They must make the hole smaller so they can sell you a sendining unit, I bought a tank and the Ford unit is to big to enter the tank. I did make the Drake sender work o.k. but not as acurate as the Ford unit.
Measure the tank depth empty and write it down, then cut the arm as per instructions, fill it up and drive until it shows 1/2 tank then remove sender (first disconect batt) and re-measure to the gas level. if it is 1/2 of your first measurement you are good, if not you will need to bend the arm up or down to adjust. a real pain in the --- but I got mine real close. this may not work on your car, mine is a 51 with access to the sender via the trunk. if I were to do it again I would try to enlarge the opening of the tank so the Ford sender would work, but to late now.
35 rancho
Member
WELL I'M Not Crazy !!! Must of readjusted this POS. a hundred times. And when I had to waller out the holes to get the screw holes to line up I knew I had a fine P.O.S. So now I'm filling every 100, and looking for a yardstick that bends enough to read my 35 pickup. I'm not happy with spending $50 and countless hrs. and not being any better off. I'll be looking for Bob's response May Be we should mail back all the sending units on a set date, in protest of the faulty units.
Bruce in southern OH
Well-known member
Sent them all to one person so they can package up and sent so they arrive together.