Bob Drake Tank and Sender

[38convsedan]

My CS is “blessed” with a Drake tank and sender.

Found out the hard way a bit below 1/4 on gauge really means empty. Don’t ask me how 🤬

Is there a way to calibrate the sender (which many Barners not so affectionately call “crap”)?

[rjlester]

I've had to bend the float arm using other brand sending units to even get it close. I now buy a generic sending unit from Princess Auto and adapt it to the factory flange. Then using an ohmmeter, make the adjustments to the sending unit before I install it.

[rjlester]

Forgot to mention, the sending units have a range rated in ohms. If you know the range its supposed to be (10 ohms full to 90 ohms empty possibly?) then you can verify if it is accurate or not. I don't remember off the top of my head what the exact range is. The sending units I buy are essentially a potentiometer, and I do remember the sending unit I had did not go far enough on the empty side. There was a tab that prevented it from dropping further. I had to bend the tab, and the arm to allow it to go farther on the potentiometer to get the correct reading on empty.

I've done three or four sending units that way, and if the bottom was supposed to be 90, I was not afraid to adjust it to 95 or 100. That way, when it shows empty on the gauge, it actually has a small amount of fuel left. I like it when it goes BELOW empty, and then it's actually empty.

Hope this makes sense!

[FortyNiner]

Aren't the OE gauges King Seely? Those don't operate on the resistance model.

[JayChicago]

Originally Posted by 38convsedan

My CS is “blessed” with a Drake tank and sender.

Found out the hard way a bit below 1/4 on gauge really means empty. Don’t ask me how 🤬

Is there a way to calibrate the sender (which many Barners not so affectionately call “crap”)?

No way to calibrate that I know of. As said in post #4, the gauge works on a different principal, not intended for a variable resistance sender.

I was able to get my aftermarket sender to let the gauge needle down to E when tank is empty by adding a ten ohm resistor to the sender wire just ahead of the tank. Every situation would be different, you will need trial-and-error to see how much resistance to add. And that will only get the gauge accurate at empty. You will not be able to get it to read accurately over the full scale.

[Eagle43]

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I just went through this experience with my almost finished '52 F1. Sender wasn't working and spent $75 for a new one on eBay. Installed it and it only went up to 1/2 when full. Read through lots of posts on the topic on this forum and FTE. Took my old one apart and cleaned it with electric contact cleaner and gave the arm a good workout. It now works and installed it. Fiddled with the new one and found it can be adjusted by bending the tangs and arm. It now reads correctly as well. That's some cash and hours I'll never get back.

My conclusion with the new ones is they will work fine if you take them out of the tank, hook them up temporarily and make appropriate bends and adjustments to the tangs and or arm until the gauge reads correctly. Make really sure that the unit is grounded properly. I put in a separate ground wire to the floor. Install and drive the vehicle for awhile. Repeat adjustments as required.

The sender I bought is a T3202 made by Dynacorn International, known for muscle car parts. These are sold by many venders and they wouldn't be selling them for Ford cars and truck over the years if they didn't work. As a variable resister or potentiometer they are pretty simple in design and not much can go wrong with them except for corrosion.

[38 coupe]

The King Seeley gauges used in our old Fords are not straight resistance units driven by a potentiometer. There is a heating element, a bi-metalic strip, and points in both the sending unit an the gauge. A simple potentiometer will not duplicate the operation of the original sending unit.

[cadillac512]

Originally Posted by 38convsedan

My CS is “blessed” with a Drake tank and sender.

Found out the hard way a bit below 1/4 on gauge really means empty. Don’t ask me how 🤬

Is there a way to calibrate the sender (which many Barners not so affectionately call “crap”)?

As mentioned, the replacement senders won't duplicate the accuracy of the original King Seely units.
However, they can be adjusted to work well enough for me.



If the gauge is reading 1/4 but you're out of fuel, remove the sender and bend the float arm upward so it reads empty at a higher point. It may take more than one adjustment. Mine ('41 Merc) reads Full when it's full and Empty with about 3 gallons left. It's not linear over the scale but that really doesn't bother me-I'm used to it. The main thing is that Empty is accurate.



Terry

[38convsedan]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! I’ll tackle this issue and see how it goes….

Just wondering, since tank and fuel line were installed by previous owner, is it also possible fuel line is not seated far enough down in the tank? How does one properly install a fuel line in the tank?

[SoCalCoupe]

I've dinked around with my stock setup. The sender needs to be refurbished but to my knowledge, no one does that.


Even worse, I don't really know what the stock fuel tank capacity is: 11.5 gal for a stock 1941 coupe according to the EFV8 club green book? OMFG! I'm getting like 12.5 mpg in the city so this is a range of only 143 mil on a tank of gas. I'm lucky I've never run out of gas! I thought it more like 17-19 gallons after looking at the parts catalogues.

[38 coupe]

There used to be someone who advertised in Hemmings and repaired the factory fuel sending units. A friend of mine had several sending units repaired with success. Does anyone know who was doing that, and if the service is still offered?


Another good read from previous people here on the Ford Barn with fuel sending unit problems:
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...0451&showall=1

[slowforty]

My gauge at half full is empty. Large sign on dash. One Half Tank on Gauge Is EMPTY.

[highbeams]

Originally Posted by SoCalCoupe

I've dinked around with my stock setup. The sender needs to be refurbished but to my knowledge, no one does that.


Even worse, I don't really know what the stock fuel tank capacity is: 11.5 gal for a stock 1941 coupe according to the EFV8 club green book? OMFG! I'm getting like 12.5 mpg in the city so this is a range of only 143 mil on a tank of gas. I'm lucky I've never run out of gas! I thought it more like 17-19 gallons after looking at the parts catalogues.

Typically 12 on EFV8s.

[highbeams]

Hey #11: How about a well-known local auto shop that people suggest. Someone will at least look at it and possibly get some people together to talk about it.

[Angledrive]

For fuel sender restoration I use John Wolfe & Co. https://www.antiqueinstrument.com/