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Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

Aaargh! I replaced my front inner and outer tie rods this morning, Iowa now being warm enough to do this, and in so doing jacked the front of the car in the air. I soon noticed the smell of gasoline coming from the rear and saw a leak on the floor. After I opened up the access hatch to the fuel tank top, I found that the sender assembly had rusted and was leaking when the tank was full and sloshing or the car tilted up at the front. This cannot be fixed: it has to be replaced, at a cost of about $500 when you throw hoses and rusted clamps in.

To prevent this, consider rustproofing your fuel sender top if you live in the rust belt or you open up the hatch to replace a pre-pump or in-tank hose. I will definitely POR-15 my new unit, and spray it with 3M rustproof. The design and location is such that it will almost certainly rust without any protection. Clean off the sender top with brake cleaner and remove all the old factory rustproof. Using a small wire brush, carefully remove loose rust from the top WITHOUT touching the wire connections, which are fragile. The apply POR-15. When this is dry, apply the 3M spray and reinstall in the tank.
--
See the 700/900 FAQ under 'Select Link' button on the top right.








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    Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

    Hello Steve:

    Sorry to hear about the rust-- you are making me afraid to look-- if yours is rusty, mine is doubtlessly worse...

    Do you have much experience with POR-15? I've heard plenty of good things, but never have tried it... I know some aircooled VW acquaintances have advocated coating the VW muffler systems inside and out with POR-20 (their heat-proof paint) and they swear it makes them last nearly forever!

    Both of my '92s are at the point of needing rust intervention in spots-- at local prices it simply doesn't pay to paint anymore these days. Cheap resprays are not an effective way to stop rust, and doing it right at $50/hr with $500 in paint and supplies adds up to the cost of another car pretty quickly! I have been using cheap knock-off "rust converter", but it is a stopgap measure to be sure!

    I'd love to hear your opinions of POR-15...

    Cheers!
    --
    Herb Goltz, Aurora, Ontario, Canada '92 245 w/130K mi, '92 945T w/200K mi








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      Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

      Herb:

      I first used POR-15 on my kid's Chevy Cavalier, a rust magnet, and it worked fine (although it cannot prevent rust occurring on the other side of a painted body panel). I've also used it on old Raleigh bikes, likewise prone to rust, and they are still spotless under their new paint.

      The only problem I've had is that the stuff is moisture-cured. So if you get ANY moisture in the can, the next time you open it you've got a hardened block of catalyzed paint at $20 a pop. Most people buy small quantities at a time, or divide up a larger quantity into glass jars with secure screw tops. Remember too that it is UV sensitive: it has to be topcoated if any sunlight will hit the painted spot.

      Anyway, I am definitely going to do this on my three 940s as well as the 740. $1500 worth of rusted fuel sending units does not appeal to me.
      --
      See the 700/900 FAQ under 'Select Link' button on the top right.








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        Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

        Do you need some unrusted used fuel sending units?
        --
        john








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          Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

          The sender units vary by application. I need the unit for a 90 745 with Bosch non-turbo system. Got one? I've got a good prepump, so that can be swapped out.
          --
          See the 700/900 FAQ under 'Select Link' button on the top right.








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            Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

            I have at least one here. It is my spare with pre-pump. In my experience, all of the LH fuel injection cars with plastic fuel tank cars take the same sending unit assembly. The sending units with pre-pump run about $20 each in our rust free self serve wrecking yards. Without pre-pump, the units will be less.
            --
            john








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              Rusting Fuel Sender Top and Preventive Maintenance

              Wow, you are fortunate with self-serve yards nearby. I'll send a separate email with instructions.

              Thanks.

              Steve







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