Repairing sending unit

[MASTERBrian]

Unless someone can point me to a sending unit that will work with the stock tank in a 1960 Suburban, it appears I'll have to repair mine. It's pretty rusty and nasty looking. I have found them for the '60 pickups, but alas being a different tank they aren't the same.

I believe both are 30ohms, so my question is what's the chance I can buy the truck version and strip it down and use the parts on my unit?

[68gmsee]

Have you not been able to find one that works? A google search shows them available.

I'd check with some of the local vendors.

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Have you not been able to find one that works? A google search shows them available.

I'd check with some of the local vendors.

No I have not. I keep searching and seem to get no where.

I have found the trucks, I have found one that says GMC Suburban 1960, but IN CAB, it has a different bend than mine. I find some that say between tank and frame, so guessing in cab doesn't work. Problem the ones between tank and frame also say lock ring style, the ones held in place by 5 bolts are NO LONGER AVAILABLE. Mine of course is 5 bolts.

Maybe some of these work, but I hate to spend $50 here and $50 there on HOPE.

I'll keep looking. In the meantime, I've stripped mine down and wire wheeled most of the rust off, then took out the sand blaster and cleaned up the nooks and crannies as well as blasting down the tube. Brake cleaner now comes out clear. Might plug an end and let brake cleaner sit in there over night. The issue is the Positive wire terminal is broke off the sender part, BUT if I can rob that from another unit, I might be back in business.

[MASTERBrian]

Classic Industries does carry one for a '63, which appears to look the same as my 1960, but I can't tell if it's the same length or what might be different. My guess from searches is that instead of 5 bolts holding it down, it uses the lock ring. Not sure how different that makes the cover plate. Might be something I could pull apart and replace with my plate or maybe it would be as simple as drilling 5 mounting holes on the plate and if need be use a bead of fuel resist RTV to provide the seal if the gasket wouldn't work.

I'm guessing my '60 is also 30ohms and to be honest if the reading is a little off, that's no huge issue, as long as it's close, if I had to tweak the length a little.

The locking ring is definitely the issue on the 63 and up. Found a better picture. No clue about the length or any other difference.

I also found one for UP TO '59, and it has the 5 bolts, but again, no clue if that'll work. For some reason 60-62 is the missing years for parts.

[MASTERBrian]

I did find some at Parts Geek, but not positive they will fit as they don't look the same as mine. I might try calling them, but considering they are just a large internet based parts supply house, I doubt they'll know.

Here are my options that I can tell if anyone can advise....
1) order the 63-66 unit and see if I can adapt it to fit my tank, by either adding a lock ring OR drilling holes to mount it and using some thick RTV to seal it up.
2) order the 63-66 unit and strip the reostat(?) and float and place them on mine, if they match up to my units reostat mount.
3) order the 63-66 unit and see if I can unbraze/solder/or however it's attached, the mount on mine and swap it out for the newer units
4) lastly I could order the newer one and just cut mine and it off just below the mount plate and either reconnect them with some fuel resist hose OR see if I can find a steel(or other metal) tube that fits snugly over the tubes and solder/braze them back together.

Thoughts?

[68gmsee]

Can you also post a close pic of the one you have? Some suburban owner may be able to give you some insight on it.

I found out that new sending units are a crap shoot. May or may not work.
I had to repair mine some years back when the new one I got came in all bent up where it mounts to the tank. I also just swapped the rheostat and float and mounted them on my old one.

[MASTERBrian]

Hope this picture is good enough. She's cleaned up, but missing the float, filter and rheostat

[AcampoDave]

Have you tried contacting Tanks Inc.?

['63GENIII]

The sender (rheostat) in the Blazer tank that I installed in the '63 is actually from the original - behind the seat tank. I bought a sending unit from a 1991 Blazer, cut the rheostat off of both the original 63 pickup and the 91 pickup. Checked the travel of the old sender / float against the 91 pickup and then welded it onto the new pickup. Works really well.

I once opened up a rheostat to find a resistor wire wrapped around a later model 90 ohm sender. I unwound the wire, cut 2/3 off of it (leaving 30 ohms) and rewound the wire back onto the rheostat and secured it to the gauge wire. It also worked like a champ.

[MASTERBrian]

Originally Posted by '63GENIII

The sender (rheostat) in the Blazer tank that I installed in the '63 is actually from the original - behind the seat tank. I bought a sending unit from a 1991 Blazer, cut the rheostat off of both the original 63 pickup and the 91 pickup. Checked the travel of the old sender / float against the 91 pickup and then welded it onto the new pickup. Works really well.

I once opened up a rheostat to find a resistor wire wrapped around a later model 90 ohm sender. I unwound the wire, cut 2/3 off of it (leaving 30 ohms) and rewound the wire back onto the rheostat and secured it to the gauge wire. It also worked like a champ.

That might make it a tad less expensive. I'll have to research those.