What fuel sender would work for me...

[Dave Suesz]

...All the vendors' listings I have seen so far start at '56, and I have a '55. What is the difference between the '55 and '56 fuel sender?

[John H.]

Re: What fuel sender would work for me...

Dave -

The '55 tank is 17-1/4 gallons, and the '56 is 16.4, and the senders are in different locations (centered on '55, toward the passenger side on '56). The '55 tank must be a little taller, as the straps are also different. The only common parts I can find are the gasket for the sending unit and the retainers on the body for the straps; the '55 sending unit is just an electrical sender, and the '56 includes both the sending unit and the fuel pickup and outlet pipe. Have you tried Grossmueller's?

[John H.]

Re: What fuel sender would work for me...

Dave -

The '55 tank is 17-1/4 gallons, and the '56 is 16.4, and the senders are in different locations (centered on '55, toward the passenger side on '56). The '55 tank must be a little taller, as the straps are also different. The only common parts I can find are the gasket for the sending unit and the retainers on the body for the straps; the '55 sending unit is just an electrical sender, and the '56 includes both the sending unit and the fuel pickup and outlet pipe. Have you tried Grossmueller's?

[Dave Suesz]

Anything would work better...

...than the "cobbled together" unit I have. The fuel sending system fried itself in '85, and I pulled the guts of the fuel gauge and sender from a Chevy truck, all of which looks and works perfectly, except: The 'Vette fuel tank tapers toward the bottom, so the original rheostat did too. The truck had a square tank, so it does not. Result: When the gauge reads 1/4, it means "almost empty".

[Dave Suesz]

Anything would work better...

...than the "cobbled together" unit I have. The fuel sending system fried itself in '85, and I pulled the guts of the fuel gauge and sender from a Chevy truck, all of which looks and works perfectly, except: The 'Vette fuel tank tapers toward the bottom, so the original rheostat did too. The truck had a square tank, so it does not. Result: When the gauge reads 1/4, it means "almost empty".

[John H.]

Re: Anything would work better...

I don't think there's enough difference in physical dimensions between the '55 and '56 tanks to rule out using the '56 sending unit - just cap off the fuel outlet pipe.

[John H.]

Re: Anything would work better...

I don't think there's enough difference in physical dimensions between the '55 and '56 tanks to rule out using the '56 sending unit - just cap off the fuel outlet pipe.