Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Discussion relating to the Scirocco 1982-1991 - - please ask technical questions in the technical/trouble shooting section
kidcrewbob
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Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

So after restricting return line from swirl pot, cleaning & setting up carb etc finally bit the bullet & seemingly managed to prove that there is a load of rust flakes (some pretty hefty) in the tank most probably causing my intermittant "uphill and down dale" stutters and fuel starvation - centrifugal force perhaps!!

Anyhow, in doing so I have fatally damaged the sender unit during removal and need a replacement - part no is 533919051 but question is where can I get one - anyone got one lying around? Will one off a Mk1 Golf do the job?

Ta!
Last edited by kidcrewbob on Wed Sep 02, 2020 2:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.


mark1gls
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......

Post by mark1gls »

Mk1 golf cabriolet will fit a Mk2 Scirocco, Mk1 golf tin top with a smaller fuel tank use a bottom feed fuel tank so different set up.


Mk1 78 Scirocco GLS 1.6 FR, weekend toy.
Mk1 88 Golf GTi cabriolet 1.8 DX. Daily drive.
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kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......

Post by kidcrewbob »

Thanks Mark - will help spread the net a bit for this elusive part!! I could kick myself although it seemed almost welded in it was that tight and had no choice other than to take a mallet to it....;(


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

@Mark - I've managed to source one locally so no need for you to rumage aroud - thanks


WreckTangle
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by WreckTangle »

When I removed mine I used a pair of water pump pliers on end, adjusted to engage in opposite slots thus evening out the force on the thing. I think the German words Auf / Zu here mean open / closed. It has to turn anti-clockwise to release it. I wonder if sometimes people get confused and try to turn it the wrong way.

The type for the bottom feed fuel tanks with just the gauge float seem still to be readily available. If these are the same fit I wonder whether it might be possible to convert one by drilling holes for some 5/16” fuel tubing. Might be tricky to get a fuel-tight seal.


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

Thanks Wreck - I did try the stilsons as you describe and deffo twisted anti cw but seems whoever had been there before (and they had as I could see the gnarled plastic) may have sealed with a mastic of some sort as it was rock hard - had to resort to tapping with a hammer via the rubber end of the stilsons but in the end the very brittle plastic shattered & it was toast.

I'm gonna to be uber-cautious when refitting and will clean up the face of the hole and grease the o-ring a little to get a good fit. Then need to run down the fuel to the red and try & extract as much of the crap as I can whilst replacing the filler neck. Was going to replace the tank but can;t get one at the moment unless anyone knows where there are some - Heritage say "expected soon" but cant give a date as yet.


mark1gls
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by mark1gls »

I did see someone make a thick wooden cross with a cut out for the pipes etc and the 4 corners slotted into each cut out so when twisting it was working on all 4 slots.
I’ll see if I can find the image as my description is not the best :-D


Mk1 78 Scirocco GLS 1.6 FR, weekend toy.
Mk1 88 Golf GTi cabriolet 1.8 DX. Daily drive.
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Eagle1
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by Eagle1 »

I used the handles of the water pump pliers and by gently pushing down at the same time as twisting slowly released the sender.


Roccoman
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by Roccoman »

kidcrewbob wrote: Wed Sep 02, 2020 3:00 pm @Mark - I've managed to source one locally so no need for you to rumage aroud - thanks
Well done on finding one, I managed to snap mine when removing it, it still works but luckily found one on eBay a couple of weeks ago, as they are like hens teeth! I managed to find a second hand fuel filler neck as well!
I found that the old extendable magnet gets rid of the flakes in the tank with out too much bother.....
Hope you have got it all working again now though 👍


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

Yeh I got lucky and only £30 too - anyhow, I've dismanteled the old fuel filler pipe ready to remove - what a mess - rusty as feck, holed quite a way down away from the neck and signs of much botchery & friggery with tape, gunk & underseal. Got a beautifully made replacement from Dreadnaught waiting to go on once I've drained the tank enough and fished out as much of the crud as I can. I have a new tank on the way and have a local specialist lined up to fit as dropping the beam is beyond me and my modest set-up! Hopefully all this will eliminate the annoying random splutter-fest that has dogged my enjoyment of the 'rocco. Here's hoping....!


