Special T Fuel Sender Unit

[TheOriginalMrP]

Has anybody installed or had any experience with one of John Hervey's new stainless fuel senders?



I have had problems in the last few weeks of my current fuel sender not dropping into the tank all the way, and the cap not screwing on properly and thus leaking as a result.

I have an early reproduction sender which is known to be over sized but I was wondering if the stainless one will work as well. Because its not as wide at the bottom and the seal not so fat, it should solve my problem. I just want to know if they work ok before I commit to buying one. Its identical to the one underneath but annoyingly mine has 2 domed screw heads on the bottom making it that bit longer... I'm concerned removing these screws and replacing for countersunk ones might damage its operation.



I will then sell my old one as there is nothing wrong with it - you just need to install it while the fuel tank is out of the car!

if these work ok with no issue then I will be placing an order!

[stunned_monkey]

1) If you can screw the ring on without the seal in place then it isn't the length of the sender causing the problems
2) the two screws block off holes in the borrom of the sender. You can just remove them, but hte sneder will react faster under braking and accellerating.

[Chris Williams]

Ben, I have one on order along with one of his angle drives to try. It's somewhere over the atlantic at the moment! I was going to post pics when I got it.

[TheOriginalMrP]

Martin Wrote:1) If you can screw the ring on without the seal in place then it isn't the length of the sender causing the problems

Yes, but with the seal removed, it allows you to locate the lug properly and move the sender around so the threads get a good grip. Its like the seal is too fat. I may change the screws on the bottom for countersunk ones but I know you are right in what you are saying. The seal should raise the sender off the bottom of the tank, but when you screw the cap it unlocates from the lug causing the whole lot to go awkward and cross thread. Its a case of its been a problem before, and I either bite the bullet and remove the tank, which isn't an option as I have no lift where I am, or I go for a shorter sender which doesnt hit the bottom of the tank and a slimmer seal which allows the cap to screw up properly.


Of I could just cap the sender off and keep a piece of cane in the car to use as a dipstick for the fuel! lol

Chris, if it turns out to be good and easy to fit then let me know... But this is something I want to do soon as I need the car useable by mid april... without fuel leaks!

Ben

[Chris Williams]

Quote:Chris, if it turns out to be good and easy to fit then let me know... But this is something I want to do soon as I need the car useable by mid april... without fuel leaks

OK no worries, might be worth posting on DMCTalk to get opinions then, not sure when I will get around to it. Need to fit a new Radiator and condensor first, get the handbrake & MOT done then fit the angle drive to get a working speedo. My fuel gauge works below 1/2 just does not register above half way so this is low down the list at the mo
Chris

[TheOriginalMrP]

The radiator and condenser are not difficult although I never had to disconnect the condenser hoses so can't comment there. The 2 things that snagged me afterwards was the short hoses onto the aluminum pipes leaked both ends.... Has to loosen both sides to get the stumpy hoses on because it can't be gripped. And when reassembling the front spoiler, the bolts behind the nearside are a bum because of the washer bottle. They came out easy enough but yet again, that 1bolt took me as long as putting the whole spoiler rock guard and radiator cowling together properly! You wait till you need to do a heater core and evaporator! ;-)

[stunned_monkey]

TheOriginalMrP Wrote:Its like the seal is too fat.

DING! I remember now! It's because the seal swells in the presence of fuel. not dangerously or tot he point of failure, just enough to make it a sod to reinstall! I think Dave S sent me a replacement seal...

[TheOriginalMrP]

Well it must have swollen permanently then because there has been no fuel in the tank since the second week of December! But I'd prefer to try a new seal first before buying a complete sender!

Who is Dave S and how can obtain one Martin?

Thanks!

[Guinney1971]

prob Dave Swingle in the US, although not sure how to contact him.

I'd be interested to know if the SpecialT fuel sender works better then the DMCH one that I've had in my car
for about 11yrs, that never reads full, even when tank brimmed, and is about as random as you can get.

On a slightly different note, when we bought our Mk1 Espace last year, it came with loads of spares, including
a fuel sender, which looks identical to a DeLorean one...............

[Chris Williams]

As promised and at Ben's request hear are some pictures of John's fuel sender. The important bit is as per the instructions you no longer have a low fuel warning light, so if this important to you then another vendors may suit you more?
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
Chris

[TheOriginalMrP]

Hi Chris. Thanks for the pictures.

I've made a decision.

I'm going to buy some 1.5mm thick cork sheet, cut carefully around my existing seal with a craft knife, and providing it will then screw on ok, I will use petrol resistant gasket to mount the cork to the sender.

When the gasket has gone off, I will refit the sender and screw the cap on within an inch of its life, and just be happy the cap does up.

I presume cork is leak resistant as it's been used on yours and it appears in wine bottle necks everywhere without leaks.

I've got a choice of 1mm, 1.5mm, 2.5mm and 3mm thicknesses. The thicker it is, the more likely it is to cross thread again...

If you could measure the thickness of your cork on that sender Chris, it will be a great help.

I am also going to grind the locating notch off my sender as it is apparent that it serves no purpose for any aftermarket sender, therefore obtaiting a better seal.

That notch might be the reason nobody else can get the tank to seal tidy after fitting a non standard sender.

Cheers again Chris

[Chris Williams]

Quote:If you could measure the thickness of your cork on that sender Chris, it will be a great help

It's 4mm mate.
Chris

[TheOriginalMrP]

Thanks Chris

Think I will stick with the 1.5mm as my sender head might be deeper than your new one, and that makes all the difference when it comes to getting the cap on!...

As long as it squashes down it will seal!

[Chris Williams]

It seems I now have a spare new fuel sender :roll: having removed my old sender unit (origional) it seems that all it needed was to be taken apart/cleaned/re-built and now works fine, so if any one is in need of a new fuel sender from SpecialT then let me know and I'm sure we can work something out!
Chris

[Chris P]

I did the same with vin 522's…..cleaned, new wires now fine.