Fuel tank sending unit ground strap

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no, it literally IS the ground for the sending unit. You would need to ground it some other way if you omit the ground strap to get the gauge to work.
 
Rocky_JS said:
no, it literally IS the ground for the sending unit. You would need to ground it some other way if you omit the ground strap to get the gauge to work.
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Not true.... Well I guess it may be true. The tank straps will usually act as ground.
 
Yep, I don't have the strap on my Challenger yet. I bought the short 4" one and needed the long one. The gauge still works. Next time I'm under the car it will get installed.
 
The rubber sealing gasket alone with the rubber hose section completely isolates the sender from chassis ground. If the contact of the sender retaining ring through tank, straps, hardware, was sufficient and dependable the mfgr would never have put the jumper on the fuel line. Yes it will work at times but rain, vibration, even changes in fuel weight, causes more posts here about intermittent gauge operation.
 
In my opinion, the original ground strap was poor thinking. After all, "whut" grounds the fuel line? You're talking about a rusty, sometimes undercoated tube that is only held to the car by some cheap clips here and there. Why would the fuel line be any "better" grounded than the tank/ straps?

Best way to ground this is probably.............

If you have the sender out, solder a ground pigtail to it

If not, clamp a wire to the outlet tube, or solder an additional pigtail to the original ground jumper, then ground the pigtail to the body
 
I'm pretty sure the tubing, its hangers, and frame rails were all fairly clean contact points when new. I don't imagine undercoating would get between those contacts either. 40 plus years later the contacts could be weaker. Only an ohms meter knows for sure.
I agree there is a better way to do most anything but at what cost ?
If you never stop redesigning you never get the first completed product out the door.
"It'll last 10 years, ship it." LOL
 
RedFish said:
The rubber sealing gasket alone with the rubber hose section completely isolates the sender from chassis ground. If the contact of the sender retaining ring through tank, straps, hardware, was sufficient and dependable the mfgr would never have put the jumper on the fuel line. Yes it will work at times but rain, vibration, even changes in fuel weight, causes more posts here about intermittent gauge operation.
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Well I disagree with the rubber sealing gasket isolating the sending unit from ground.

The sealing gasket is behind the sending unit. The Steel washer gets spun right onto and touches the sending unit which then touches the gas tank, gas tank straps touch tank, straps touch chassis. It is grounded........ Sorry
 
Mad Dart said:
Well I disagree with the rubber sealing gasket isolating the sending unit from ground.

The sealing gasket is behind the sending unit. The Steel washer gets spun right onto and touches the sending unit which then touches the gas tank, gas tank straps touch tank, straps touch chassis. It is grounded........ Sorry
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I was going to let that go until you brought it up. :D
 
My gauge is working and while under the car this weekend I noticed the metal strap is only connected on one end, the main fuel line side. I will reconnect it, I am sure it was put there at the factory for some reason.
 
Cartboy67 said:
My gauge is working and while under the car this weekend I noticed the metal strap is only connected on one end, the main fuel line side. I will reconnect it, I am sure it was put there at the factory for some reason.
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Static electricity?
 
72ScampTramp said:
Where does the ground go too and from? Photo would help

Posted via Topify on Android
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It is just a strap the straddles the rubber line connecting the sending unit to the supply line. It clips on the line at the sender and the supply line going to the front of the car.
 

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Next question.......why is the sender connected to the line with a rubber hose? The tank and line are solidly attached to the underbody. tmm
 
toolmanmike said:
Next question.......why is the sender connected to the line with a rubber hose? The tank and line are solidly attached to the underbody. tmm
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The rubber hose makes it serviceable if nothing more. Consider there is also a rubber hose between frame mounted hard line and fuel pump. Anywhere the is potential for movement a flexible material is required. Maybe the fuel tank doesn't move when filling and emptying. Betcha those straps would let it move in a accident.
As for the ground strap and what I stated about the rubber components isolating the sender, The retainer spot welded to the tank that the lock ring sits under is not flat or continuous.
All these parts are galvanize coated and just laying against one another. Even a ring terminal with a screw through it has potential for failure.
Their ground path through a daisy chain of parts has proven insufficient everywhere including inside the cabin where environment isn't as great a factor. The fuel sender, like the ground jumper from engine block to firewall, are spots where their engineers recognized a potential fault and took a extra step, spent another dime, however you want to look at it.
Bottom line... If your particular car doesn't need the ground strap today.. Put it in the glove box or somewhere it can be found if/when you do need it.
 
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