Fuel sender access hole, to do or not to do?

EZ Gruv · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 9:59 am Post subject:

Honestly, I started thinking about cutting the damn hole after replacing the sender when I had the tank out, and having the sender not work properly when it was said and done.
I still think about it from time to time....
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Keeby Swaggz · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:11 am Post subject:

I say do it, ONLY if you're gonna take the time to do a nice job of it... I'm gonna do both my Buses...
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busman78 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 10:26 am Post subject:

I use a 2" hole saw, then lay out the rectangular hole, cut it with a jig-saw, file the rough edges, die grinder might throw a few too many sparks, cut a piece of metal it is either 20ga or 22ga, set it over, hammer/dolly to fit, put some 3M body caulk down, then secure with some #10 self drilling screws, easy breezy. Suppose I could paint it white, but then - Why?

Zelten · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 11:37 am Post subject:

I lived with a Jeep fo 10 years that I could not get the sending unit for the gas guage to work. I could live with my bus the same way. So far though, my sending unit appears to be working rather well. I wouldn't cut a hole but that's just me. I would just ensure that I kept it full of gas.
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Dead 1 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 12:56 pm Post subject:

Why not do it? Sure beats taking out the engine then the gas tank to find out you forgot to attach a wire.
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aeromech · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 1:06 pm Post subject:

I guess my problem with it is the quality of the mod. If a guy could fabricate a nice cover plate that wasn't an eye sore then I'd be more inclined to cut the bus. The ones I've seen have been pretty badly done though.
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MadMax78 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 1:08 pm Post subject:

I wonder how often it was done by a VW workshop. I have never seen a picture of the job done by VW with the official VW cover plate. Did any of you ever see one?

About the poll, I voted yes, do it. Why not? It won't decrease the value of the bus if it is done properly, as with a lot of things. I wouldn't use these marine cover plates, they look out of place on a bus imho. You can tell right away it's a boat part and it shouldn't be there.
I'd sure give this solution a thought if my sender were to fail. I replaced the sender when the engine was out and we were changing the fuel lines when we first got the bus.
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wihr · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 2:22 pm Post subject:

"Van Ordinaire" was built in June 1970. It has been in my family since new and has never had a "sender" go bad. No cuttie!
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3nero · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 2:24 pm Post subject:

I pulled my engine to replace my sender and it worked fine until everything went back in. then it stopped working Confused

No way i was pulling the engine again, so out with the dremel and 20 mins later i had the now burnt out sender replaced with another new one. Which is now also kaput Evil or Very Mad

sender number 3 is in the mail as i type Rolling Eyes

Save yourself future nightmares and just cut it Wink

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NoBudgetVWGarage · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 2:53 pm Post subject:

I voted no. Just my opinion cause you asked;)
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Lettuce · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 3:02 pm Post subject:

hell, do it this way

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busman78 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 3:09 pm Post subject:

I like that, when you do not know where to cut, make it big enough to cover all bases, clean cover job! Plus you can do all the vac lines from on top!

I have seen two bays in wrecking yards that had the factory access hole for sender replacement, unfortunately the cover was already gone, where do you think I got the idea to cut twenty years ago.

maximan1 · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 3:15 pm Post subject:

If you're gonna do it, do it right. It's not hard to drop an engine. Even more so on a early bay. I prefer to have an intact bus and do some more work than to cut into good metal. Just me though.
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aeromech · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject:

kruton · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject:

thanks for all the good advice everyone!
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EZ Gruv · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 4:40 pm Post subject:

FlowerPowered · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 6:25 pm Post subject:

Had mine replaced by an ACVW shop while rebuilding my engine. 2 weeks later it was dead. I'm cutting... this is way sweet.

Zelten · Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 7:10 pm Post subject:

kruton · Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 2:59 am Post subject:

Yeah that looks good- the poll is now almost even, I think I'm going to start figuring out a game plan for the hole!
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Kirk · Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 6:25 am Post subject:

That is nice. Wish the PO had done mine that way. Rolling Eyes

Cleaning that up is one of my long list projects.
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