Fuel System: fuel tank sending unit

[ken-renda]

This summer gas gauge stopped working on 57 GH; pulled sending unit yesterday to find 1/2 of cork missing so remaining float is not sufficient to rise up when tank is full. Both the gauge and sending unit are electronically OK. Does anyone sell the cork? Ken, Deltaville, Va

[gordr]

I would recommend that you go to a FLAPS and search for a replacement brass or hollow plastic float. You might have to modify the end of the arm to accept one, but it would be a permanent repair. The cork floats were sealed with shellac, and the ethanol in today's gas will soften it.

[K-Hawk]

the Cork Float on your Studebaker Fuel Level Sending Unit
by Henry M. Votel, Forest Lake, MN.

The fuel sending unit on my 1954 Studebaker Champion worked but did not read accurately after 50+ years of use. My suspicions were confirmed when I removed the gas tank for a cleaning in the Winter of 2006-07. After all those years and the newer formulations of gas there was no trace of the original shellac coating on the cork floats. Just holding them in my hand confirmed they were soaked and this caused them to be sinking when the tank was filled. The gauge never showed it above 3/4’s full. A few days later after the corks dried they were very light.

Chatting with others and reading the few internet search results I could find had suggestions ranging from getting new corks from the hardware store to coating corks with modern sealers as a fix. Not thinking these very good solutions I kept searching and came across references and suggestions about replacing brass floats on sending units. that sounded like the thing to do. I started checking for brass floats, found a few on eBay and along the way saw some plastic floats used on newer sending units.

I came across a reference at the Imperial Club web pages that gave a reference to a Ford Part number: http://www.imperialclub.com/Repair/Fuel/sending.htm

[Welcome]

This summer gas gauge stopped working on 57 GH; pulled sending unit yesterday to find 1/2 of cork missing so remaining float is not sufficient to rise up when tank is full. Both the gauge and sending unit are electronically OK. Does anyone sell the cork? Ken, Deltaville, Va

I am not aware of anyone selling a correct new cork for the C/K gas tank gage sending unit. IFexactly" the same dimensions as the original, right down to having that "FLAT AREA" like on your original cork. As you likely know, that "FLAT AREAGood Luck!!!

[ken-renda]

i am not aware of anyone selling a correct new cork for the c/k gas tank gage sending unit. if …you should find a replacement cork, make certain it is "exactly" the same dimensions as the original, right down to having that "flat area" like on your original cork. As you likely know, that "flat area" on the cork is designed to swing up towards the inside-top of the c/k gas tank and provide a needed (1/8") clearance when the tank is full …or near full. If …there is no clearance, you’ll never get the needle on the fuel gage to read (f) full.

Ken, another option would be to buy a reproduced 1956 c/k design gas tank gage sending unit and simply pipe-plug that un-needed fuel pick-up tube.




good luck!!!

thanks, who has the reproduced 56 ck gas tank sending unit? Ken

[Welcome]

thanks, who has the reproduced 56 ck gas tank sending unit? Ken

Better yet, appears they now make one for your '57 Golden Hawk as well.

Take a look around ....here is their website: http://www.mykmlifestyle.com/

Good Luck!!!

[dcat917]

I had the same problem with the cork. My solution was to take a candelabra bulb to replace the cork. You can solder the base to the sending unit arm. I then used dental floss to tie the bulb down around the widest area. Then soak the dental floss in thin super glue.

[dcat917]

As an aside, I measured the sending unit on my DVM and did some youtube videos that may help:

Part1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgFz4p3KRxs
Part2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqbW-zrZMrs

It would be nice if someone tested out some 12v SU's to see if they are different in ohm range. If you do, please post to this thread for completeness.

[dcat917]

From StudeRich:

The only info I have is: 240 Ohms Empty, 33 Ohms Full. But that is for 12 Volt units, if you have done a conversion

[Jackson]

I just finished work on my 64 Daytona CNV gas guage sending unit, the guage originally showed about half full when topped off. I found the sending unit read from about 90 ohms when the cork was on the same plane as the mount to 200 ohms when the cork was hanging at full deflection. I bent the stops on the sending unit so that it read about 5 ohms when on the same plane as the mount and 200 ohms at full deflection. I checked the guage reading before installing the sending unit and it showed from empty at 5 ohms to full at 200 ohms. After installing the sending unit the guage showed about 3/4 full, which is about the amount of gas in the tank, the sending unit read about 50 ohms.

[JoeHall]

As far as sender & gage compatibility, all hawk gages and senders will interchange and read accurately; a GT gage will work accurately in a 56J and visa versa. It is the 1956/57 picklup tubes that make those years specific; the 1956 has a 5/16" and 1957 has 3/8" IIRC. I have seen later senders that had the hole in the body for a tube, but no tube; have always wondered if a person could just swap the tube out of an inop sender into a newer type.
I have also used the JC Whitney ($15) successfully in later Hawks that did not have a pick up tube.

Lots of options.

[TXmark]

I used a plastic float from a SU carb