What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Gas Tank Sending Unit Question

badmix

badmix

1/2 ton status
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Posts
4,474
Reaction score
165
Location
West Virginia
Im going to drop my tank to clean it up some (paint outside with POR15 and replace the short rubber lines with some Marine Grade E10 resistant lines)

Anyways, my fuel gauge will act funny, always has. If I fill the tank all the way full, itll read past the full mark and it will stay that way for awhile while I drive and then ill hit a bump or park the truck and then all of a sudden itll read correctly. It has been off by 1/4 tank in the past, ive only ran out once. And then on occasion itll read normal, so I just make it a habit to monitor how many miles I drive etc.

Well, since Im dropping the tank, would be be who of me to replace the sending unit or is it best not mess with such things until it totally craps out. I mean my gas gauge works more of the time, but id like it to be 100%, I just dont want to cause more issues by opening up the tank and replacing it. My truck as 144k on the ODO and im sure its the original sending unit. And will the sending unit be compatible with my OEM gauge? Has this ever been an issue?

Thanks
 
Sounds like you just need to clean all the contacts, especially the ground. It's normal for a fuel gauge to read over full and hold that for a while. My Fords do that too but after a few miles, or if I shut down and restart it will read close. And close is all you can expect from a fuel gauge.
 
British Slave said:
Sounds like you just need to clean all the contacts, especially the ground. It's normal for a fuel gauge to read over full and hold that for a while. My Fords do that too but after a few miles, or if I shut down and restart it will read close. And close is all you can expect from a fuel gauge.
Click to expand...

^this is true.

Although personally if I had the tank out at that many miles, I'd probably just replace the unit and definitely the tank seal since I was there. I'd also consider the rubber fuel lines back there too cuz they're a lot easier to get to with the tank out.

The seal is on the Dorman/Help! shelf in any local parts store. It's just an o ring. Nothing wrong with replacing senders, just be gentle with them and mostly careful you don't knock crud off the top of the tank down in there. I have decided that I will only buy Delco in-tank pumps from now on for my injected trucks though. Currently have a NAPA OEM pump in my '96 and it's making noise with less than 20k on it :((the original one was fine even with 175K on it). Sending unit is fine though (they're very simple, hard to make a crappy one).
 
Last edited:
Cool. Ill probably replace the unit.

The main reason to drop the tank was to replace the rubber lines. Ive already got the West Marine Shields Brand stuff.
 
Man. The ACDELCO units sell for 180-250bux. The Napa / Advanced auto/ Rockauto.com types sell for 54bux

Is the AC Delco that much better? Is it worth it?
 
badmix said:
Man. The ACDELCO units sell for 180-250bux. The Napa / Advanced auto/ Rockauto.com types sell for 54bux

Is the AC Delco that much better? Is it worth it?
Click to expand...

I'll never use another Napa pump, even if it was free. My experience with them has been that bad. I would run an external pump before I'd spend a dollar on another one of those pieces of garbage.
 
Where you guys finding these. Everything online has it way more and couldnt find carter.
 
owenst7 said:
I'll never use another Napa pump, even if it was free. My experience with them has been that bad. I would run an external pump before I'd spend a dollar on another one of those pieces of garbage.
Click to expand...

Its not a pump im looking for, its the Fuel Gauge Sending Unit. My truck has Mech Pump on the block.

This is why I asked here. I dont want to put a bad unit in there and cause myself bigger problems.
 
badmix said:
Its not a pump im looking for, its the Fuel Gauge Sending Unit. My truck has Mech Pump on the block.

This is why I asked here. I dont want to put a bad unit in there and cause myself bigger problems.
Click to expand...

Just buy one at napa or something then. The senders are really simple and the silver solder usually fails before anything else. You're not going to cause "bigger problems". The worst thing that a bad sender can really do is make your gauge read incorrectly.
 
I bought a sender from napa and it was a dorman product, and it works just fine, now i buy most of my stuff from rockauto because its way cheaper than any of our wholesale suppliers can get it to me . I can not say the same for the Delco pump i installed that only gave me 7k miles of use before biting the dust.
 
DeviousK5 said:
Delco pump i installed that only gave me 7k miles of use before biting the dust.
Click to expand...

Damn...what the hell is wrong with these things? I've had 3 different factory pumps go for over 150k...why the hell can't a guy buy one that's at least the same quality as the factory pumps?
 
What year is your K5? It may be possible to repair the fuel sender. They make a new gasket for the pickup. It should read 0-90ohms I think.
 
owenst7 said:
Damn...what the hell is wrong with these things? I've had 3 different factory pumps go for over 150k...why the hell can't a guy buy one that's at least the same quality as the factory pumps?
Click to expand...


Damned if i know. I kicked myself in the ass for that one. I was installing my shackle flip and replacing the bad sender and thought ahhh what the hell these pumps dont last forever. So i replaced it :doah:.7k later i wished i hadn't
 
I replaced mine when painted and cleaned my tank. Got it from Classis Parts and it came with a new o ring. If you think the tank is that dirty do like I did take it to the radiator shop and have it wash out properly. There are some pic of my tank cleaned and painted on my build.
 
Might be the gauge

I replaced my sending unit and that wasn't the problem . You can test the sending unit and gauge when you drop the tank hooking the wire up and making a temporary ground and moving it up and down ,might save you some mony.
 
Ok, thanks, Ill probably buy a new one, but test the old one, if it fails or doesnt clean up than I have the new one ready to go. And if it works, ill return the new.
 
Okay getting ready to order my sending unit.

Spectra or Dorman? Napa says they are basically the same, one isnt any better than the other.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom