Gas Tank Sending Unit Puzzle...

[Guest John Chapman]

You find the most curious things in old cars...

After more than six years of procrastination, I decided to fix my gas tank sending unit... always having 1/3 tank indicated just didn't cut it anymore. It hasn't worked since I bought the Skylark, and earlier trouble shooting had isolated it to the sending unit.

After draining the tank and figuring out how the cam lock ring worked, I had everything free. From looking at the shop manual, the sending unit should have just slipped right out... not to be... I could get it about two inches out, then something was holding it. It looked like a coil of wire... Odd... Back to the book. Nope, nothing in the picture... Back to the tank... fiddle around while under the car on my back. Finally see that it is a wire coil of some sort and I manage to coax it out by 'screwing' it out of the sending unit access and got the whole thing free.

Imagine my surprise when I get the sending unit up on the bench and discover it is entangled with what appears to be a 6-7 inch tapered upholsery spring. The base end of the spring was too large to go in the filler and you have to work at it to get it in the sending unit access. It looks as if the tank is the original, so I gotta wonder if that thing has been in the tank since mid-1965.

Now the question for the group... there isn't a spring like described that's supposed to be in the tank... is there?

Now for the bright note. The sending unit looked good and the 'sock' was still on it and in good shape. I decided to check it out... and voila! It works! No rebuild required! Now, I just have to wait for the Eastwood tank sealing kit.

Cheers,

JMC

[Guest brh]

Had my tank apart several years ago, there is no such spring in the assembly. However, in the mid 70s when the gas crisis was on us the first time you could buy a spring to put in your filler neck to prevent siphoning. I suspect thats what you have. They did not work well and people would punch em out or ice pick the tanks just to get gas.

[REO_Driver]

Be carefull with the Eastwood tank sealing kit. I used the POR15 tank sealing kit and it flaked off. I have had great luck with the RENEW brand that is baked on. I had it done at Matson Radiator in Garden Grove, Ca. It ran about $200.00.

If the tank is not rusty leave it be. If it is spend the extra money & do it right. You will be happy in the long run.

Neil

[Guest John Chapman]

Bruce...

That makes a lot of sense about the spring. I'll bet you're correct.

Neil,

Thanks for the advice. Got the tank out tonight and it looks pretty clean inside. So, I think I'll return the tank coating kit, clean up the outside and the straps, replace the rubber fuel lines and reinstall.

No build sheet on top of the tank

Cheers,

JMC