Fuel tank Pickup foot options
#1
Fuel tank Pickup foot options
Hi guys,
Dropped the aft tank on my '94 350 dual tank and found the pickup foot broke off as some of you predicted. Question now is - has anyone sourced a replacement foot or mod that can be done to remedy this problem? Just drives me nuts to buy a whole new sender to replace a working one because an easily replacable rubber part broke off the pickup tube.
And what's the purpose of that flap valve on the side of the unit.
How about some extending the tube with a rubber hose with a screen at the end and a donut magnet to hold it in place in the tank - or something like that? Just thinking out loud.
Dropped the aft tank on my '94 350 dual tank and found the pickup foot broke off as some of you predicted. Question now is - has anyone sourced a replacement foot or mod that can be done to remedy this problem? Just drives me nuts to buy a whole new sender to replace a working one because an easily replacable rubber part broke off the pickup tube.
And what's the purpose of that flap valve on the side of the unit.
How about some extending the tube with a rubber hose with a screen at the end and a donut magnet to hold it in place in the tank - or something like that? Just thinking out loud.
#2
#4
does anyone have any comments before I do this.... and does anyone know the length of the tube I should use. the foot was in a hundred pieces so could not measure it.
fuel hosing, double sided barb, and two sized harbor freight O-rings, two internal and two top. and a car in tank strainer
assembled
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010068.JPG
and assembled more. will shorten the hose once I figure out correct length. if no one can tell me it will be trial and error...
fuel hosing, double sided barb, and two sized harbor freight O-rings, two internal and two top. and a car in tank strainer
assembled
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010068.JPG
and assembled more. will shorten the hose once I figure out correct length. if no one can tell me it will be trial and error...
#5
That looks like a creative solution, I like it.
The flap valve on the side of the rubber thing is in case the pickup gets blocked (like gelled fuel in the winter) it will still suck fuel in instead of leaving you stranded.
To find the correct length of tube, measure the depth of the tank at the fuel sender location. The measure the length of your assembly and trim the tube to fit. You may need to fiddle a little bit due to the offset of the pickup, but should be easy to figure out.
The flap valve on the side of the rubber thing is in case the pickup gets blocked (like gelled fuel in the winter) it will still suck fuel in instead of leaving you stranded.
To find the correct length of tube, measure the depth of the tank at the fuel sender location. The measure the length of your assembly and trim the tube to fit. You may need to fiddle a little bit due to the offset of the pickup, but should be easy to figure out.
#6
#7
I did something very similar with the 3/8" rubber fuel hose and the heavy brass coupler however I used a replacement fuel sock for a 70's mustang. It's a ridgid / hard plastic sock shaped and sized like half a cigar. I figured it would lay in the bottom of the tank better than some of the other shapes and the heavy brass fitting would keep it on the bottom??? So far so good! It's been in there for about a year with no problems.
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#9
Here it is ready to go back in the truck, with cutting the barbs it is metal to metal with hose and hose clamps. i also added a small diversion with a 1 inch right angle copper tube on the return line. so the bubbles are a bit farthur from the supply line. I had to slightly smash the 1 inch tube to be a bit oval to fit on the guel guage sending positiner. I did not interfere with it. I also used some brass wire to tie it up as a back up.
here is the cut off of the barbs. removed 2 barbs and it is a perfect fit.
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010071.JPG
here is finished unit
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010077.png
here is high resolution of the job
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010076.JPG
and the best part of this, i did not have to go to the store for any part of this project.
here is the cut off of the barbs. removed 2 barbs and it is a perfect fit.
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010071.JPG
here is finished unit
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010077.png
here is high resolution of the job
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010076.JPG
and the best part of this, i did not have to go to the store for any part of this project.
#10
Here it is ready to go back in the truck, with cutting the barbs it is metal to metal with hose and hose clamps. i also added a small diversion with a 1 inch right angle copper tube on the return line. so the bubbles are a bit farthur from the supply line. I had to slightly smash the 1 inch tube to be a bit oval to fit on the guel guage sending positiner. I did not interfere with it. I also used some brass wire to tie it up as a back up.
here is the cut off of the barbs. removed 2 barbs and it is a perfect fit.
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010071.JPG
here is finished unit
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010077.png
here is high resolution of the job
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010076.JPG
and the best part of this, i did not have to go to the store for any part of this project.
here is the cut off of the barbs. removed 2 barbs and it is a perfect fit.
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010071.JPG
here is finished unit
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010077.png
here is high resolution of the job
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010076.JPG
and the best part of this, i did not have to go to the store for any part of this project.
#11
I was doing a simplified "hutch" modification that they do for the powerstrokes with a similar strainer to what mine use to be. I also installed a electric pump inline for easy starting and when I run out of fuel in a tank switchover. I really like this electric fuel pump. just played with it after I put the tank back in. works so nicely.
here is the hutch modification I was talking about.
Welcome to guzzle's In-tank Hutch Mod Web Page
Strictly Diesel Webstore[terms]=Hutch&search[mode]=any
I do not know if I will be able to test the flow in the winter, I live in baja, last winter low was 52 degrees. my first diesel was a volvo in the chicago area where I lived too many years. and our record high here is 96, norm in summer 92 without humidity.... this is a desert. it has rained 1 inch in two years, up in the mountains in the summer it rains about every 4 days.
#13
does anyone have any comments before I do this.... and does anyone know the length of the tube I should use. the foot was in a hundred pieces so could not measure it.
fuel hosing, double sided barb, and two sized harbor freight O-rings, two internal and two top. and a car in tank strainer
assembled
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010068.JPG
and assembled more. will shorten the hose once I figure out correct length. if no one can tell me it will be trial and error...
fuel hosing, double sided barb, and two sized harbor freight O-rings, two internal and two top. and a car in tank strainer
assembled
http://www.la-ventana.com/P1010068.JPG
and assembled more. will shorten the hose once I figure out correct length. if no one can tell me it will be trial and error...
That looks cool, we will be redoing all the fuel lines in a few weeks when we take the bed off to deal with the senders.
I have seen simple fuel picking pieces that are barbed on one side and a brass mesh on the other side but this looks better than that as long as its ok for diesel?
#14
The socks are made of saran. The surface tension of the fuel closes the pores so fuel will flow through the mesh easier than air. You can verify this by taking a paper towel, blow through it. Then wet it and blow through it again. It isn't much but it will be slightly harder to blow through it wet. The original intent was to prevent water from getting into the system. It will never be an issue for you, but someone in Montana may. Just something for them to be aware of.
Sorry I didn't say earlier, nice mod. Well done.
Sorry I didn't say earlier, nice mod. Well done.
#15
The socks are made of saran. The surface tension of the fuel closes the pores so fuel will flow through the mesh easier than air. You can verify this by taking a paper towel, blow through it. Then wet it and blow through it again. It isn't much but it will be slightly harder to blow through it wet. The original intent was to prevent water from getting into the system. It will never be an issue for you, but someone in Montana may. Just something for them to be aware of.
Sorry I didn't say earlier, nice mod. Well done.
Sorry I didn't say earlier, nice mod. Well done.
I re-installed and tested the front tank and it is working great. So nice to have the entire fuel tank to use in theory.
I did bend the fuel gage sender arm a bit to match the bottoming out of my tank. I noticed that it was not going as low as the tank pick up. when my tank was full the guage was well over the F mark. this may bring it to match the full analog guage range with the mechanical swing range.
I will do the rear tank shortly. I have to go to the autoparts store, I do not have another filter and ran out of SS hose clamps... parts store 30 miles, well everything is 30+ miles.