WreckTangle
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by WreckTangle »

I have done all the things you describe - had the tank cleaned, fuel filler neck replaced, restricted the fuel return at the vapour separator. However, I have discovered that mine still splutters when the tank gets down to about half full. I’m working on restoring a Pierburg to replace my Weber carburettor. I’ve also contemplated fitting a fuel pressure regulator in place of the vapour separator; but I’m trying to restore the car to as close to stock as possible. Interested to hear your experiences as your project progresses.


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

WreckTangle wrote: Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:32 pm I have done all the things you describe - had the tank cleaned, fuel filler neck replaced, restricted the fuel return at the vapour separator. However, I have discovered that mine still splutters when the tank gets down to about half full. I’m working on restoring a Pierburg to replace my Weber carburettor. I’ve also contemplated fitting a fuel pressure regulator in place of the vapour separator; but I’m trying to restore the car to as close to stock as possible. Interested to hear your experiences as your project progresses.
I'm on a very similar wavelength Wreck - will get the tank swapped out as the external seams seem life-limited and some crud will remain but if I still get problems then I have a FP reg I bought last week but will need a electric pump to go with it. As you say, I had wondered whether the Weber is not optimal for an auto and whether a Pieburg would be better but will wait an see - there's a Pieburg specialist at Bromyard VW who will swap recon carbs -

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

So filler neck replaced and have done 2 faultless runs of about 50 mies without incident which is amazing in itself. Before refueling, went fishing in the tank with a magnet, pick-up claw and a suction pump thingy to try and get as much crud out as possible and managed to get quite a lot of the big bits although rust aint magnetic and the suction pump seemed to best hoovering up the bits off the bottom of the tank (that I could see at any rate). So filled up last night and went for an hours run fast & country roads, roundabouts etc and all was well. Came home and declared it finally fixed with 3 hours driving both with low & full tanks - BUT spoke too soon didn't I !!!

Went out again this morning, feeling smug & contened that after all this effort and expense it had actually been worth it and ran for another 50 or so faultless miles, even went down a juntion of the M6 -running superbly UNTIL 1/2 a mile from home some temp traffic lights where I had to stop for 5 mins on tick-over, temp raised slightly but nothing to worry about - green light, set off fine then just as I'm 200 yards from the end of our road SPLUTTER bl00dy SPLUTTER and STOP FFS!!!!!! So dumped it at the end of the road to let it cool off / settle down as I know it will start ok later. So, the final chapter for this car is rapidly approaching - the new tank from Heritage arrived yesterday, so may have a quick look in the tank again for more crud but the tank will have to go on sooned than later if the guy who will fit it can squeeze me in this week.

If that don't cure it then it's going either as a whole or in bits as I need to be able to trust it and I do not currently.


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

So filter had picked up a few lumps of crap but not a great deal visible on the tank floor now - will persevere until this tank is drained down and get the new one fitted.

My educated guess is that it's actually the small / finer bits that cause the problem more and block jets etc but what puzzles me is that I know now if I go out for a drive it will probably be ok again - would it be reasonable to expect a jet blockage to clear itself ? would a lump of crud being trapped by the filter casue an issue as it maybe partially blocks the pipe? could the fact I had sat stationary waiting for lights allowed something to settle and obstruct elsewhere?

When it manifests it usually takes full choke to keep it running to limp home - leave it overnight all good but today full choke didn't seem to keep me going - so left it for 90 mins at the top of the road - then restarted fine and it's on the drive.......

Wits-end fast approaching........


kidcrewbob
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Re: Fuel tank sender unit ......**FOUND ONE!!!!**

Post by kidcrewbob »

Final installment - went through another round of poking in the tank to try and lift crud and clean filter again but it still randomly became fuel starved after about 30 mins.

Sooooo...booked it in to get the new tank fitted - took it out for a spin and - with all due caution - did 90 mins flawlessley. Strangely even feels nippier which makes no sense - moral of the story, I should have checked / replaced both the filler neck AND the tank a week after i bought it - also, attempts to cleanse the tank in situ will not work. On to the next jobs - wishbones / wheel bearings and maybe a brake upgrade.


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