Fuel sender for repro tank?

Jack 34pu

Jack 34pu

Senior Member
I just pulled out my new Bob Drake gas tank and it states that I can not use the original style sending unit. Who make the most reliable 12v sending unit that will fit the small opening of a Drake tank. Mine is a 33-37 pu & Victoria tank.

Thanks
Jack 34pu
 
If you have a non-stock gauge for fuel quantity then the Ohms range will have to match the sender. There are repro senders made for the new tanks but they don't work well with the old FoMoCo/King Seeley type guages.

Yogi's inc has a lot of fuel tank and sending unit related parts and adapters.
 
I'm not sure what gauge you plan
to use but most aftermarket type specify a particular sender for the gauge.
 
I put a Tanks Inc tank and fuel sender in the pickup this year. The sender for this tank is a resistance type. 73 ohms empty and 10 ohms full. That works with the stock gauge I have.
 
Do a search on this as there is tons of info. available. Most info. says that the original Ford fuel gauge will work best only with the original style fuel tank sending unit.
 
Am I the only one here who's outraged at not being able to use the stock sender in Drake's big bucks tank? They get your money and then hold you hostage to buy more crap. Not a friggin thing wrong with the original gauge and sender, but you gotta buy something inferior now to replace it because Drake says so. :mad:
 
The repro manufacturers should make the replacement tanks adaptable to either OEM or modern replacement type senders. I think it would be easier to start with an OEM bung and make an adapter to fit the replacemments.

Sometimes a person has to wonder what these folks are thinking when they make this stuff. It is certainly not ORIGINAL!
 
ford38v8 said:
Am I the only one here who's outraged at not being able to use the stock sender in Drake's big bucks tank? They get your money and then hold you hostage to buy more crap. Not a friggin thing wrong with the original gauge and sender, but you gotta buy something inferior now to replace it because Drake says so. :mad:
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No, lots of folks are upset. Is it possible to drill and tap new sender mounting holes in the Drake tank? But, when you complain, all you get is excuses and the "run around." I think, over time, folks are just getting accustomed to not receiving good quality products for their money. Sad.
 
The thing that ticked me off when I purchased one of his tanks years ago was the fact that it wasn't mentioned in the catalog that you had to have his sender. That delayed the repair until I ordered one. On the plus side I have had the tank in my '41 for over 10 years and no problems.
 
What you need is a hydrostatic gauge adapter kit to mount an original Ford sender unit onto a Bob Drake reproduction tank and he sells them it’s his item number 40-9003. The adapter ring bolts onto the tank with threaded holes that matches the sending unit required for your original 34 gauge. I used his adapter kit on a repro tank a few years ago and it worked fine unless he has changed something.
 
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Objections to the engineering of these tanks and senders aside, sometimes you don't have a choice. One drawback to the sender issue is that it comes to you in a kit form, at least as of the last six months or so. You will have to do a partial assembly on this unit. Hopefully this has been changed, but be advised. On the plus side, the sender seem to function properly with orig. gauge (at least in my case). I have had mine in place for a few months with no problems. As for the tanks, you would do well to assemble the filler neck before installing the tank in your vehicle if possible.This connection needs to be tight before the tank goes in. The new design of the threaded collar leaves a lot to be desired and is difficult to further tighten when the tank is in place. You might want to look closely at the gasket and consider a replacement before installation. This proved to be a weak point with mine. Damn thing still leaks when filling up. It's just a question of how much. Tank will have to be dropped to fix, just waiting for winter. Good Luck with you project.
 
Just talked to Bob Drake salesman. I wanted to order one of his 12v senders. He told me I had to buy a complete gauge and sender package from someone else as they were matched. They sell complete sets of gauges. I asked if he could tell me what the high and low resistance of his senders and he could not tell me. sooo... I just want a fuel gauge and sender. Who makes a reliable one? I don't want to purchace a complete set of gauges, just fuel.
 
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