I have an '87 Coachmen Leprachuan 26' RV with a carbeurated 460 engine.

For whatever reason, my fuel sending unit has stopped working. A friend of mine that knows how to troubleshoot electrical issues has confirmed it's the sending unit. So I attempted to buy a replacement today, and discovered there are 5 possibilities from Ford (provided Coachmen didn't change it all together). It's virtually impossible to figure out which one I need, without dropping the tank and getting the part number. Heck, I'm not even certain what size the tank is, but I'm relatively sure it's the 40 gal tank. So here's my questions:

Has anyone had to replace their sending unit in the older Ford/Coachmen rigs ?
Do you have any idea what the part number is?
Can I get the sending unit seperate from the fuel pump? (Not looking to spend $300-400 if I don't need to)

 

Well, after CONSIDERABLE research, I bought the Airtek E2060S fuel pump/ sending unit assembly and a new locking ring. I have not attempted to pull the old unit out, but have a couple of questions for those of you that made similiar repairs before I do.

1- How do I get the locking ring off the current unit, and how does the new one go back on?

2- Is the locking ring smaller than the mounting plate of the unit ? The one they sent me is.

3- Is there supposed to be a gasket between the new unit and the tank? I saw a diagram that had 2 gaskets (1 between the unit and tank, and 1 with the locking ring), but the only gasket I can find comes with the locking ring. All the parts companies tell me there is not one between the tank and unit.

 

Hey there!

I just fixed the fuel level sending unit on my 1988 E-250, and I wanted to offer a quick piece of advise, although I don't know if it might be helpful to you specifically.....

My van has the two fuel tanks setup, and since I bought it, both of the gauges always read totally "empty".... Always they were reading at the very bottom end of the gauge.

I thought they were broken.

I dropped the main tank yesterday in order to replace the fuel strainer for the in-tank pump. After I unlocked the lock ring and pulled the fuel pump/ strainer / fuel-level-sending-unit assembly, I noticed something problematic about the sending unit!!!!

The float was full of fuel and had turned from a float into a 'sink'!!!!!!
It's a small brass(?) can about the size of an average spool of thread, and it had somehow developed a leak and lost it's air and sank to the bottom of it's range.....

I removed the float and went inside to see what I could find that was the same size and that would be an acceptable replacement because I couldn't find anywhere locally that sold the float by itself rather than an entire replacement sending unit.......

I ended up using an empty bottle of generic Pepcid from Walmart..... I wrapped the top of the bottle in teflon tape around the threads and lip to ensure a good seal, and tightened the cap down..... This bottle (which costs ~$4 at Walmart by the way!) was an EXACT fit. I mean, it couldn't have fit better if it had been specifically designed for this purpose.

My fuel gauge now works perfectly, and I didn't need a new sending unit afterall. I imagine that a large number of the inoperable fuel sending units actually just have bad floats.... I realize as well that many units came with a strange shaped plastic float rather than the convenient 'spool' shape that was on mine.

Once you drop the tank and look at the top of the assembly for a second, it will immediately become apparent how to remove the lock ring. You will instantly see how the ring has tabs which slide underneath the mating tabs on the tank and you should immediately recognize how to force the lock ring counterclockwise by driving it with a flat-bladed screwdriver and gentle taps from a hammer.

Trust me, this lock ring business is not a big deal once you get a look at it.

As far as seals/gaskets go, I did not find any gasket in between the lock ring and the unit, only a seal between the unit and the tank. As I said, everything will become apparent as soon as you get a look at the situation.

Have fun!

--Mote

 

THANKS for the info !!!!!

I've read on several other forums about that very issue. I'l check it out, but as long as the new unit is the correct unit, I'm going to replace it sine I'll have it out anyway. Hopefully, going to try this weekend.

 

Nice first post, DustMote. Welcome to FTE!