Are fuel gauge sending unit floats vehicle specific, or did most Fords use the same ones? I'm looking for a float for my F250's gas gauge sending unit, but I keep getting results for a Mustang, Falcon, or Ranchero.
Also, would you buy a plastic or brass float?

I've never seen my gas gauge work the whole time I've had the truck. I don't know if it just needs a float or the whole sending unit. When tested, the gauge itself works, so it has to be something in the tank & I don't want to buy the whole unit if it could just be the float.
1986 F250 4.9l Straight 6

 

I can be the float, but usually it's the sending unit itself. These are the years when they started using "painted on" resistance material for the sending unit resistor, and that likes to wear off after so many years of use.

I know you may not have this luxury, but it's good to have a spare vehicle you can use, so you can tear this one apart when you need to, and leave it down while you order parts.

 

Plastic, hands down. Even the best brass float will eventually corrode. I've never had a problem with a plastic float.

 

When rebuilding my truck I had no clue if the fuel gauged worked or not, thinking not based on the rest of the truck.
I also installed the rear tank from my parts truck into my project and did not know if it or the front tank of the parts truck gauge worked and no way to really test any of them.
So I went with new ones, cant remember if plastic or brass floats.

I can tell you there are 3 different senders listed for my 81 F100 based on number of tanks & if long bed or short bed.
1 for short bed side tank (16 gal)
1 for long bed side tank (19 gal)
1 for rear tank (19 gal)

Later years you have a larger opening some with elect. pump and others with out.
So you have an 1986 F250 4.9l Straight 6, long bed or short bed and where is the tank?
Dave ----

edit: I just did a search Auto Zone, Advance Auto, LMC and 1A Auto
LMC has pumps listed but hard to tell if it is the right one for your truck not knowing a few things Truck Parts and Truck Accessories

 

Ford did not supply the float separately after 1979. Because of this, I don't remember what the 1980 and later float looks like.

1957/79: The float C0AZ-9202-B (replaced B7A-9202-A) is made of two pieces of brass soldered together. Solder breaks down, gas seeps in, float settles to the bottom of the tank.

Will this 1957/79 float work on 1980 and later? I don't know but it's available from Ford and Carpenter makes a plastic replacement, but some people that have bought it say it's POS!

1957/79 float SAME: 1957/79 FoMoCo Passenger Cars & Trucks, 1961/79 Econoline and 1966/79 Bronco.