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Re: Fuel tank float repair

To: Barry Schwartz <bschwart@pacbell.net>
Subject: Re: Fuel tank float repair
From: Vic Whitmore <vicwhit@home.com>
Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 12:14:51 -0400
Barry, I've tried the "drill a small hole, drain and repair" routine. It failed
in the long run (a few months). I swapped a float from another sender unit to
solve the problem. I am not aware of the damper o-ring thingey. There wasn't one
on mine, nor on the replacement.

Vic Whitmore
76 Spitfire
Thornhill, Ontario

Barry Schwartz wrote:
> 
> Last night I swapped out the old Fuel tank with the new modified one for
> the soon to be installed fuel injection (new return line fitting, 3/8 dia
> lines etc).  Upon taking the sender out, I noticed the float about a third
> full of fuel.  Luckily I had an old, non functioning unit out of the GT6
> with a good float on it that I could use.  It uses the same float, (or very
> nearly identical) so I switched them.  The only problem was that the little
> rubber (damper o-ring) which encircles the float and prevents it from
> banging the top and bottom of the tank was really too loose to use on the
> new float.  I didn't feel comfortable using it thinking that it may fall
> off.  It would just slide loosely on the new float so there may be a slight
> difference in floats.  I heard it banging the top of the tank this morning
> :-). . .Anyway, Is there any way to remove the fuel from the old float?  I
> was thinking of boiling the float, hopefully causing the old fuel to
> vaporize and thereby also showing me where the leak is and allowing me to
> repair it.  The only other way I could see to evacuate the old fuel out
> would be to drill a small hole, drain, epoxy it closed, then find out where
> the original leak is and then seal that up also.  I would presume that the
> leak would be at the weld seam but am not sure where as it looks to be fine
> - unfortunately, you can't buy just the float.  I may just make a brass one
> and be done with it!  It wouldn't be that hard -
> 
> Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net

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