1936 Pontiac Silverstreak Canadian made gas tank

[Silverstreak36]

I'm trying to see how I can replace my 1936 Pontiac fuel tank and sending unit as both are rusted out bad. The sending unit is seized and not repairable. Any recommendations 

[Bloo]

Not repairable? I imagine a majority of them are seized and rusted. Mine was all of that, and bent too, not to mention the electrical problems. After all it had a lot of time to rust. If any of these survived into the modern era mostly intact then ethanol probably got them. Ethanol holds water and causes rust.

 

Worse, the dreaded previous owner took the tank out had it boiled out, painted it, and then put this back in LOL. Gee, I wonder why the gas gauge didn't work?

 

I imagine if it really is too far gone, you will have to buy another rusty shot one somewhere and send that out.

 

 

 

There is a company that will make you a tank from scratch. Maybe someone in here knows the name. I don't. I have never had to resort to that yet. My tank has flat sides unlike a lot of GM tanks of the era. I might look into a 1935 or 1936 Chevrolet tank and see if you could modify it to fit.

 

Bob's Automobilia has a universal Buick sending unit that  you might be able to modify enough to work. I was overhauling a 37 Buick sender for a friend at the same time I did mine, and I know the 37 Buick stock sending unit is different than my 36 Pontiac even though it is made of a lot of the same parts. It is opposite direction (float and pickup go the other way) and the tank depth is radically different. I think the universal Buick thing might be an uphill battle to modify to get working in the 36 Pontiac tank, but it might be possible. It electrically matches. It lacks a brake as far as I know so I would expect the gauge to wave a lot.

[Silverstreak36]

I will look into this I too looked at the chev truck 1935 tank it's close just have to do some calculating 

 

[Silverstreak36]

Your sending unit looks good compared to mine 

[pont35cpe]

I have a `36 Buick coupe, fuel pick-up tube is in the front side of the tank, not thru the sender. 0-30 ohm, I had to cut the float arm for the depth of my tank, works fine. You could probably modify, and add a pick-up tube. This is what i replaced mine with. https://www.ebay.com/itm/154462480065?epid=1529863054&hash=item23f6ae66c1:g:YBwAAOSwlhNgmvQM

[Bloo]

I would try to keep the pickup in the sender if possible. The bracket riveted to the top of your old sender might prove useful. The old pickup tube is probably cracked (look closely). It is just copper tubing, and I duplicated it in copper tubing, but would use CuNiFer brake tubing if I were doing it again, as it does not work harden and crack. If your sender is the same as mine (US Pontiac), the fitting is "Threaded Sleeve" and the one on the sender is impossible to get. You would need to recycle that or dremel the other half of it (the sleeve nut) off of the gas line on the car and use hose. Either way be sure to add a ground wire or strap from the sender over to the frame. I see the Drake unit has one pre-attached.

 

Chevrolet tanks probably have the pickup in the tank rather than the sender.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[pont35cpe]

4 hours ago, Bloo said:

I would try to keep the pickup in the sender if possible. The bracket riveted to the top of your old sender might prove useful. The old pickup tube is probably cracked (look closely). It is just copper tubing, and I duplicated it in copper tubing, but would use CuNiFer brake tubing if I were doing it again, as it does not work harden and crack. If your sender is the same as mine (US Pontiac), the fitting is "Threaded Sleeve" and the one on the sender is impossible to get. You would need to recycle that or dremel the other half of it (the sleeve nut) off of the gas line on the car and use hose. Either way be sure to add a ground wire or strap from the sender over to the frame. I see the Drake unit has one pre-attached.

 

Chevrolet tanks probably have the pickup in the tank rather than the sender.

