'67 fuel tank sending unit...

[Patrick T.]

I'm probably going to replace my fuel sending unit since I've had problems with it for the last couple of years. It is 44 years old. My question is should I get an NOS sending unit or do the current repops made in China work OK?

I've had the dash gage cluster rebuilt, so I don't suspect there is anything wrong with the fuel gauge. The NOS units are quite pricey but I don't care, I just want to install either one and not have any calibration problems. Thanks for any opinions. PT

[John H.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

I'm probably going to replace my fuel sending unit since I've had problems with it for the last couple of years. It is 44 years old. My question is should I get an NOS sending unit or do the current repops made in China work OK?

I've had the dash gage cluster rebuilt, so I don't suspect there is anything wrong with the fuel gauge. The NOS units are quite pricey but I don't care, I just want to install either one and not have any calibration problems. Thanks for any opinions. PT

Pat -

The reproductions appear to be almost universally considered as hopelessly unreliable devices. If you're lucky enough to still have your original, send it to John Wolf; he'll restore/rebuild it just like new:

http://www.antiqueinstrument.com/

[Patrick T.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Pat -

The reproductions appear to be almost universally considered as hopelessly unreliable devices. If you're lucky enough to still have your original, send it to John Wolf; he'll restore/rebuild it just like new:

http://www.antiqueinstrument.com/

Thanks John, I'll give him a call.

[Gary B.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Thanks John, I'll give him a call.

Patrick,

If you hold off for a day or two before calling John Wolf & Co., I should be able to give you some feedback about how their restoration of the sender for my '66 came out. It's due to arrive at my house today. The one issue that I was faced with is, whether to have the external parts tplated or bead blasted and clear coated. Scott Smith has his sender redone by John Wolf fairly recently and he asked for the plated finish, which turns out to be a tin plating (tin is all they can do) the tin looks a bit odd to me based on the images Scott posted. So, I chose the bead blasted and clear coated option. Once I can inspect the sender tonight I should be able to give you an idea of the bead blasted look.

Gary

[Gerard F.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

PT,

Don't waste your money on one of those foreign reproduction sender units.

In Gary's thread on the 66 unit, there is a picture of a POS repro next to an original 67 unit.

The repro, I found, is very cheaply made and has a totally different rheostat mechanism.

I wound up fixing my original, after the repro failed and started leaking at the electrical connections. It is back on the car.

You can send your original out for restoration, or try to fix it yourself. If the coil wires in the rheostat are unbroken, it is just a matter of cleaning them and filing the contact point. Other problems are cracked insulation on the wire leads within the rheostat which short to the body.

I had a post in 2006 on the repair, but the links to the photos are gone.

[Patrick T.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Thanks for the good information guys, I will not buy the repop sending unit.

My gas gauge needle is now stuck on half full (or is that half empty? ) Previously, I took a coat hanger bent to fit, stuck it inside the tank and moved the float up and down several times and that fixed it. Now that method doesn't seem to work anymore. I probably won't get to take out the sending unit until after this year's driving season is over.

Below is a thread by Chris Enstrom with some nice before and after pictures of John Wolf's work. He has his done a few months ago. It sure looks pretty after the rebuild. PT

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...83723&uid=8095

BEFORE:







AFTER:

[Scott S.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Thanks for the good information guys, I will not buy the repop sending unit.

My gas gauge needle is now stuck on half full (or is that half empty? ) Previously, I took a coat hanger bent to fit, stuck it inside the tank and moved the float up and down several times and that fixed it. Now that method doesn't seem to work anymore. I probably won't get to take out the sending unit until after this year's driving season is over.

Below is a thread by Chris Enstrom with some nice before and after pictures of John Wolf's work. He has his done a few months ago. It sure looks pretty after the rebuild. PT

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...83723&uid=8095

Patrick, the AFTER pictures you posted above look the same as my restored fuel sending unit, the finish has sort of an off-white appearance. I wasn't aware that they offered the bead-blast & clear-coat finish (may not have when I had mine done a year or so ago), and I thought the finish Gary described above was preferable to no finish at all.

As shown in the pictures above, John Wolf is in the habit of replacing the float, so make sure to request that he return the original float with your restored unit.

Gary, if you want your original float and is not included with your fuel sender, let John know and he will send it to you (there will be an additional shipping charge).

[Gerard F.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Thanks for the good information guys, I will not buy the repop sending unit.

