New fuel sender floats!

[kishy]

I'll let the pictures more or less speak for themselves...



This is Omix-ADA part 17729.01, intended for various Jeep CJ models. It is a perfect fit in our box Panther sending units (for cars with separate fuel pump hangers and fuel gauge senders - so no 90-91 and possibly no 89 Lincoln because they changed the float shape). They come one per package, I bought a few though. "Fleet" maintenance dictates buying in bulk...

I have not tried putting this in a car yet, but I see no reason to suspect it won't work as intended, assuming the sending unit otherwise works. These are quite inexpensive from a variety of places (I went with RockAuto, in retrospect this was far from the best choice for this specific item due to shipping), beating out the brass ones from what I've found. No word on longevity but the manufacturer seems to stand behind them for 5 years.

If you currently have a sunk float, this may be an option worth looking at if you don't want to try resoldering your brass one or if it broke in another way. Since they're new production parts, they should be completely safe with modern fuel composition.

[87gtVIC]

Sure looks identical.

This is what ailed mine. Did not know of this option years back so an entire new fuel level sending unit was purchased. Looks like a great alternative.

[kishy]

Exactly my thoughts. Electrically, the senders are prone to forming "dead zones", but otherwise will indicate the majority of their range just fine...but if the float sinks, you're stuck on empty until a new float goes in. I have two that seem to have sunken floats.

The brass floats fail in one of two ways that I know of: they leak at the solder joints or equalization hole (the final soldered spot), or the brass structurally fails (seems to happen where the arm squeezes the brass). In the first case, you can de-solder them, dry them out, then re-solder them. In the second case, it's toast.

You can buy new brass floats, I think Scott Drake makes them and they're under 10 bucks from some vendors, so it's not a bad choice either. But it seems to me that an ethanol-friendly plastic float has less potential for issues, since it isn't two halves soldered together.

[86VickyLX]

Plastic huh. Interesting, but I'd kinda be inclined on sticking with the brass one just not really trusting of plastic and fuel with any kind of ethanol. They'd probably last a good deal of time though. And a good alternative should they stop making the brass ones.

For what it's worth though, 89 used the same Sending unit. And the 90+ utilized some kind of plastic float. It looked more like a bike pedal though. Too be honest I've never heard of one of those failing. But I have seen the sending units themselves break a wire off.

[VicCrownVic]

Plastic huh. Interesting, but I'd kinda be inclined on sticking with the brass one just not really trusting of plastic and fuel with any kind of ethanol. They'd probably last a good deal of time though. And a good alternative should they stop making the brass ones.

For what it's worth though, 89 used the same Sending unit. And the 90+ utilized some kind of plastic float. It looked more like a bike pedal though. Too be honest I've never heard of one of those failing. But I have seen the sending units themselves break a wire off.

Don't some newer vehicles have plastic fuel thanks? I would thinks the plastic would be of the same composition and not be eaten by the fuel (hopefully).

For the '89 TC, at least with analog dash, kishy and I have looked into this. It does use a sending unit like '90-'91 wagons rather than the old box unit. The '89 TC units I have seen have the flat bike pedal like float. Just ask Ivan about the aero TC digidash he installed in an '89 TC (Hearsesrock427).

[gadget73]

Its all a matter of what the material is. The tank in my S10 is indeed plastic and its original.

[GM_Guy]

Nice find on the float.

Alex.