Re: Grounding a Gas Tank Sending Unit

Posted by HH56 On 2016/8/7 14:43:53

I doubt you are missing anything. The tank itself was the factory ground and ground was obtained by tank metal touching the body or frame and also thru the connected steel fuel tubing. Rust, new paint or new anti squeak strips all contribute to an intermittent or poor ground. If you have an electric pump and the tubing was cut for that install perhaps the most reliable solid ground path source obtained between the tubing connection to tank and where tubing clamps to the frame was interrupted.

It is harder to add a solid ground on the 51-6 tanks since the sender is not retained by screws but some have managed to solder a wire to the sender retaining ring and ground that to the frame. Others have chosen to drill or punch a small hole in the wide flange around the middle of the tank and use a screw to attach a ground wire. If you have a good section of fuel tubing directly connected to the tank and easy to reach perhaps use a clamp or other means and bond a ground wire between the tubing and frame. You could also use a clamp and bond the wire to the tubing on both sides of the pump to re-establish the solid connection.