New Sending Units - Best One?

[SlamF1re]

I recently picked up a 1968 Plymouth Satellite that someone else cloned into a GTX. The gas gauge is constantly reading empty. According to the previous owner, they tried changing out the sending unit before but couldn't get it to work.

I got under the car, pulled the wire off of the sending unit, grounded it to the body, and the gauge climbs up towards full so it looks like the rest of the system is good and that points towards the sending unit itself being the issue.

I believe the one in the tank is likely already a reproduction and I don't have the original that came with the car. If you were going to buy a new repro, which one is preferred? I know most of them are junk, and while I don't expect perfection, it would be nice to have a gauge that's at least close or really one that moves at all.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

Make sure the sending unit is properly grounded first.

 

[SlamF1re]

Make sure the sending unit is properly grounded first.

It is. The factory ground strap is present along with a secondary ground that previous owner added directly to the body.

 

[Don Frelier]

I have one from Van's Auto and it works fine.
Very inexpensive as well.

 

[ruffcut]

I have one from Vans Auto and mine works fine also!

 

[OMTWF-72SE]

I know I'll probably catch grief for this but the Dorman repops do work. I had one in my 72 for 3 years before I went to an EFI tank. Just keep the existing lock ring. The Dorman one is undersized.

But I'd remove the existing one and bench check it and the float. Sometimes the braze fails on the float and it sinks.

 

[SlamF1re]

Thanks for the suggestions on Van’s Auto. I had looked at Mancini and Classic Industries but I figured for $30 I’ll take a shot on Vans.

In the next week or so I’ll be replacing the rear leaf springs on the car and I just want to have one on hand since it’ll be much easier to check and change while the car is already in the air.

 

[Fran Blacker]

If I buy a 3/8" fuel line repop sender for my Satellite. I'm going to remove the resistor from a working sender 5/16" line. Attach it to the repop 3/8" sender. The 66/ 67 3/8" OEM senders are unobtalumun.

 

[moparedtn]

If you can possibly do so, repair the original.
As is often repeated here at FBBO, nobody makes a decent repop 3/8" sending unit for our 68-70
b-bodies - nobody.
Used to be, one could fetch an NOS 5/16" one and modify it. Not anymore, those went poof also.

Ask me how I know. On second thought, it's too painful to re-live. Nevermind.

 

[Fran Blacker]

If you can possibly do so, repair the original.
As is often repeated here at FBBO, nobody makes a decent repop 3/8" sending unit for our 68-70
b-bodies - nobody.
Used to be, one could fetch an NOS 5/16" one and modify it. Not anymore, those went poof also.

Ask me how I know. On second thought, it's too painful to re-live. Nevermind.

Finding an NOS sender would be luck. A fellow in Canada got lucky 5 years ago, sold him a 66/67 5/16" NOS sender for $125 +shipping.

 

[gtx6970]

Finding an NOS sender would be luck. A fellow in Canada got lucky 5 years ago, sold him a 66/67 5/16" NOS sender for $125 +shipping.

im thinking early to maybe mid 90s time frame But I can remember when all these senders were still avail at any local Mopar dealer. the 66-67 ones lasted the longest for stock

 

[Fran Blacker]

im thinking early to maybe mid 90s time frame But I can remember when all these senders were still avail at any local Mopar dealer. the 66-67 ones lasted the longest for stock

Not 66/67 3/8" I tried ordering one after part guy ordered 5/16".

 

[ynst]

Pull the sender out.
Chip a test lead on the stud with the other and clipped to the lead to the gauge.
Clip another test lead to the base of the sender and ground the other end to the chassis.

If your test leads are long enough, you can stand beside the car while holding the sender and viewing the gauge at the same time.

Turn on the key then move the float lever.

Does the needle move?

If so, the sender is probably good but was improperly installed and the float had gotten hung up on a baffle inside the tank.

If the gauge doesn't move or reads inaccurately, replace the sender.

You can also use this method to calibrate a new sender.