mep-802a fuel level sender float

[asloan5]

my fuel gauge read "E" so I followed the TM and pulled the sending unit and it Ohm'd out to specs. I reinstalled it and ordered a new fuel gauge. I get the new gauge installed and it's and still on "E". I next ohm'd it in place with a full tank and it's reading 216 ohms = near empty. I made sure the orientation was correct and still read 216 ohms. I removed the sending unit then removed the float off of it. Placed float by itself in a gallon of diesel and it sank to the bottom. Has anyone seen a float stop floating? I pulled a known working sending unit out of another 802a threw the float into same gallon of diesel and it stayed floating. I just hope this can help someone else.

 

[Scoobyshep]

on these specific sets no I have not personally seen that, On other tanks yes it happens, so it is possible for a float to become a sink

 

[Light in the Dark]

Any small holes in said float, allowing it to fill with fuel and become a sinker?

 

[asloan5]

did not notice any.. I thought it was just a lightweight composite / plastic. Did not realize it was hollow like the old metal ones. When I get a chance I'll slice it down the middle and take a look.

 

[Light in the Dark]

I dont recall offhand if its hollow. They are not a commonly swapped part. I was just thinking of ways floaters can become sinkers in the presence of liquid.

 

[Ray70]

Yup, it's a hollow brass float. They occasionally get tiny hairline cracks in them and eventually sink. You will have a hard time seeing the crack, but if you clean it with brake cleaner then blow it dry it will be very dull looking. as soon as you tip it around a bit the diesel inside will make it shiny where the crack is from the fuel wicking itself into the crack.
Best solution I have found is to replace the whole sender with the stainless steel WEMA marine units for like $45. problem solved.

 

[asloan5]

I had bad fuel pump out of 2006 subaru outback that I had replaced at one time. I harvested the float cut it to length and it's installed and working. The old float was just some kind of light weight composite not hollow. cost $0

 

[Guyfang]

Common fault. Lots of units went bad when the Military used JP4 in the gen sets. It works and is, I believe, in the authorized fuel list. BUT, did bad things to the fuel system.

 

[maniatopoulosg]

Yup, it's a hollow brass float. They occasionally get tiny hairline cracks in them and eventually sink. You will have a hard time seeing the crack, but if you clean it with brake cleaner then blow it dry it will be very dull looking. as soon as you tip it around a bit the diesel inside will make it shiny where the crack is from the fuel wicking itself into the crack.
Best solution I have found is to replace the whole sender with the stainless steel WEMA marine units for like $45. problem solved.

would you have a link to the updated Wema replacement unit ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kloppk]

CallmeColt posted a YouTube video on this.
I'll post the link when I get on a real PC.
I bought the sender. Just haven't installed it yet.

 

[Ray70]

Here is one place I have purchased from in the past.

SSS/SSL - Flanged Fuel/Water Tank Sensor

SSS/SSL - Flanged Fuel/Water Tank Sensor Flanged Fitting - Lengths from 4" to 60"

www.fisheriessupply.com

For an 802A you need a 5.5" long sender.

Recently I have found them much cheaper on ebay ( $25 ) but the problem is they don't offer a 140mm ( 5 1/2" ) sender for the 802A
The options are 125mm ( a bit too short ) or 150mm ( 1/2" too long )

You can also just google WEMA sending unit or SSS/SSL or even 240-33 ohm sending unit.
You will want the 5 bolt SAE mounting flange style.

I have used their 200mm senders in 803A's ( about 1/2" too short ) and they work ok, just the real fuel reading is off a tiny bit but actually shows empty 1/2" too early, so it's actually a built in safety factor! Better than it saying you have 1/8 tank when you are really empty!

 

[kloppk]

Here is the link to the YouTube video

 

[maniatopoulosg]

Here is one place I have purchased from in the past.

SSS/SSL - Flanged Fuel/Water Tank Sensor

SSS/SSL - Flanged Fuel/Water Tank Sensor Flanged Fitting - Lengths from 4" to 60"

www.fisheriessupply.com

For an 802A you need a 5.5" long sender.

Recently I have found them much cheaper on ebay ( $25 ) but the problem is they don't offer a 140mm ( 5 1/2" ) sender for the 802A
The options are 125mm ( a bit too short ) or 150mm ( 1/2" too long )

You can also just google WEMA sending unit or SSS/SSL or even 240-33 ohm sending unit.
You will want the 5 bolt SAE mounting flange style.

I have used their 200mm senders in 803A's ( about 1/2" too short ) and they work ok, just the real fuel reading is off a tiny bit but actually shows empty 1/2" too early, so it's actually a built in safety factor! Better than it saying you have 1/8 tank when you are really empty!

would 6 inch work better on 803 a or is tank the same as 802 a ?

 

[Ray70]

The 803 tank is much deeper, you actually need an 8 1/2" sender ( 215mm ) so the 200mm is reasonably close, just over 1/2" short, but gets the job done just fine.

 

[zarathustra]

....about the WEMA unit. Has anyone had any trouble with the float binding on the tank internal ledge? I have a bad 803a sender that needs to be replaced and while I was looking at a couple of spare 802a and 803a tanks that are laying around the shop I did some measuring. While I do not have a WEMA sender to measure, it appears that the internal tank "ledge" could interfere with the float travel downwards. It also appeared that the ledge was about the same distance from the top of the tank on both the 802 and 803 tanks.

 

[dav5]

....about the WEMA unit. Has anyone had any trouble with the float binding on the tank internal ledge? I have a bad 803a sender that needs to be replaced and while I was looking at a couple of spare 802a and 803a tanks that are laying around the shop I did some measuring. While I do not have a WEMA sender to measure, it appears that the internal tank "ledge" could interfere with the float travel downwards. It also appeared that the ledge was about the same distance from the top of the tank on both the 801 and 803 tanks.

I seem to remember someone posting about putting a bumper ring on the bottom of the sender to prevent binding on the side wall.

 

[dav5]

I seem to remember someone posting about putting a bumper ring on the bottom of the sender to prevent binding on the side wall.

Here is a photo of the OEM sender in my 803A tank. You can see how close it is to the side wall

 

[Ray70]

Correct. On an 803 you would use an 8.5" sender ( 8" will also work ) BUT, the float will be very close to the ledge inside the tank and could bind.
On 803's I always install as "bumper" to keep the float away from the ledge.
At first I used a rubber donut, but soon realized it could degrade from the diesel, so I started using discs of 1/8" thick rigid plastic, drill a hole in it just right so the nub on the base of the sender will press into it, then use JB quick epoxy to glue the disc to the sender.
NOTE: the best thing I have found is to cut the disc more of an oval shape just bigger than the float's dia. and orient it so the long side is pointing towards the "Shelf" in the tank. Otherwise it is difficult to fit the disc through the opening in the top of the tank.

 

[zarathustra]

To all...
thanks for the input. I have a couple of plastic "spacers" left over from a sliding closet door install. They are rectangular. I think I can cut one (or two) and affix it to the shaft with the squared off end abutting the shelf. That's kind of an extension of the oval spacer idea.

I always save those closet door slider spacers, and they come in useful in all sorts of things.

Since I have a spare 803a tank sitting on the floor I can get a little alignment practice with that before I go for the real thing.

Thanks again..

 

[Ray70]

Yup, that should work fine. The sender goes in the tank with the wires pointing to the right ( when looking from the back of the machine, so orient your spacer facing 90* clockwise from the wires. Wires facing East... Spacer facing Due South.