Fuel sending Unit Question
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Central Florida
Fuel sending Unit Question
Alright I have a 1985 351W 5.8L it has the 16 gallon tank. Now I had to replace the gas tank due to rust. My question is can the fuel sending unit be salvageable? Its pretty rusted I've checked with NPD and oddly they don't carry any Units for my year of truck. Carquest doesnt. LMC does however. Is there any way to clean up the fuel sending unit's "sock" or filter? Also what options do I have to completely replace it?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Canton, IL
Sure, you can salvage the sender as long as it's not broken. Sandpaper to clean the rust up on the metal parts, and for the sock, you should be able to spray it out from the inside out to push all the collected junk out of the sock. i would use carb spray to clean it.
I would try to keep the spray off any of the plastic part just a a precaution. (they are submersed in gasoline anyway, but you never know.)
I would try to keep the spray off any of the plastic part just a a precaution. (they are submersed in gasoline anyway, but you never know.)
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Central Florida
The weird thing is that I can't find it anywhere for my truck and tank... Its the 16 gallon tank, no one carries them.
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Elder User
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From: Central Florida
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Posting Guru
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Personnally I would go with the whole new part. I tried to do what you want to do and about 6 months later I had to go back in there and redrop the tank and put a new one in anyways. Wasnt worth the headache in my book.
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Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Mar 2008
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From: Central Florida
LMC it is! I'm still curious why only LMC carries them for my model. NPD carries everything for it but the carb and the sending unit.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Northern California
You can get a new filter sock at Ford the last time I checked.
However, you have to tell them it's for a 1979 pickup though. You can also replace the float if you use the same trick. ask for a 1979.
The reason is in 1980 Ford stopped selling the float and filter sock as a seperate part, and they are slightly different to the 1979 and earlier, but it will work!
Well it will work with 1980-1984 sending units at least. They changed them in 1985 according to my books.
Too bad you don't have a 1980-1984. Those complete sending units are still avaliable from Ford last time I checked.
However, you have to tell them it's for a 1979 pickup though. You can also replace the float if you use the same trick. ask for a 1979.
The reason is in 1980 Ford stopped selling the float and filter sock as a seperate part, and they are slightly different to the 1979 and earlier, but it will work!
Well it will work with 1980-1984 sending units at least. They changed them in 1985 according to my books.Too bad you don't have a 1980-1984. Those complete sending units are still avaliable from Ford last time I checked.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,477
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From: Sheffield, AL
JGreen236,
I have a 1986 F-150 with 4.9L with carburetor. Mr. NumberDummy would certainly be able to give the correct answer, but to the best of my understanding, the tank design changed in 1985. The 1985 and 1986 models are the same. I believe the tank opening where the sending unit is inserted is larger for '85 & '86. The other big difference is that fuel injection was introduced during this time frame for the 5.0L V8's, but not for the 351. So, the 302's had a different unit since it incorporated the in-tank electric fuel pump. In 1987, the tank design was again changed and the 4.9L was fuel injected.
Apparantly, since so few trucks fall into this catagory [1985-86 carburated], there is insufficient base for after-market suppliers to be interested in?
I have a 1986 F-150 with 4.9L with carburetor. Mr. NumberDummy would certainly be able to give the correct answer, but to the best of my understanding, the tank design changed in 1985. The 1985 and 1986 models are the same. I believe the tank opening where the sending unit is inserted is larger for '85 & '86. The other big difference is that fuel injection was introduced during this time frame for the 5.0L V8's, but not for the 351. So, the 302's had a different unit since it incorporated the in-tank electric fuel pump. In 1987, the tank design was again changed and the 4.9L was fuel injected.
Apparantly, since so few trucks fall into this catagory [1985-86 carburated], there is insufficient base for after-market suppliers to be interested in?