petcock filter tower

[Sam Harrell]

anyone have a thought on how to seat a new filter on a petcock? It is an extremely tight fit...hard to believe you would ever find one floating in the tank if this is done right in the beginning. If I try to put presure on it, the tower collapses and if I try to tap it in via a punch I run the risk of goobering it up. Also, valve is now extremely tight to turn after new seals/gaskets. Normal break in required? Thinking about something stupid like getting a heat gun after it to soften it up...Stop me!

Took the tank to a local radiator shop and had it cleaned out and sealed. Local body shop painted it afterwards...looks PERFECT. Now if I can get the petcocks back on and oh yeah-the little wire on the sender unit isn't attached -can this be soldered back?

Having fun with this project so far.

[tarzan]

The tower is a tight fit.You should be able to push it back in.
Ive had 'em try and callapse to.Maybe take a piece of scrotchbrite and clean out the recess in the petcock and then put a little oil on the edge of the tower to help it start in.

[fredintoon]

anyone have a thought on how to seat a new filter on a petcock? It is an extremely tight fit...hard to believe you would ever find one floating in the tank if this is done right in the beginning. If I try to put presure on it, the tower collapses and if I try to tap it in via a punch I run the risk of goobering it up. Also, valve is now extremely tight to turn after new seals/gaskets. Normal break in required? Thinking about something stupid like getting a heat gun after it to soften it up...Stop me!

Took the tank to a local radiator shop and had it cleaned out and sealed. Local body shop painted it afterwards...looks PERFECT. Now if I can get the petcocks back on and oh yeah-the little wire on the sender unit isn't attached -can this be soldered back?

Having fun with this project so far.

Hi Sam,
having the filter towers fall out is a symptomless disease, you dunno it's happened until you switch to reserve and find out it's all gone.
Try partially flattening a mebbe 4" length of copper waterpipe so it slips over the tower body and bears on the plastic base to use as a punch to drive the new tower into place.
Negatory heat gun!
Take each valve apart again, polish the seal face with superfine emery cloth, smear the seals with vaseline and reassemble.
There should be two wires from the thermistor sending unit. I seem to remember mine went on with spade terminals? If yours were soldered on, doubtless they can be soldered back.
BTW, if you had the tank cleaned and sealed with the sender in place, it's hooped.

[jmyers40]

BTW, if you had the tank cleaned and sealed with the sender in place, it's hooped.

...hooped like putting a complete carb in a vat of Hydroseal?? hahaha.

[Sam Harrell]

Petcocks in tight. I'll break the petcocks down and polish/vaseline,etc. Thanks for the tip. Sender was off when the tank was sealed. Only one fine wire involved in the assembly and it looks like it was soldered. I'll see what happens...

[fredintoon]

- - - Sender was off when the tank was sealed. Only one fine wire involved in the assembly and it looks like it was soldered. I'll see what happens...

Hi Sam,
there's two wires on the Special's thermistor fuel sender.
The black wire is a ground and has a spade terminal onto the thermistor's mounting plate.
The dark green wire carries the current to the thermistor and has an eye terminal riveted onto an insulated post on the mounting plate.
Unless both wires are in place the red light won't come on when you are low on gas.

[Sam Harrell]

Roger two wires on the sender. The wire I'm referring to is a thin copper color wire on the inside of the plate. It's on the other side of the green wire that has become disconnected. That would be the eye terminal you're referring to that is exposed to the inside of the tank.

[fredintoon]

Roger two wires on the sender. The wire I'm referring to is a thin copper color wire on the inside of the plate. It's on the other side of the green wire that has become disconnected. That would be the eye terminal you're referring to that is exposed to the inside of the tank.

Hi Sam,
I am struggling with a perceived ambiguity in your post.
There are two wires on the outside of my sender.
The black wire ends in a spade terminal that pushes onto a tab on the backplate.
The dark green wire ends in an eye terminal that's riveted onto an insulated boss that goes through the backplate and there's a dab of plastic insulation over the connection.
It's been a while since I had the sender out so I disremember what goes on inside but if you say there's a single wire that goes from the inside of the insulated boss into that little slotted can, OK.
I am not sure which wire has fallen off what side of that insulated boss but if you can solder it back on without grounding it to the mounting plate and the sender's innards are OK the sender should work again.
Test in air and the red light should come on.
Dunk the sender in gasoline and wait a minute or so and the red light should go out.

[Macamon]

I just put filter towers on my petcocks, There is a wrench cheater in your tool kit (at least mine fit over the filter perfectly) Once you have the cheater bar over the filter all the way to the base, you can hold the filter in place on the petcock and tap the end of the bar on something (I used my vice) until the seat of the filter is all the way in... Voila!