1940 Gas Tank Sender

[philipswanson]

I cleaned and sealed my stock gas tank and all seems to be fine except the sender. I replaced it with one of those cheap Chinese units from Bob Drake. A real POS in my opinion. The float is apparently leaking because it is on the bottom with 3/4 tank. It is smaller than the original brass float so you can't use that one. Instead they used a plastic white float that is junk. Unlike the original, the rheostat sits submerged in gasoline. My question is: Does anybody know a source for either an original sender or a better reproduction than this POS from Drake?

[petehoovie]

Even though this one is not for a Ford, I'd give it a shot > https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-64-Vin...Gnel:rk:6:pf:0





Or, this one > https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1948-50...SACI:rk:6:pf:0

[JSeery]

All of the repro senders are resistance type senders and I believe all come from the same fabricator. If you want an original you will need to find a good used one or attempt to repair a none working one. There were some part post on repairs. The original is a points type and often cleaning the points can get them back in action.

[deuce_roadster]

All the King Seely senders are the same, the arm shape and length are what is different.
Any of the stock 6v electric senders can be made to work by changing the arm. So a good sender from whenever they started using electric gauges (35 or 6?) up to 55 or 56 will work. As JSeely said, these work on a frequency not a voltage or resistance and the gauge is calibrated to the frequency. Phil, I will email you a chart showing the arm length and bend to make any of the other years work for a 40. If you saved the original, it could help you. Ford replacement sending units had this chart.

[philipswanson]

Originally Posted by petehoovie

Even though this one is not for a Ford, I'd give it a shot > https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-64-Vin...Gnel:rk:6:pf:0





Or, this one > https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-1948-50...SACI:rk:6:pf:0

Do these non Ford sending units have the same bolt pattern at the flange?

[19Fordy]

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Phil: I had the same problem as you. I kept searching Ebay for an old Ford 6v sending unit and finally found one for a 1941 Ford car or truck. I readjusted the arm and had to remove the top and adjust the star wheel so it would work in my 40. It takes patience to fine tune it but it works. You can use almost any old King Seally 6V Ford unit. You might want to read these threads.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit
and
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit
and
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit
and
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit
and
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...nk+sending+uni
and
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...k+sending+unit
Here's another NOS unit that can be made to work. Not cheap. This guy knows he has a rare item.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-OEM-For...CukY:rk:9:pf:0

Dennis Carpenter sells one that he says will work fine with OEM gauge. I'd have to see it to believe it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR0pGVRc8R8

[Drbrown]

My '47 OE sender unit had two pieces of "sealed" cork on the float arm, which became saturated with gas, so it sank to the bottom and always read empty. I bought a complete Drake sender replacement kit that came with the plastic bulb float. I tested the OE sender and found it worked so I took Drake's plastic float and it snapped on the OE sender arm. Well the plastic float bulb soon leaked so I complained. Mid-West sent me a soldered brass float that snapped right into the OE sender arm. All good ever since.

Re OE faulty sender units, I would always recommend reusing/repairing the original. There are a few guy out there that repair them; usually same guys that repair the gauges.

[petehoovie]

Originally Posted by philipswanson

Do these non Ford sending units have the same bolt pattern at the flange?

I don't know if they do or not but I'd certainly take the gamble at 70 bucks for a NOS unit given that they are so hard to find. I'd find a way to make it work....

[Jembow]

I have a Drake repro sender connected to a 36 gauge. It is calibrated so it is correct at Empty but the needle goes right out of sight at the top when 1/4 full or more. I can live with that - once the needle is visible, it's time to fill up

[joe 1950]

ive had and also heard good about Bobs speedometer does great repairs to a lot of parts including gauges and senders 1-800-592-9673 or www.bobsspeedometer.com he has ad in the Old Cars paper also ive repaired a lot of old brass floats sink them in gas and let them fill when you take it out wipe with rag and look around you will see the gas come then I take very small pick inlarge the hole and solder it with a solder GUN not a torch works great hope this helps

[Charlie ny]

Plastic and cork floats can be a problem.....I soldered a 94 carb float onto the arm of
my sender which has performed quite nicely.
Charlie ny

[bobwellsnoveltyshop]

Here are some pictures of an original 40 gas sending unit, marked 01A-9275-A Passenger, commercial except sedan delivery.
BILL WELLS

[bobwellsnoveltyshop]

pictures

[Anteek29]

[QUOTE=petehoovie;1725261]Even though this one is not for a Ford, I'd give it a shot > https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-64-Vin...Gnel:rk:6:pf:0





I decided to buy one of these two Willys ones and try it on my '41 P-U.

[petehoovie]

Good for you, Alan. Let us know how it works out for you....

[Branded]

[QUOTE=Anteek29;1725732]

Originally Posted by petehoovie

Even though this one is not for a Ford, I'd give it a shot > https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-64-Vin...Gnel:rk:6:pf:0





I decided to buy one of these two Willys ones and try it on my '41 P-U.

Alan
How did the sender work out for you.

Dave

[Anteek29]

Branded: Gotta wait for a break in our cold, rainy weather.

[Flathead Fever]

At work we had late 1970s and early 1980s F600 and F800 Ford trucks with 40 gallon step tanks. They use a brass float that looks exactly like the Early Ford. Old Mustangs use them too. Chevys' use them up to 1972. Chrysler used them. They fail all the time, they fill up with fuel and then they sink. You can buy new floats from all the vintage Ford parts suppliers. If you have a nearby Ford dealer they should stock these brass floats. One guy said he bought one from Ford $15.00. Which a lot but if you want it right away they might have it. Scott Drake who reproduces Mustang Parts has them for sale at Summit Racing, cheap!

The only thing is I'm not sure if they are the same diameter where they snap into the wire.? The Summit ad gives the measurement. If it is the same I'd just buy one of these floats. These floats are "suppose" be designed better so they do not leak.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-c0az-9202-b

The old timers at work taught me this. If you want some cheap entertainment, take the old float that is full of fuel and light it on fire with a match. It will catch on fire where the pin hole is that allowed the fuel to leak inside. It turns the float into a neat little blow torch until it runs out of gas. We probably did this to 100 of them over the years and we never had one blowup.

[19Fordy]

Flathead fever. Re: the dia: If it is a little smaller all you have to do is make the 'Loop" on the sending unit arm a little smaller using a pair of pliers.Sometimes, the original "squeeze pressure" on the OEM float can cause it to crack over time.

[Anteek29]

Originally Posted by Anteek29

Branded: Gotta wait for a break in our cold, rainy weather.

Ran a "bench test" using the Willys sender connected to my '41 P-U.

Gauge read about 1/8 high consistently at empty - 1/2 - full.
Mounting holes line up with tank. It is a keeper