Fuel sending unit

[rikubot]

Hi bros, ladies

I am looking to buy a new fuel sender for my '69, and I was wondering if you guys could give me some advice on what to look for. I have stock wiring and gauge, and a 440 HiPo motor. I've found that eBay has the best prices, but I don't know if it's quality or not. I don't care about period correct, I just want as accurate as possible with my stock gauge. Thanks in advance. Let me know if you need more info from me. Oh and I am just running the stock manual fuel pump.

[LaOtto70Charger]

I just got one from Van's.  I also got a stainless steel fuel tank that seems to fit fine.  Price for both was very decent.  Quality seems good as they both fitted in fine.  Haven't filled the tank yet to check for leaks and stuff.

[b5blue]

I got mine from Jim, he calibrates them to read correctly. http://www.kramerauto.com/

[rikubot]

Thanks guys, is that vans auto? And with the link, I had a hell of time using that site, I couldn't find a sending unit I'm afraid to admit haha. Ok I found them, 120 is a little pricey, but that $40 vans auto sender is a steal. I could but a multimeter and calibrate it myself I suppose. Should I be looking for the 5/16 or 1/2 version?

[Sublime/Sixpack]

FWIW
I'd stay away from the OER Brand of sending units. I purchased one a couple years ago from a vendor when I was at MATS. It turned out to be a piece of crap!!!! Absolute junk!

[crj1968]

I've been searching also for a tank and sender and found this

http://www.521restorations.com/index.pl?page=allmodels&sub1=Fuel

521 restorations? 

[rikubot]

Thanks for the input, I value all your opinions, so it's worth a lot to me! Haha. Which site posted sells the OER brand? I'm for sure willing to pay more for quality. With a car that gets ten miles to the gallon, fuel tank readings are important!

[rikubot]

And I'm not sure if I should get one with the 5/16 or the 1/2in line??

[Kern Dog]

I have a 3/8" sender in my 70 Charger. Be sure to check that the filter sock on the end rests against the floor of the tank. For many years, mine sat 1 1/4" above the tank floor and the guage always read lower than it should have. Last year I installed new Dakota Digital guages and part of the programming was to calibrate the guage. I discovered that the sender inlet was incorrectly shaped after numerous attempts to get the guage to read full with 19 gallons in the tank. Since mine sat high, the float never went high enough to reach the upper "stop", so it never read above 3/4. I pulled the sender and laid it on the bench, then used a Sharpie to trace the shape of it. I bent the inlet, test fitted, etc....until it was bent too far and the sender base wouldn't sit flat in the mounting hole. I then took a slight bit of bend back out and installed it for good. All is well now.

[rikubot]

I see. So how does the ohms resistance work with the Dakota digital gauge? I'm assuming they are 12v feed versus the original 5v gauges. ohms and resistance confuse the hell out of me. Does the sender have to send different resistances? Also, most of these sending units had return lines coming out of them where my current sender does not. Where does the return line go?

[rikubot]

I just found this thread, it says all senders had returns back then, and mine should come thru the trunk floor for a '69.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,8798.0.html

[rikubot]

I just got one from Van's.  I also got a stainless steel fuel tank that seems to fit fine.  Price for both was very decent.  Quality seems good as they both fitted in fine.  Haven't filled the tank yet to check for leaks and stuff.

Any chance you've installed that baby yet?

[rikubot]

Just went looking for my vent tube, looks like it is cut off right below the trunk floor within the frame rail. Not sure if it's a two piece deal or not. I did find a "vent tube" on eBay, not sure if it's the whole thing or not. Apparently there's no vent tube on my tank now, but the cap doesn't have a real good seal so I'm guessing that why my tank hasn't exploded yet.

Here's the part:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Mopar-1968-70-Charger-Fuel-Tank-Vent-Mild-Steel-/161901107415?fits=Year%3A1969%7CModel%3ACharger&hash=item25b20ed8d7:g:f9AAAOSwcBhWWivO&vxp=mtr

[rikubot]

Came to the conclusion that my vent isn't cut, apparently that's where the vent exits on a '69? So shouldn't I be looking for a fuel sender WITHOUT a vent tube? Cars are hard!