My gas gauge needle is now stuck on half full (or is that half empty? ) Previously, I took a coat hanger bent to fit, stuck it inside the tank and moved the float up and down several times and that fixed it. Now that method doesn't seem to work anymore. I probably won't get to take out the sending unit until after this year's driving season is over.

PT,

While you are waiting for the driving season to be over, try just cleaning the electrical contacts at the sender unit, especially the ground. You might be surprized.

There is an electrical troubleshooting guide in the 63 Service Manual. Also, I think John Hinckley worte a story on troubleshooting the C2 sending unit.

Have fun,

[Scott S.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

There is an electrical troubleshooting guide in the 63 Service Manual. Also, I think John Hinckley worte a story on troubleshooting the C2 sending unit.

Have fun,

Hi Jerry,

John's article is titled "Flaky Fuel Meter?", in the February 2006 issue of "Corvette Enthusiast".

Having fun again

[Gary B.]

'67 fuel tank sending unit...

Scott,

My sender came back from John Wolf today. Attached are before and after photos, just of the bottom, terminal side.

I like the look of the bead blasted surface better than the tin plating.

The only disappointing thing is John Wolf did not replace the sock, nor the float for that matter. I'm hoping the original float is still good, but the sock has a tear along the entire side seam, and it's very brittle, so not very useful I would say. Why in the world would they not replace such a bad sock???? I'll have to call them tomorrow.

Gary

[Gary B.]

'67 fuel tank sending unit; Original float

PS. Since they didn't replace the float either, is there any reason I shouldn't be able to reuse the float? It seems like it's made from black (painted?) styrafoam, so I don't think it's hollow and I don't see how it could leak.

Gary

[Ronald L.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

There is one thing on these restorations that is troubling...

blasted & Painted clear?

Where is the corrosion protection?

These should be tin plated - don't make the mistake to use anything else or let someone tell you it does not matter.

Sounds like I need to do the tin plating here before sending this out for restoration of the electrical resistance coil circuit...

Gary - test the float, if it floats in gasoline - you are OK. Leave it there for a couple of weeks just to be sure, but these usually are not the problem.

Most the issues are ground or internal failures and not mechanical and John's article, posted here a couple times around is THE BEST, check that - the one and only best way to completely, accurately, and quickly determine the root cause of fuel indication problems.

[Scott S.]

Re: '67 fuel tank sending unit...

Scott,

My sender came back from John Wolf today. Attached are before and after photos, just of the bottom, terminal side.

I like the look of the bead blasted surface better than the tin plating.

The only disappointing thing is John Wolf did not replace the sock, nor the float for that matter. I'm hoping the original float is still good, but the sock has a tear along the entire side seam, and it's very brittle, so not very useful I would say. Why in the world would they not replace such a bad sock???? I'll have to call them tomorrow.

Gary

I don't know, but I suspect that as he does more restorations for NCRS members, he may have come to the point where he doesn't replace ANYTHING like a float or sock without the customer requesting it.

I had to ask for my float back. I wanted it for a reference, and it had been with the car for 45 years, so I didn't want to lose it. It wasn't a big deal, but if this (or similar) has happened several times with several clients, then developing a policy of fixing the sending unit and leaving the rest "as is" for the owner to take care of as he or she sees fit, is at least plausible.

If I was restoring parts for NCRS members, the safest thing to do would be to return EVERYTHING that was sent to me, including any broken or replaced parts, etc., anything that could be helpful as a reference point. Also, unless I specialized in Corvette parts (John Wolf does not), there's probably too much risk of dissatisfaction involved in trying to choose something like the "correct" sock or replacement float when dealing with someone who is working on an NCRS-type restoration.

[Gary B.]

'67 fuel tank sending unit...

Scott,

I don't know what John Wolf was thinking about the float and soak and frankly I consider that a communication problem on their behalf. I think they should have told me that the float and sock were not going to be replaced, on what I thought was going to be a total cosmetic and functional restoration. I'm sure most folks want a sending unit back from him that works as it come out of the box. Not one that I now have to find out if the float works or where I can find a repro sock. None of this was ever mentioned in my phone call to them prior to sending them the unit, so I'm a little miffed.

Gary

[Gary B.]

Fuel tank sending unit float

...
Gary - test the float, if it floats in gasoline - you are OK. Leave it there for a couple of weeks just to be sure, but these usually are not the problem.

What could cause a styrafoam float not to float?

Gary