Fuel sender

[7tonemonte]

Typically once a year or so my sending unit goes out and the gauge reads about 3 o’clock 🤣. Went out last year at Carlisle and hasn’t come back yet, and I obviously miscalculated my driving since then as we ran it empty today.  Need to replace it now so, any units better than another?  
71, small block car, it’s been a long time since I replaced the tank so I don’t remember if they had vent tubes or not I have to look.  
  
just seeing what others have used so I don’t have to do it more than once hopefully 

edit, just looked under there and there is 2 lines. Assuming that’s feed and return line?   There is 2 listed for a 71, with just feed line, and feed and return line. 

[jft69z]

Dorman 692-244. For a 71-72, double tube:

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-692-244-Fuel-Sending-Unit/dp/B00NF1SVFM

 

All the different years and types are below.

https://www.firstgenmc.com/forums/index.php?/topic/33730-fuel-sending-unit-troubleshooting-and-repair/#findComment-288180

 

In another twist, Home Depot has it cheaper than Amazon, when the Veteran discount is applied. Price would be $36.80 vs. 40.89 for regular HD price & Amazon. I may have found a new parts supplier, lol..

 

[7tonemonte]

Thanks Joe, I ended up ordering from Dixie, $37 plus 10 shipping so I’m good.   I wasn’t sure about return line or not but got under and looked at it.  Literally 2 days after another order I placed so that sucks but shipping was fair.  Wasn’t OPG pricing 🤣

[willie]

Tony hope you were close to home when it happened!!!!!!??????  

Joe it certainly looks like HD is the place to go for our stuff now!!!!

[cny first gen 71]

I for one was surprised that home depot has something like that. Just for s&g I looked at Walmart they list them too, simply amazing. I'll be ordering one soon I gotta get under there and make sure its a 1 tube. I think it is but can't really remember. 

[Rob Peters]

Tony, Let me know the results of the checks we discussed this evening over the phone.  From what you said already it does sound like there is currently an open in the circuit which would make the gauge go to 3:00 o'clock position.  Either an open in the ground wire from going to the sending unit of the other wire from the sending unit.  Disconnect the tan wire in the trunk coming from the sending unit from the wire running to the front.  Ground the tan wire running from the trunk to the instrument panel.  Once you have attached a ground to that wire turn on the key and the gauge needle should move to the empty position.  If it does it is my guess the wiring from the trunk to the front is OK.

• Since your tank is almost empty now it is a great time to replace the fuel sending unit. 
• It would possibly point to the sending unit either being bad or
• the  ground wire going from the body to the sending unit causing an open in the circuit  or
• the tan wire going from the sending unit to the connection in the trunk causing an open in the circuit

Let us know what you find.

rob

[7tonemonte]

1 hour ago, willie said:

Tony hope you were close to home when it happened!!!!!!??????  

Joe it certainly looks like HD is the place to go for our stuff now!!!!

About 3/4 mile from home, if it wasn’t such a big hill I’d have made it home 🤣

  Alli got there with some ethanol free lawn mower gas that was stashed in the garage and we got home no issues.  
  The owner of the home that we pulled into was more than happy to have the Monte there, told me I could leave it as long as I wanted , and his kids came out to check out the cool old car in the driveway.  Love where I live, everyone is more than willing to lend a hand, he offered up some lawn mower gas he had but I knew I had it covered, Alli brought gas and a tow strap just in case, just like the old days Anthony would have learned the proper way to tow a car up and down hills on the way home.  

[7tonemonte]

14 minutes ago, Rob Peters said:

Tony, Let me know the results of the checks we discussed this evening over the phone.  From what you said already it does sound like there is currently an open in the circuit which would make the gauge go to 3:00 o'clock position.  Either an open in the ground wire from going to the sending unit of the other wire from the sending unit.  Disconnect the tan wire in the trunk coming from the sending unit from the wire running to the front.  Ground the tan wire running from the trunk to the instrument panel.  Once you have attached a ground to that wire turn on the key and the gauge needle should move to the empty position.  If it does it is my guess the wiring from the trunk to the front is OK.

• Since your tank is almost empty now it is a great time to replace the fuel sending unit. 
• It would possibly point to the sending unit either being bad or
• the  ground wire going from the body to the sending unit causing an open in the circuit  or
• the tan wire going from the sending unit to the connection in the trunk causing an open in the circuit

Let us know what you find.

rob

Rob, wire to gauge was fine as it went to empty when grounded.   After years of it fluctuating off and on I figured it was the sending unit, but it may have finally given up, and I know how replacement parts are never quite the same so I was trying to leave this alone as long as possible. 
  

[Rob Peters]

2 minutes ago, 7tonemonte said:

Rob, wire to gauge was fine as it went to empty when grounded.   After years of it fluctuating off and on I figured it was the sending unit, but it may have finally given up, and I know how replacement parts are never quite the same so I was trying to leave this alone as long as possible. 
  

Mine had been reading improperly for about 2 or 3 years and I had been putting this off because I didn't want to drop the gas tank.  As others have done, that I have known of, I dropped it and reinstalled the tank by myself.  I know Frank O'connell and I think Steve Lavoie also has done it by themselves but you will have Ant to assist.  Mine was not reading 3:00o'clock all the time but it was reading at 2:00 O'Clock when full and a little over 1/4 when empty.

rob

[cbolt]

I did my tank myself. Its not too difficult. Another benefit to dropping your tank is you get to drain it completely and see what kind of stuff, if anything, is lurking at the very bottom of your tank. 

[cny first gen 71]

Yes I did mine my self too, it's a little bulky but not difficult at all as long as there's not a lot of fuel in tank.

[Scott S.]

Home Depot carries car parts ?????

Up here they carry tools, but I've never seen actual car parts in their stock.....

Interesting. 

[jft69z]

1 hour ago, Scott S. said:

Home Depot carries car parts ?????

Up here they carry tools, but I've never seen actual car parts in their stock.....

So far they didn't have anything in the store, the parts got shipped from different places, but it was free.

[DragCat]

30 minutes ago, jft69z said:

So far they didn't have anything in the store, the parts got shipped from different places, but it was free.

Just a reminder, HD online is a different entity than the brick and mortar. Ive never had an issue, but get nervous when I have to return the wrong shipped part to the store since my order says something other than what I'm returning. 

I think I got a remote starter button from HD 

[Rob Peters]

A couple years after I retired, I worked Part Time for Home Depot to keep active.  It is amazing how much stuff you can buy from them on line.

rob 

[Scott S.]

Yeah....

The "brick and mortar" stores are really falling off.

I went to the local Rona the other day and could have sworn I was in an abandoned warehouse.   

[72 Monte Carlo]

I just found this fuel tank calibrator which might be a handy tool to have in your tool collection.

 

https://www.npdlink.com/product/fuel-tank-sender-calibrator-and-interface-module-metermatch/216214/1320?year=1979