Does a fuel sending unit need to be 'rust inhibited' before re-installing?

[Fredrickson]

Hydro-blasted the (original) sending unit to remove 30+ years of accumulated rust, and now it looks really good.

With all the rust gone, I was wondering if the unit needs to be sprayed with some sort of primer, rust inhibitor, or epoxy coating to prevent it from getting nasty again..

Or is the sender supposed to rust?

Thoughts?

 

[Clb]

do something man
I live in the prk and seal everything

 

[Jesus Freak]

Are you sure it doesn't have pin holes in it now that it's clean? I wouldn't worry about "sealing" it or anything, I'd just make sure you didn't open up a pin hole. No matter what you do, the diesel is going to react with it and remove it. Put it back together and call it good for another 30yrs.

 

[Fredrickson]

I should put some air in the lines to see if anything leaks..
But there don't appear to be any pin holes. (the lines look fairly uniform).

I was just wondering if a coat of POR15 or Mastercoat would help, hinder, be overkill..

 

[franklin2]

It originally had a tin or galvanized coating. I am sure that is gone since you sandblasted it. Spray some rustoleum rusty metal primer on it.

 

[Jesus Freak]

It originally had a tin or galvanized coating. I am sure that is gone since you sandblasted it. Spray some rustoleum rusty metal primer on it.

Won't the diesel just eat it?

 

[Old Goat]

Few years back pulled the bed and replaced the rear tank with a 38 gal one.
Was surprised how rusty the Sender was.
I ordered 2 new ones (front tank also) on them slathered the top with Anti Seiz for protection.

With yours, I would give it a coat of POR 15, should be good for quite a while.
Living in NY and all the salt they use, should out last other parts of the truck.


Goat

 

[franklin2]

Won't the diesel just eat it?

The paint was for the outside exposed to the elements. The sending unit is a bad spot for road dirt to accumulate.