[dual fours]

Your saying your vent is cut off right below the trunk floor within the frame rail. Then you say there is no vent tube on your tank now. I think you maybe confused with the tank vent and the sending unit return nipple that you think is a vent.
All gas tanks are vented, the vapors/expanding fuel goes up though the fill neck then down the small tube that goes though the rubber floor seal and relives itself inside the left frame rail.  
Your tank vent tube is running along side your fill neck starting at the top of the fill neck (up at the gas cap) and then running down along the fill neck and exits inside the left frame rail. If you fill the tank too full the gas will come up to the top at the cap and run down the vent tube and run out on the ground. If your tank is filled up with gas and heat expands the gas it will push up the fill neck and run down the vent tube and out of the frame rail and on to the ground. Vapors also vent though this tube and into the atmosphere. The second nipple/opening on the fuel sender unit is for a return, be sure if it is not needed to cap it off with a fuel compatible cap and clamp. Some manufactures make the fuel sending units with or without the second return nipple, some venders will send you the one with the return nipple because it will fit both ways, capped or as a return line. This is how I understand it.
I see I was typing this as you posted.

I think you should be looking for a 3/8" fuel sending unit.

http://www.1970chargerregistry.com/mboard/index.php?topic=4208.0
http://www.1970chargerregistry.com/mboard/index.php?topic=271.0

[rikubot]

Right, I confused myself and figured the return line on the sender was the vent, which is silly because it's at the bottom of the tank and fumes couldn't get to it. Thank you for clarifying. I'll be grabbing one of those with the 3/8 line then. The whole system makes sense now. What would you do the cap that return nipple? I know gas eats away at certain materials.

[dual fours]

Right, I confused myself and figured the return line on the sender was the vent, which is silly because it's at the bottom of the tank and fumes couldn't get to it. Thank you for clarifying. I'll be grabbing one of those with the 3/8 line then. The whole system makes sense now. What would you do the cap that return nipple? I know gas eats away at certain materials.

The second nipple stub is the return, the straighter one, and it goes just in though the fuel sending units faceplate, and not towards the bottom. The other nipple, the one that comes out of the faceplate and turns towards the passenger side of the car is the feed to the fuel pump, that one goes down to the bottom of the tank.
If needed, use a fuel compatible cap on the return nipple or get a fuel sending unit with no return nipple, as long as you do not need the return on your cars fuel system.   

[mopar0166]

got all mine from ebay no issues,  got one from classic industries and it didn't work   


luck of the draw I guess

[303 Mopar]

Right, I confused myself and figured the return line on the sender was the vent, which is silly because it's at the bottom of the tank and fumes couldn't get to it. Thank you for clarifying. I'll be grabbing one of those with the 3/8 line then. The whole system makes sense now. What would you do the cap that return nipple? I know gas eats away at certain materials.

I would consider adding a return line to your car.  It keeps the fuel cooler, is not that expensive, and relatively easy to install.  I ordered my fuel sender and line from Dave at rosevillemoparts.com, everything fit perfect.

[LaOtto70Charger]

Everything installed fine.  Last night I redid the line going to the carb so that part is ready.  I still have to put some more line clips on the rear which I will hopefully do tonight.  The new fuel line is nice but is not as straight as the original so it needs a couple extra clips to hold it tight up under the body.

[rikubot]

That's good news.

Meantime I ordered a sender from Vans, it was super cheap and has the nipple for a return line if I go with that. Any experiences dropping a tank? I was going to try to only partially drop mine but I've never dropped a tank. Any advice?

[LaOtto70Charger]

This was only the second time I had to drop one and I got partially lucky.  I had the body worked one in the past so the fuel line was cut and spliced together with a rubber line half up the body.  So I was able to remove that and drain most of the tank from there.  Than I used a jack to hold up the tank while I removed the two bolts that hold the straps up.  You may want the lock ring pliers to remove the fuel sending unit.  I used a screw driver and tapped it but the pliers would be better.  Going back in was worse only because of the need to balance it all and the straps.

[rebby]

That's good news.

Meantime I ordered a sender from Vans, it was super cheap and has the nipple for a return line if I go with that. Any experiences dropping a tank? I was going to try to only partially drop mine but I've never dropped a tank. Any advice?

Are you just doing the sender? I've been able to R&R my sender w/out dropping the tank. I just crawl under the car w/a light and swap them out, didn't even need to jack the car.

[rikubot]

Yep just the sender. It looked like that might be possible! It seemed a little TOO easy...haha. In that case I'll just do that. I'm skinny and fit pretty with decent room for leverage. I'm hoping it reads correctly right away, but shouldn't I be able to test the arm by hooking it up to the blue press on wire, and grounding the sender?

[rebby]

It's a little slow to react and you may need to tweak it a little. I had mine in/out 3-4 times before my ADD was satisfied. You can R&R without dropping the tank though, just need to play the angle game. Once you figure it out, it's pretty easy.