gas tank issues

[Mr Honey Do]

Hi everyone,
I have a 1991 Marlin 28
my mechanic in neuvo vallarta just informed me that he cant get the sending units to send a signal to the gas gauge at the helm.
he also cant get the screws on the sending unit to come out either.
we want to just replace the sending unit all together.
But are afraid of stripping the screws, and really cant take a grinder to grind them off....
yes the tanks are full of gas.
any ideas???
We had fuel problems when we first started re incarnating the vessel. Old fuel etc., corrosion has been pretty bad all around.
We are also thinking maybe tank replacements are really in order.
But it is located in mexico and getting that done may be a tall order.
Can a new gas tank just be welded together?
Is there any plastic alternatives out there....?
Wow! And I really just wanted to know how much gas was in the tank.......
thanks for sharing your thoughts/ solutions. :hmm

 

[Lt.Mike]

Kroil is the absolute best penetrating oil I have ever used. Here's a link so that you know what I'm referring to.
Napa or Pepboy's should also sell it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywor ... 4ruwn6ry_b

This extractor kit came to mind. I'd give it a try before I sunk hundreds into a new tank.

http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-3-pc ... ockType=G7

Remember patience pays off. Give the penetrating oil time to work. I also gently tap on the stuck bolt/screw with a ball peen hammer which can break its hold letting the oil reach deeper in.
Good luck with it.
Mike.

 

[ROBERTH]

Try the freeze spray to see if it might help. Also try the impact drivers that you tap on with a hammer. Most motorcycle shops use them due to the aluminum and SS combinations. Soak the heck out of it, but I have found the freeze spray does the trick on small stuff like this most of the time.

 

[captain swag]

To avoid twisting the screw head off, try the impact driver going both ways ie loosen and tighten, working the fastener in both directions. Just pulled both of mine on my 265 to drain older fuel. Those screws if they are like mine are not Phillips head but square driver style so stripping the "slot" is less of a problem than just twisting the head off. How about some kind of a Freon type spray. Not eco friendly but ???? Good luck.

 

[PFB1769]

I had the same problem with not being able to get the screws out. I purchased a bit the was supposed to get out screws with stripped screw heads but all it did was snap off the screw heads. Fortunatly the old sender had a high profile plastic top and the new one had a low profile thin metal top Wema SSS/SSL. The remaining screws were long enough to pass thruogh the new sender head and the threads were still good so I was able to sercure the new sender to with 10-24 locking nuts with the nylon inserts. It actually worked out great.