What the hell? Gas tank and fuel sender

R

Royal Ryser

Well-known member
Did any of you put off going to the shop because you didn't quite know what to do about a problem? I bought a new tank from Bob Drake, intending to use my original, working fuel tank sender. I missed the fine print that says the originals won't fit the new tank! I wonder why in Hell they would make a new tank that way? Anyway, I bought a new sender from BD oly to learn everyone has trouble with it.
I have tested both senders out of the tank and the old one works far better than the new. Reading about the past problems that others have had, seems to offer two solutions, neither of them very good. 1) I can use the old one by making a spacer to lift it about 1/2" from the tank flange or 2) I can use the new one which will not work very well. I have gone back and forth in my mind until I am about to give up and work on something else for a while!
Between trying to get the old filler tube off and this sender problem, I have probably spent 20-25 hours.
What I really can't understand is why, after all of the problems people have had with the new senders, they are still on the market. I haven't talked with Bob Drake yet but if I use the original sender, I will try to get a refund. I have had pretty good luck working with him so far, so don't really expect a problem in returning it.

Now that I have that off of my chest, I don't feel a damned bit better. I guess I'm, leaning toward using my old sender!!
 
Boy do I understand your frustration.....I do not understand why we all have to go through this. On my '35 I had Lee Kelly in Idaho make for my tube gas gauge, a tube filled with LED lights and had him supply the sender for my Drake tank. So the LED's light up vertically to indicate fuel level...he even calibrated it....cost about $125. They even dim when I pull the dash light switch on......I have the same set up for the temperature gauge.I am very happy with them.....Matt in Alameda
 
Not to be a smart *** but I would have looked for an original tank. They do pop up and probably better than the repros. It may take longer to find one but in the end it's much more rewarding in my mind. Sorry for your frustration.
 
Royal, I can not answer your question but I have always wondered why you would sell a product that doesn't fit the application or is incorrectly made? I have no idea, and you would think gas tanks and fuel senders would be an item of high demand.

Perhaps one of the venders on this site can give us an explanation of why they sell tanks that are incorrectly made? ATTN: Bob Drake, Carpenter, Macs ect......WHY??
 
I did the same thing on my 50 Ford. I got the sending unit from Mac's, and it works great. As it turned out, I thought my original tank was leaking and bought the repro - turned out the rubber gasket was bad, and the original was in very good condition.
 
Wow ROYAL, I hope you've got your "thick skin" in place for this one, and I AGREE with your questions. KUBE has been crucified more than once on this forum for questioning many of BOB's methods and products. Amazing how many push the idea that EVERYONE should be thankful that BOB offers any aftermarket stuff at all. Like you ROYAL (and KUBE), why not "EXACT", instead of "KINDA' GOOD ENOUGH for SOME"? DD
 
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I'm afraid the answer is horribly simple. The vendors produce substandard products because they can sell substandard products. No sales = no income = no more substandard stuff. In fairness, I've purchased a lot of reproduction parts that DO work as intended. Economics rears it's ugly head. My $.02 worth.
 
I think a lot of the problem stems from the fact that we think this stuff is made to replace the original part but it's actually made for street rodders that are going to use a modern type gauge with 12-volt power. To look at this from a restorer's standpoint, it doesn't make good sense but to look at it from a street rodder's stand point, it makes perfect sense.

This IS what the world has come to.
 
Not neccessarily so. A smaller example to the gas tanks are the Ford script fan belts Bob Drake has been selling for years. Has anyone ever got one to fit? I bet they are still selling them and still claiming "no one else has ever complained before". I have my #78 hanging on the wall.
 
I don't have a spare gas tank, but if I did, why couldn't I cut the sending unit flange off the old rusted out tank and weld it onto the Drake tank? Being a new tank that has never held gas there shouldn't be a danger of explosion. Has anyone done this?
 
So why don't the people who make the 12 volt hot rodder sending unit make it to fit an original tank?
My guess is they are in bed together and regardless restor or rod, if you want one you are going to have to buy both
 
I have been through this replacement tank and BD sending unit mess on my '39. After redrilling the tank flange and "modifying" the sender, I got it to work to the point that I know when to add gas and not run out. In all of this, I have only one question...."How much more would it have cost to make it right in the first place and how much harder would that have been?"

Dick.
 
I'm sure they make the tank that way to make more money selling the repro sending units. Also, this would cover any unforeseen conflicts between using a repro tank and original sending unit or even trying to have a 12v sending unit fit in place.
 
Drake sells an adaptor ring to screw into the new tanks, that allow you to mount an original sender. It will raise the sender 1/4 inch or so, but no big deal. If your only problem is that, this will work. Some of you may remember my grief with a '34 tank with the filler neck mispositioned, that was NOT fixable!! Good luck.
Milt K from Pa
 
Many years ago (30 plus) I was doing a 36 Ford for a customer and can't remember exactly what I did but I do know I made an adapter ring that screwed to the tank and fit the after market sending unit. Wasn't that hard to do. I think the original sending unit is still around here somewhere.
 
V12Bill said:
I don't have a spare gas tank, but if I did, why couldn't I cut the sending unit flange off the old rusted out tank and weld it onto the Drake tank? Being a new tank that has never held gas there shouldn't be a danger of explosion. Has anyone done this?
Click to expand...

Your idea is exacactly what I was thinking. If a person didn't have an old tank they could actually make one without too much trouble and weld it in place.
 
Instead of making or buying the adapter that raises the sender up why not make a metal ring out of 1/8 steel with holes drilled and tapped for your old sender then cut it in half, position inside the tank opening and tack weld. Or cut a slot between mounting holes for the whole ring to slide in then tack weld. I did this in order to mount a vdo universal sender in a Tanks gas tank for my 34 5w.
Another option if the adapter that Milt talks about is steel it could be cut in half to get inside tank then tack weld to hold it and use longer screws for sender.
 
Not sure if the tank hole is smaller but can you make up a ring and weld studs facing up to go into the sender ,then drill and counter sink in between them for a gasket matting surface to fix it to the tank
 
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