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A Diamond in the Rough
A Resurrection Tale with Pictures
The fuel sender for the 1940 Diamond T was in rough shape when it was unboxed at Bob’s Speedometer. Saying this does not mean that this particular fuel sender was by any means even close to being in the worst condition that the techs there have restored to fully working functionality. Truth be told, this particular fuel sender was in better than average condition than a lot of the fuel senders are when they are taken out of the box to be repaired at Bob’s Speedometer.
So let’s take a look and see what we have here, shall we?
Here’s what our techs determined on the initial inspection-
1) Rust – check
2) Corrosion – check
3) Grime – check
4) Gum/Varnish – check
5) Leaking Float – check
6) Seized Mechanism – check
Oh and by the way, if you were surprised to discover that the insides of the sender were in even sadder shape than the outsides, then you’ve obviously not worked with as many fuel senders as the techs at Bob’s Speedometer have.
Believe it or not, beneath all that rust, corrosion and varnish, there was a bit of good news. Although the sender is obviously in dire need of a good cleaning, and some significant reconstruction, the actual resistance coil inside was not damaged or broken, as was determined by bench testing it with a multimeter.
From this point on, the focus is on working to free the seized mechanicals, making sure there is solid continuity at each and every contact point in the circuit, replacing the leaking float, and cleaning everything as thoroughly as possible. It’s a time consuming process if it is done thoroughly and correctly. Having a knack for attention to detail is also a plus in this type of project. Let’s take a peek and see how the work is progressing-
Side by side comparison in our before and after pictures show a startling difference in the condition of the fuel sender once the techs at Bob’s Speedometer have worked their magic. Depending upon the design of the fuel sender being worked on, the results can be less dramatic. Other times it can be even more startling. This is also the time to address the leaking float issue, which is simply replaced with a brand new one in this case.
Now it’s time to re-assemble everything, and then one last trip to the test bench for a final check for proper operation before the fully restored fuel sender is shipped back to the customer.
Thanks for following along with our pictorial essay on a typical fuel sender repair and restoration at Bob’s Speedometer. Keep checking our website for more pictorials as they become available!
A Diamond in the Rough – A Resurrection Tale With Pictures
David Jarrett for Bob’s Speedometer (C) 01/24/2013
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