I did add a dedicated ground. I have 35 Pontiacs, `36 Buick, and a `35 Chevy master, the Buick and the Chevy tanks look identical, except for filler tube location, both exit the tail pan with no vent. The 35 Pontiac tank is probably the same as your `36 Pontiac, flat sides and looks to be the same sender as yours with pick up tube coming thru the top of the sender. Pontiac tank also has a vent tube from the top side of the tank, and attached to the filler tube just below the gas cap. Fill tube and vent are soldered to the tank on the Pontiac, fill tube on the Buick and Chevy, bolt to the tank. If there is a difference in the `35 &`36 Pontiac tanks, the `36 may have a longer filler tube. In `36 tail lights were moved from the tail pan of the `35,  to the rear fenders of the `36, which resulted with wider rear fenders, and a longer rear bumper, and possibly a longer filler tube to the gas tank.

[Bloo]

45 minutes ago, pont35cpe said:

The 35 Pontiac tank is probably the same as your `36 Pontiac, flat sides and looks to be the same sender as yours with pick up tube coming thru the top of the sender. Pontiac tank also has a vent tube from the top side of the tank, and attached to the filler tube just below the gas cap. Fill tube and vent are soldered to the tank on the Pontiac,

 

That's it. And what a pain to install because of that neck. It's almost unbelievable.

 

45 minutes ago, pont35cpe said:

If there is a difference in the `35 &`36 Pontiac tanks, the `36 may have a longer filler tube. In `36 tail lights were moved from the tail pan of the `35,  to the rear fenders of the `36,

 

I don't know if the fill tube is longer, it wouldn't surprise me, but the tail lights might be a red herring. That was a mid year 36 change on the US models. If you see a US 36 Pontiac with round taillights like mine, it's late 36. I would be curious to know if it was different in Canada.

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Silverstreak36]

So late years in Canada have same round tail lights. Yes my tank is flat on both ends with siphon tube going thru sending unit problem is finding a aftermarket tank and sending unit with those features or close to is. I'm actually contemplating putting a 88 f150 rear gas tank and modifying sending unit as its closest I can find that might work. 

 

[pont35cpe]

 US `36 Pontiacs, all the tail lights are on the fender, early `36 had the `35 style lens/bezel, later in the year changed to the round style, the exact same can and lens as the `36 Buick with a different stand. The gas filler looks to be at a different angle than the `35.

Edited July 29, 2021 by pont35cpe (see edit history)

[Kornkurt]

Time for the Master Parts Book:  1515258 sending unit fits all 1935 and 1936 models.  497171 fuel tank fits 1935 8 cylinder models,  497169  fuel tank fits 1935 6 cylinder models and finally 498759 fuel tank fits all 1936 models.  This is a US parts book.    I hope this sheds some light.

[Silverstreak36]

Thanks I will search into this I think I can salvage my tank but sending unit o found a chev truck one thats near identical I might be able to use. Here's hoping 

[pont35cpe]

8 hours ago, Kornkurt said:

Time for the Master Parts Book:  1515258 sending unit fits all 1935 and 1936 models.  497171 fuel tank fits 1935 8 cylinder models,  497169  fuel tank fits 1935 6 cylinder models and finally 498759 fuel tank fits all 1936 models.  This is a US parts book.    I hope this sheds some light.

Kurt, i didn`t want to high-jack this thread, but i have a question for you. I have a NOS piece of SS exterior rear window trim, in the box. I`m hoping you could ID, and tell me what year, or years, this item will fit. I`m pretty sure its for a `40s era fastback, 2dr-4dr, series, if it`ll fit more than 1yr., like `41-`48 Pontiac, and/or possibly Chevy/Olds/Buick fastbacks. Number on the box is, 11.208  4113805  Thank you for your help..

[straight8pontiac]

pont35cpe-  from my master parts catalog your number is designed for the 1941 model 2609 which is the four door streamliner six. Hope this helps- Dave.

[Silverstreak36]

Wonderful I'll look into that 

 

[Kornkurt]

I happened to think that At one time I had a 1935-36 used sending unit but couldn’t remember if I sold it, so I decided to check and found it.  $50 & shipping.

[Silverstreak36]

Wonderful can you email me jamie@prodxatl.com

[Silverstreak36]

I was gonna buy this one and modify as needed