[fordpowerfred]

Well my truck needs a new sending unit and when I called to order one I was quoted $180 from Ford. Is this a reasonable price? I thought I had read on here that someone had paid ~$40 for a new one some time ago.

Can these be found cheaper elsewhere?

 

[ddog]

I hve seen them occasionally on ebay for around 50.00 They are take outs from conversions /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif though I'm not real sure why they are taken out or what they replace them with. The ones I have seen were from vans, and I think the truck one may be a little different, not sure on that. The sending unit is also part of the fuel pick up, it comes as an assembly. Try powerstrokeshop.com for a new oem one at a discount.

 

[DarthSurplus]

The difficulty here is that we don't know what you actually need.

You should perform a gauge sweep to be sure the problem isn't in your instrument cluster.

The "sender assembly" or "pickup assembly" is an odd assormtment of pieces that are permanently assembled together. There is a large round stainless plate, and several stainless tubing lines pass through the plate. The mixing valve, the return line, the pickup foot, and the gauge float, float arm, and sender rheostat all come together.

My local parts counter offered to "give" me one for about $340. They told me that the various components of the system were not available individually.

I contacted powerstrokeshop.com, and they were able to isolate just the float, arm, and rheostat, as a unit, for about $40. I think I ended up splitting the rheostat casings and swapping the internals, since the rheostat casing is fastened in place to a tube with rivets or something. Then I spliced the sender wire, and put it all back together.

The sender assembly is very fragile and sensitive. I mean it. Don't learn this the way I did. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif Learn it from the way I did, which was dropping my tank twice in three weeks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif When you perform the in-tank mods, be very careful with the float and rheostat.

 

[fordpowerfred]

Thanks for the responses gents.

The issue occurred a couple of months ago as I was driving home. Over the course of about 10 minutes, the needle moved from 3/4 tank to Full and has been stuck at Full ever since. I assumed this was due to a sending unit issue but now know that may not necessarily be the case. Does this offer insight as to the root of the problem?

How do I go about performing a gauge sweep?

Are the only two possiblities the gauge or the sender assembly (float, arm, rhostat)?

Thanks again.

 

[Kanman]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for the responses gents.

The issue occurred a couple of months ago as I was driving home. Over the course of about 10 minutes, the needle moved from 3/4 tank to Full and has been stuck at Full ever since. I assumed this was due to a sending unit issue but now know that may not necessarily be the case. Does this offer insight as to the root of the problem?

How do I go about performing a gauge sweep?

Are the only two possiblities the gauge or the sender assembly (float, arm, rhostat)?

Thanks again.

[/ QUOTE ]

Save your cash. More than likely the float is just stuck (same thing happened to mine) and just needs "set free"

You will need to drop the tank. It is a PITA, but a do-able job. Make sure you are almost OUT of fuel before dropping the tank. While you are there be sure and do the "Harpoon Mod" to your tank.

 

[arisley]

http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/hutch.html

Do the Hutch mod also. The tank is much easier to drop using two ratcheting cargo straps instead of jacks.

 

[klhansen]

[ QUOTE ]
You will need to drop the tank. It is a PITA, but a do-able job. Make sure you are almost OUT of fuel before dropping the tank. While you are there be sure and do the "Harpoon Mod" to your tank.

[/ QUOTE ]
If the float really is just stuck, you don't necessarily need to drop the tank to fix it.

When my gauge stuck on full, I just crawled underneath with a big rubber mallet and whaled away on the tank. Came right loose. If that method doesn't work, then you may be looking at dropping the tank. Don't dive in deep water when a little wading may do the trick.

You can check your gauge ("gauge sweep" mentioned above" by pulling the connector to the sending unit, observing what position the needle is in (don't remember whether it will be full or empty) then ground the wire and see if it goes to the other extreme. If so, look to your sending unit.

 

[SprintCarCowboy]

Where is the disconnect point in the harness to try that trick out? I have the exact same issue with my truck!

Thanks,

Joe

 

[arisley]

On the frame rail right by the tank.

 

[RyanS]

Last week I filled up and left for work for a couple of days. Mean while my wife was driving the truck and when I got back it still read full. I asked when she filled it up and she said she was wondering why it was still full because she had not filled up. I checkedthe resistance for the float and could not get a reading but when I connected the ends of the incoming wires the fuel gague dropped to Empty. dealer says $392.00 ouch. so here I am looking for the answer just to be confronted with more good questions. What is the Harpoon mod??????

 

[RyanS]

I noticed that on powerstrokeshop.com they have a gas unit for $42 and the diesel is $200 does anyone know if their is a difference in these.

 

[fordpowerfred]

Can the connector be accessed with the tank in place?

 

[RyanS]

I got to mine but you have to release the retaining clip with a long screwdriver.

 

[arisley]

You can get to it, need a good flaslight and a long skinny screwdriver. Or a ten year old with skinny arms.

 

[gforce]

Mine got stuck too, but there was no way whacking it with a hammer was going to free it up. It was really wrapped around itself badly. I had just filled it up and parked nose up on a pretty steep hill and the level never dropped again.

I found it much faster to pull the bed instead of dropping the tank. It was a 2 hour job. I had already bought the sending unit from rockauto.com so I put it in anyway. I actually think I still have the old one sitting in the garage somewhere.

Good luck.