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Fuel level sender wire broken.

WingnutWick

Well Known Member
Been asked to fix a fuel sender wire coming from the tank that has a broken ring terminal connector. (see photo). I figured I could probably just rotate the flathead fitting there to unscrew it and replace the connector but when I do it just keeps spinning without coming out. Having no experience with these senders from a maintenance/build/install standpoint I am curious if I am going about this the correct way. Do I have to pull the entire plate off to be able to get to the other side to unscrew this? If so, how much of a pain is that?

Thanks all!

CW
 

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You'll need a new sender. Thankfully, they aren't expensive.

Inside is a wire that is soldered on to the screw base, and once the base loosens, then you will just spin the wire until it twists too much and snaps off.

IMG_9250_HEIC-M.jpg


You can verify that the wire has snapped off with an ohmmeter. Scrape off the sealant, then apply some PolyGone sealant remover to help remove it, scrub it clean with scotchbrite and some acetone, then get some tank sealant for putting the new sender in. I would also recommend using NAS1352-08-8P socket head screws instead of Phillips screws to install the new sender.
 
You'll need a new sender. Thankfully, they aren't expensive.

Inside is a wire that is soldered on to the screw base, and once the base loosens, then you will just spin the wire until it twists too much and snaps off.

IMG_9250_HEIC-M.jpg


You can verify that the wire has snapped off with an ohmmeter. Scrape off the sealant, then apply some PolyGone sealant remover to help remove it, scrub it clean with scotchbrite and some acetone, then get some tank sealant for putting the new sender in. I would also recommend using NAS1352-08-8P socket head screws instead of Phillips screws to install the new sender.

The use of cap head (Allen) screws is definitely a good shout, there is precious little room to work in and if you end up with a chewed crosshead screw it will be a swine to remove easily. Cap heads all the way :)
 
What I Did - To Fix That

It's too bad the manufacturers make their sending unit with this "fatal" flaw. If you don't know about the possibility of the shaft rotating (and separating the soldered wire from it) before hand, you are almost guaranteed to go into the "no fly zone".

Knowing that ahead of time, this is what I did:

Removed the screw, and replaced it with an Allen screw (with a bit of red Loctite) - and then used the hex recess in it to hold the shaft in place when installing/removing the sending wire.

YMMV - But this does solve the problem.

HFS
 

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If this is a 4 or 6. Which it looks like, the tank is very easy to remove. Not counting draining, less than 10 minutes. For the later models, the Z brakets on the back of the tank are a bear. So, if older model, just drain and pull the tank. Dont bother working in that tight space.
 
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