Cork fuel gauge sender floats?

[4woody]

I dropped my tank to clean it out, and if that is the original float, it sure looks good for floating around in gasoline for 53 years! It is painted with some black paint-looking stuff with some bare spots showing. Is there anything I should do while its out, or just put it back in for another 50 years?

[4port]

Most restores dip the cork float in a can of shellac to seal it. This also holds it together intact.
Any alternate solution is to get a float from a Model A Tillotson X carb and solder it to the wire. Then it's bullet proof.

[wheelnut46]

When I cleaned out the one in my '46 the cork was in great shape but the rod that held it and the fuel sender itself were all rusted and not functional. I guess you got lucky but for about $16 you could put a new fuel sender in. BTW in case you're interested that POR-15 gas tank sealer works really well. I had my tank boiled and then coated it with that stuff and it's good as new and protected.

[4woody]

It turned out that except for some sediment an the bottom the tank was remarkably clean. From the way it looked on the outside you never would have guessed, but the inside was shiny and smooth as could be!

[TagMan]

We used to use shellac on the cork floats, but I've heard recently that some of the fuels now being sold contain chemicals (alchohal & ????) that will disolve shellac in short order. Better to coat 'em with POR15 or some such product that's being advertised as being compatible with all fuels.