Least Shoddy Fuel Sending Unit?

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MCPObr44

MCPObr44

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Rodeo NM
Hey guys!
I find myself seeking advice once again. Just like every A body from the beginning of time, my fuel gauge doesn't work! Yay! This isn't the first time I've had to fix it, but this time I have to get a new sending unit because I can't afford the down time of having my daily driver out of commission while I fix the original mopar sender.

So... what's the best aftermarket sending unit? I know they all suck, but which one sucks the least? I tried doing a search, but every single post went into how they suck without going into detail on specific sending units and which ones might be at least tolerable for a little while.

I only intend to have the thing installed for a week or two while I fix my original one. I even know exactly what the problem is without even having the unit out. It's that violin shaped phenolic board with the resistor windings all around it. I know my gauge is good, and I've already done the solid state mod for the voltage regulator on the instrument cluster.

Thanks!
 
None that I have heard of. All the repop senders are built the same. An original rebuilt is the way to go. Hopefully someone will chime in who rebuilds them or the information on the calibration adapters available. I have read about both in threads here at FABO.
 
toolmanmike said:
None that I have heard of. All the repop senders are built the same. An original rebuilt is the way to go. Hopefully someone will chime in who rebuilds them or the information on the calibration adapters available. I have read about both in threads here at FABO.
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Oh don't worry about that. I'll just rebuild it myself. I've done it before.
 
Why not post a want ad for a used one? Rebuild it and swap it out. Then rebuild your original for a spare.
 
I installed a repop in my car ,seems okay ,the thing is to use the old lock ring since the new one,s don't seem to tighten up enough
 
Get any pickup that is cheap. And use it while you are fixing yours.

You know how many gallons your tank holds, you know what your gas milage is so you know you can go x number of miles between fillups. My dad put 150,000 miles on his/my dart that way, and only ran out of gas once.
 
I’ve read that the Vans unit’s suck the least. Out of the box they read 77 empty and 8 full, which is on par with the factory specs. I do know that you need to play with them, and accept the fact that you’re better off showing 3/4 full and empty, than full and run out at 1/4 tank.
 
I have used a meter match successfully on my aftermarket sender. Make it read pretty close
 
MCPObr44 said:
Oh don't worry about that. I'll just rebuild it myself. I've done it before.
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Man talk about making a few $$ in ur spare time , if you could fabricate the right pieces and market them , just on here , you`d sell a bunch . Me included . I have everything new in mine , including the new afore mentioned reg , and mine still don't work right !
 
famous bob said:
Man talk about making a few $$ in ur spare time , if you could fabricate the right pieces and market them , just on here , you`d sell a bunch . Me included . I have everything new in mine , including the new afore mentioned reg , and mine still don't work right !
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I replaced the sending unit in my car and changed the guage in the cluster ,hope it is fairly accurate.Also changed the circuit board
 
I don't think there is a big difference in the aftermarket units. In all my time in this forum I've seen one that leaked fuel at its wire terminal ( I don't know what brand or vendor that was ), and a link to a low priced unit that had a plastic float.
They all will move the gauge needle to full and empty. Its in between where they are wrong. Gauge shows around 1/4 tank and fill up requires only 8 or 9 gallons. I've learned to live with that.
My first purchase was Vans auto parts via ebay. Approx' 7 years later the brass float cracked where is formed for the wire holding it. New float and new seal to repair it would cost about the same as entire new unit from Rockauto so that's the route I took. I saw no difference between these 2 units, construction or function.
 
Everything looked good for the price. Plus a 10 year warranty. I ordered it today.

Screenshot_20191218-113626_Chrome.jpg
 
Anything from Spectra is good. They are in Canada. Their fuel tanks and sending units are good quality.
 
Most of this info has been covered before,so I'll briefly go over relevant facts about original sending units. In the mid sixties to the early seventies the part number was 2421493. From around 1973 to 1975 or early 1976 the number was changed to 3621515. Then Chrysler changed the number to 4051004. When they went to the newest number, the float was plastic. I recall seeing a Chrysler memo telling why they changed to plastic floats. They said because of brass corrosion caused by small amounts of moisture in the fuel they changed floats to plastic.
 
Dana67Dart said:
Get any pickup that is cheap. And use it while you are fixing yours.

You know how many gallons your tank holds, you know what your gas milage is so you know you can go x number of miles between fillups. My dad put 150,000 miles on his/my dart that way, and only ran out of gas once.
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Did precisely this on motorcycles foe-eva and eva and ran out of gas precisely.....never.
 
famous bob said:
Man talk about making a few $$ in ur spare time , if you could fabricate the right pieces and market them , just on here , you`d sell a bunch . Me included . I have everything new in mine , including the new afore mentioned reg , and mine still don't work right !
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Well I'm an electronics tech so soldering is second nature to me. Originally when I got the car the stock sending unit had all sorts of problems. It was leaking around the 5/16 outlet and the phenolic board inside had become detached from the electrical plug. I fixed that all up, but I was able to do it at my leisure because I had access to other cars. Not the case anymore.

What I did wasn't that hard though. Anyone with a soldering iron and some time could do the same. Even if the phenolic board wires are completely toast, you can always get new wire and wrap it yourself.
 
MCPObr44 said:
Well I'm an electronics tech so soldering is second nature to me. Originally when I got the car the stock sending unit had all sorts of problems. It was leaking around the 5/16 outlet and the phenolic board inside had become detached from the electrical plug. I fixed that all up, but I was able to do it at my leisure because I had access to other cars. Not the case anymore.

What I did wasn't that hard though. Anyone with a soldering iron and some time could do the same. Even if the phenolic board wires are completely toast, you can always get new wire and wrap it yourself.
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So first step is find the nichrome resistor wire with correct per inch resistance the mechanically secure it like factory since solder wont stick to the nichrome. good luck
 
WAY over kill for you and most needed here, but here is a 1/2” sending unit made by RobbMc, he makes quality products.

RobbMc Performance Products - 1/2" Sending Unit

I don’t know if his sender reads accurately or not. I don’t have a stock tank, only a fuel cell, but I would have tried it if I could. Maybe I’ll go with one in my other car.
 
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