Fuel Tank Sending Unit Replacement 28TE Flush Deck

[RustyTank]

Defective fuel tank sending unit in my Flush Deck 28TE. Picture attached.

First I've poked several very sharp pins in my Albin designer voodoo doll... I can't imagine why anyone would design and locate things that way... the sending unit should be on the part of the tank that is accessible -- OR -- the deck hatch should have been designed with a 3" wider opening... Pfffffft.

So here is the question. When I remove the aluminum angle iron strengthening bar, unfasten the sending unit flange, and gently flex/pry the corner of the deck up about 1.5 inches... I can get the old unit 3/4 of the way removed... but at an angle the cylindrical float won't fit out of the opening in the tank.

I'm pretty certain that if i bend (& destroy) the old sending unit shaft i can get it removed from the tank... now... this all only works IF, when installing the new unit, I hold the cylindrical float all the way at the top as I slide the new unit into position... it might just fit. Has anyone done this replacement?

I'm trying to avoid having to remove the 3'x6' deck and all the caulking work... that way wouldn't be so bad except there are two deck drains installed in the decking attached to very short very stiff hoses that will likely be impossible to remove without breaking something.

[Norseman]

What? Is that a Tempo plastic tank?
Pretty sure most A-28s came with a 132 Gallon welded aluminum tank.
At least the engine-box models.

[RustyTank]

Not sure the manufacturer of the tank but its 160 Gal plastic...

[Pitou]

What? Is that a Tempo plastic tank?
Pretty sure most A-28s came with a 132 Gallon welded aluminum tank.
At least the engine-box models.

Not sure of what year the change happened on the 28TE, but even engine box models went to plastic tanks. My '02 (late '01build) was aluminum.

[RobS]

Ric"s '03 engine box was plastic.

[RustyTank]

Any thoughts on getting the sender out/in?

[Pitou]

Ric"s '03 engine box was plastic.

Bingo .. that's the boat I was thinking of.

As far as getting the sender out of the OP's tank, I'm not intimately familiar with the flush deck model and unfortunately in a lot of things boat .. it very well may mean taking more things apart than cared to do.

[RobS]

Can the tank be unsecured and slid over that inch or two you need without a ridiculous amount of work?

[RustyTank]

no way to move the tank... that scares me more than removing the deck section...

[Carl]

A4C4EA5E-369A-435C-973C-DFD7C85D9A39.jpeg

They obviously made some placement changes. This is an 06 flush deck.

[RustyTank]

So the answer is... its way to hard to remove the deck, it was bedded and caulked way too well at build...

If you open and remove the access hatch and then, remove the aluminum strengthening bar, you can gently pry the corner of the deck up about 1.5" and remove the old sending unit, you will have to bend/damage the old one in the process to get the angle to bring the float through the opening... you can get the new unit in easily ONLY IF you hold the float all the way at the top of the unit as you slide it in... DON'T Forget the Gasket... as you only get one chance at this maneuver...

[Sisu22]

I have the old style aluminum tanks... but given that this is aluminum, and you could likely drill through it safely... can you mount a new one in a new place?

[Jeremyvmd]

What I did on my engine box model was take out the rear deck section and install a hatch over the hose connections and fuel sending unit. Doesn’t help the op but might help you sisu

[Sisu22]

I just ended up replacing with that new style sender, not the adjustable float sender. Was actually easier than I thought.