Fuel Tank Sending Units

[Tristan]

Hi everyone,
I have some work planned on my fuel tanks this spring/summer. One is to do the fuel neck mod and the other is to replace the sending units and the pick up tubes in both tanks. So I called the Genuine Ford Parts place < http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=213787 > looking for the sending units and was told that the front one is still available, but that the back tank unit was no longer available for the 6.9. However, the rear sending for the 7.3 87-92 is still available. So my question is, what could the difference be between the two??? Will the 7.3 unit work on my truck?
Thanks guys,
Tristan

 

[yARIC008]

I'm not sure about the differences, but you should explore the option of just repairing them too. The gauge is just a variable resistor that is attatched to a floater. The contacts can get dirty and make it not work. As for the pickup tube a piece of well measured fuel hose can do the trick.

 

[Tristan]

I thought the actual contacts wore out on the sending units? If they do just get dirty that would be cool. On the other had I would hate to get all the way into the tanks and not have the parts on hand...

 

[dancrowley]

Fuel tank senders

The contacts usally ware out in the middle so when the tank is full or empty the gauge works. Any thing in between and the needle just bounces around.. Dan

 

[Tristan]

So does anyone know what the difference could be between the 6.9 and 7.3 rear sending unit?

 

[Agnem]

Most likely the resistance value of the sender. The trucks up to 86 (which would be most 6.9's) used 6 volt gauges with an instrument voltage regulator (that really just kept turning on and off the 12 volts to the gauges at some frequency). Later trucks had equally as useless 12 volt gauges.

 

[h2odrx]

...or the 7.3 87-92 is still available. Tristan

If that is what they said? Then it should work for the 6.9 seeing that i have an 87 6.9!

 

[Tristan]

Thanks for the input guys. So Mel, mine being an 87 it should have the 12V gauges so the newer sending unit should work?