Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

1951 300 model.
Fuel sender has been reading "E", since i got it out of storage this April.
Farted around with a few things, figured out, its in the tank.
Drained the tank, dropped the tank, pulled the sender.
Low and behold i found the problem...



Yes intrepid readers. That is an aspirin bottle. That was sealed with something, that was not gas proof !
I have tested the sender, it works just fine. Nice and smooth resistance readings.
Sooo... anybody got a float they would be willing to part with ?
Or know of a cheap "Other brand" sender i could buy to rob the float off of ?

BTW: there is supposed to be an O-ring under the sender... correct ?
cause mine has two pieces of inner tube cut to fit, it works, but like the aspirin bottle, its not right.

Thanks all.

Check any of the antique ford venders. I've bought many from them. Better yet, get a plastic one.

I bought this plastic one on Amazon for my '53 Cavalier.




Yes there should be an O-ring.

Is your tank nice and clean inside?

It's a good time to clean up that bit of rust where the sending unit mounts to keep it from spreading, and to make sure you sending unit seals well.

Yes, clean it thoroughly with OSPHO, undiluted, then once dry, seal with Hirsch gas tank sealer. It will last another 100 years!

Two-Bit, that's hilarious. A replacement plastic float no doubt best, but i and a '35 DeSoto Airflow pal got corks of roughly the same diameter as original--you want the admittedly imprecise gas dashboard gauge to read close as possible-- at Ace Hardware. Dipped them thoroughly twice in POR-15, baked them in the warm sun a week.

I thought Aspirin was supposed to help get rid of headaches, not create them!

It has been said before and I know others will disagree but if you had the hole in the trunk floor a lot of trouble draining and dropping the tank could have been avoided. With the tank out and sender awaiting a float, now would be a perfect opportunity to add a hole and also make a plate to cover it to save yourself or some future owner the same trouble again. The carpet or trunk mat will cover the plate and hole so no one but you would know it is there.

Ross published the location dimensions in a post some years back but here they are again for anyone who wants them. If you want to try and find his original post I think he also had some suggestions on how to modify the opening or cut out piece so it could be used as the cover.

Pretty sure Max Merritt caries them

well, i ordered the plastic one. and i have tape measure and yellow paint stick ready.
Do i really wanna cut holes in my car, no. Do i wanna drain and drop the tank again, no.
decisions, decisions