Anyone run across a NEW black foam float on a NEW fuel sender not float?

73, replaced fuel tank and installed a new fuel sender from a reputable supplier. (don't want to say just in case it's something else).

Tested sender to gauge prior to tank installation and after. Wet the tank/sender for the first time this weekend. Put in the 5 gals from a jug. Gauge read E which should have been 1/4.

Fortunately 73 has a huge fill neck and can peer clearly into tank. Float was submerged. Was able to, with a stick magnet, raise and lower freely and reads correctly at the appropriate manual level.

If you drop the arm from the high position it will freely fall below the fuel level about 1/4 tank indicated so doesn't seem impeded or stuck.

If you release it at the fluid level it will reluctantly stay there but can be pushed down without the desire to return to the surface. So skeptical road sloshing with entice it.

Went so far as to drain fuel and replace with 5 gals fresh fuel from a different vendor in case for some reason I had a bad batch of fuel. Same results.

I have another coming and going to test for buoyancy in a bucket before removing the old one.

Had it not had a huge fill neck to peer inside, I would have never had float not floating on my bingo card. An old school brass one with a pin hole maybe but not a black foam one.

 

I ve not run across your particular problem but I have run across many new part failures. If the replacement does the same Id try another source.

 

Denniscars,

I'm betting the arm got magnetized in some way - the foam should float, so something is now letting it move freely, or its falling towards the magnetic source. "SOMETHING" is pulling it down, foam floats, so unless the foam is taking on fuel which should be easy to see, I would expect bubbles to outgas when its sinking.

If its not taking on fuel, then it has to be some force pulling it down, ovewhelming the foam.

 

I too, am finding new parts are becoming more and more suspect. You also have to inspect your parts when you pick up from your local flaps. Had to take a starter solenoid back two times because "that guy" before me took parts off and returned.

Which is why we can't have nice things. Hopefully there is a special place in hell for "that guy."

Hope to know more with my science experiment, that won't require tainting with a magnet.

Waiting at the curb for the brown truck today. But kudos to the vendor for sending a replacement without balking or complaint.

 

Since I believe it should be mandatory that requestor be required to report back on the issue thrown out there, here's what I found.

The short answer, I believe these floats are just barely positive buoyant, maybe to dampen the gauge slosh.

I received the new replacement sender in a timely manner. Where I promptly put the float/sock in a bucket of the same gas. If you put it in gently the float stays in the E position. If you wiggle it in a sloshing motion it eventually rises to the level. If you remove it gravity will bring it back to the E position. Resubmerging it stays at E until you slosh it again.

Fortunately I didn't get ahead of myself and start to tear down to replace. Since this is a big block car there is not much jumping up and down on the car to get the fuel to slosh enough to break it away.

This was the last step to fire the car after some months of work. Got the car started and timing set. At idle the float still did not move. But after setting max timing and some throttle blips the float decided it was time to come to the surface.

So I had too much information and not enough information. Too much that I could see in the neck and not enough information that this is normal. Had I put in fuel and just turned key on, which is what I did, I would have thought the sender bad because it was stuck on E. Had it been a singular repair I probably would have driven around and it would have eventually bobbed up.

So we'll see after a take a test lap around the block and to get more fuel.

Will have to reach out to vendor and offer to pay for the replacement sender since it wasn't their fault. It'll be worth me paying, because it's the right thing to do, and I'd rather pay them than have to get to the sender, remove, take a gas bath just to put back.

In summary, if you have this problem and things test out ok after a replacement take it out and Bo Duke it over some railroad tracks before taking out again.