Re: 53 Clipper fuel tank sending unit

Posted by HH56 On 2022/1/29 14:47:51

Floats are available and if your sender is an original or the 51-6 repro made a few years ago do a search for a Ford brass fuel float. Available from several vendors but check the size because Fords apparently used more than one diameter. Other sender floats would depend on the type sender it was. Cork floats for older model Packards are also available at some other mfgs vendor places but finding the exact size needed is a bit more effort or might take some doubling up of cork or change to the arm end the cork slides over.

To test the sender, use an ohmmeter and start at a lower scale setting somewhere around 100-200 ohms. Place the leads between the terminal and the flange. At empty it should be reading in the neighborhood of 70-80 ohms with 73 given as the spec. At full it should be around 10 ohms. As you move the float the ohm reading on the meter should change slowly and smoothly as you go from one end to the other. Any areas with a complete dropout or if it does any large jumps up or down before the numbers in the reading settle back to the expected value and sender would be suspect.

Note that with digital meters, depending on the scale set on the meter there could be a momentary drop as the readout automatically changes decimal point or scale sensitivity settings. This is not quite the same as what happens if the sender loses contact. Changing to a different scale with a higher value and redoing the test will usually move the range so a decimal point does not come into play making it easier to tell if it was just a meter readout glitch or if there is a problem in the sender.

If there is a dropout then whether the sender needs to be replaced is open for discussion. A small one might not make much difference as the 53 gauge is the bimetal heat type and is slow to respond. The dropout may never be seen but then becomes a judgement call because the dropout could get worse. If the area is large enough then it could be an issue because when the fuel reaches that level the gauge will drop to empty for a period of time before the fuel level changes enough to let the sender make contact and gauge read again.