Hot Rods Gas gauge sending unit screws spinning on 32 Ford fibre glass tank

Hi everyone, don't know if this has been answered before but I did a quick search and but came up empty. I have to change the sending unit in a 32 Ford gl*** tank. Screws are spinning, gas has been emptied , but tank is still mounted. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Most gas tank sending units I come across have 10-32 machine screws holding them in. If your screw holes are stripped out and there is a metal ring bonded to the tank, you can get the appropriate heli-coils to restore the threads.

 

I think he's asking how to remove the stripped screws.

 

Are you trying to get them out still? You can put a thin putty knife or similar under the head of screw, and pry up while slowly turning them out.

 

Is a fibergl*** tank safe? Just wondering never heard of one. Lippy

 

Really? Millions of boat and motorcycle owners have....

 

I even think my 2016 Silverado has one as well.

 

Hanging off the back of a 32 Ford I can understand why guys question a fibergl*** tank, if you got rear ended it wouldn't take much to rupture it and possibly create a fire, but this isn't answering the question.

I don't know anything about a fibergl*** gas tank, does it have a reinforced metal ring for the sending unit? if so that can be drilled out and re tapped to the next largest size machine screw. HRP

 

I use needle nose vise grips on the fastener. As I twist, I pull up.

 

You mean Polystyrene or plastic? Like a fuel cell? Lippy

 

If all else fails , fill the tank with water and grind the heads off the offending screws , at least then you'll know what you're dealing with ....

 

Get a nut rivet kit from Harbor Freight.

https://www.harborfreight.com/45-piece-threaded-insert-riveter-kit-1210.html

 

No. Like fake 32 bodies, T bucket bodies and the least well known of course..... those seldom seen Corvette bodies.

 

I am not an artiste so will verbally paint my picture.
Take 2 holesaws one the inside diameter. (size of the hole) and plus the diameter of hole plus say .500 inch . Mark mounting pattern. I would use some .125 material.
Drill and tap holes , make a slice in adaptor slide adaptor into hole aligning holes, install a long screw with head cut off install sender. After screws are installed replace screw with head cut off.

 

Take the tank out first easier to work on. Two pairs of hands would help here. While holding screw head with molegrips drill a small pilot hole through the centre of the each screw. Then the screw heads off. Remove sender unit, then hopefully you can hold the end of the screw in the tank with thin nose molegrips while drill the rest of the screw out. Then drill to suit thread insert.

 

Might be better to drop it out, then flat blade screwdrivers around the edge ( used as wedges to force up) then unscrew, Tap the screwdrivers in a bit, unscrew, repeat
(My money is on plastic tank, just sayin)

 

Then what the heck are you going to do?? You just cut off your leverage point.

 

Drill the offending fastener(s) or riv-nut out and replace it ! its far easier to work on something you can see !IMO

 

17 answers and it still looks like we don't know what the real issue is/
Is it that the screws were over tightened and stripped the holes in the fibergl***? as in sheet metal screws?
Or is it that you can't back the screws out of the holes as several are ***uming?

 

Some of the reproduction fibergl*** tanks use a knurled nut that is moulded into the fibergl***. I believe what he is saying is that the nut is spinning in the gl***. Later tanks have a ring impregnated in the fibergl*** and that eliminates the problem. I would fabricate a br*** ring and tap the holes for the sender unit and gl*** it into the tank.

 

Yes, The whole thing is spinning. I drilled out the screw heads, and this is how it looks. Put a 10/32 nut and tried to pry it up, it spins , but doesn't pop out.

 

Put vise grips on the inside portion to hold it. If that isn't possible, it looks to me like you will have to drill each one out with a very small increase in diameter each time to avoid spinning the nutsert as much as possible. No easy way that I've ever seen. 2nd thought: cut the tank lip from the center towards the nutsert and slid the part out into the hole. That may cause the least amount of damage to the tank.

 

Can you make a ring with holes to fit over the remains of the screws with new holes& threads in between the original ones then gl*** or glue it to the tank, it will be above the height of the original but will allow the sender unit to be removed and replaced in the future..........andyd

 

Fixing 'gl*** tank sounds like an ongoing maintenance problem. I'd think about ordering a steel tank from Tanks, Inc.

Phil

 

With the alcohol fuels of today ,having a fuel tank that doesnt rust makes more sense than ever IMO

 

I saw a cherry original tank at GG swap meet for $200 in Nov, man I didn’t need it, but I thought hard about having a spare since mine has been repaired once

 

Expanding the last photo it looks like the inserts protrude into the tank. Can you get a hold of the insert from inside and hold it while unscrewing the screws with Vicegrips? If you can’t, cut the screws off flush, use a cone shaped stone in a Dremel to grind the screws and tops of the inserts and push them out.
Once they are out, make a metal ring the size of the gasket and drill the hole pattern in it twice. Drill the tank to match. Put new inserts in one pattern on the ring and cut it in two. (You could make the ring thick enough to thread) Put the segments in the tank and bolt them in the old holes with flathead screws, washers and stop nuts (pinch type may be better than Nylock). That should plug the old holes and give you new ones. Watch the bolt pattern carefully, it may not be symmetrical.
I repaired a boat gas tank that way.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

First I would try getting the screws out using vice grips as has been previously if not possible drill them down so they are flush as previously said. Put the sender unit back in turn it 60 degrees so that the holed in the sender unit are halfway between the old holes. Mark one hole through the sender unit onto the tank. Drill this hole to take nut rivet. Remove the sender and insert a nut rivet with a washer as large as possible inside the tank for it to grip on. Put the sender unit back and with a screw in the first riv nut do the same to a second hole which should be two round. put the sender unit back hold with two screws and then drill and riv nut the other three. Job done. The reason I say 1 then another 1 is less likely to not have the holes lining up properly. Hope the reply does not sound condescending as I just wanted to make clear what I meant.

 

Is it possible to grab them and pull out with a slide hammer?

 

I hate thumbnails
That is a rivnut and it’s enclosed in gl***
You ain’t grabbing it.
Personally I’d get a new tank but you could
Try this -
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...le-saw-tech-for-you-guys.854599/#post-9445302

Then make an adapter ring to mount the sender. Your problem is going to be debris.