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Fuel pickups
What do you guys do with your broken off fuel pickups? My fuel gauge sending unit screws are basically glued in place. They are impossible to remove. My old pickups are aluminum (don’t respond to magnet) I guess I’m going to leave them rolling around in the tank? The pickups I made to replace them are steel and are about1/2” off the bottom. Thoughts? https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d109ee7bd.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7c7582d63.jpeg |
It’s eerily quiet here. Come on guys do you think I’ll be OK? 😳 |
I would get them out with a claw pick up tool. Leaving them in banging around all the time IMO is not a good idea period.
So if your sending unit for the gas gauge goes out - then what since you can not get that off ? There should be a gasket seal and small bolts or screws that hold down. Glued down ? maybe a debonding agent to get it off |
Yeah the sending unit is directly underneath the rear cockpit bulkhead, can only get a stubby Phillips in there and the screws are like epoxied in place. Can’t even get a good bite on the screw heads with vice grips. Was considering die grinding the screw heads off slowly with water running across the bit, prolly emptying the tank and running exhaust in there to kill the fumes. Yes I think I’m going to tackle that now. I’m with you, not wise to have them rolling around especially with us going to the exumas in it in two weeks. |
Can you get vice grips attached to and perpendicular to the stubby (leverage to turn stubby with more force) and pry something on top of stubby to give more pressure down ?
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Yeah I tried that. I was able to pry down with pretty good force with a 3 foot pry bar to no avail. The screws couldn’t handle it. They are small soft stainless screws, and they wallowed out. I’ll go after it again tomorrow night. |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c5f8bce18.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4fc09bc94.jpeg Got em out. Was able to use a little grabber tool and slide it inside the tube and spread it out to pull the pickup tube thru the hole. I didn’t have to address the gauge sending unit screws. The pickups are in perfect shape besides being broken on the ends. Must have been dissimilar metal corrosion or stress fatigue? Although there is no evidence of corrosion. Must have been Shon hitting the 6 footers at 50 mph on the way to Bimini. I think I’m going to retread them and keep them as standby emergency units. |
See this over time on long pick ups that break off. IMO wave action of the fuel overtime snaps them off and I am sure other things play a role in the mix for the breakage.
Kind of wonder about broken metal pick ups with a very low level of fuel in the tank, if the pick ups banged into each or kept hitting the side of a aluminum gas tank would create a spark ? |
I was thinking about static the whole time I was messing with it. I had a fan blowing in the bilge, nervous as a cat. I was very happy when I was done I’ll tell you that. |
Aluminum won't make sparks.
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