DieselGoose

Alright so im on my way back from North Dakota back home to Colorado yesturday and all the sudden the cruise kicks off and the typical symptoms of running out of fuel occur. Nothing on the accelerator or anything. Well i had just filled up and have over 3/4 of a tank of fuel. So i think its the vp44 and my heart sinks. Well get out and there is diesel all over the undercarage. I look on top of the tank and one of the nipples on the sending unit broke off and was still attached to the line. So im 120 miles from home in the middle of nowhere Wyoming with a friggin broke nipple and no way to fix it. Well long story short i got it in my shop today and took the bed off and here is my delema. I have no clue how it could have busted off. I didnt hit anything.

I have been doing searches on this for three hours straight now and realize i dont want to buy the sender module (300-$400) . I have not seen anything to say if i can get the plastic piece that the nipples are attached to so i am thinking of one more option.

Just wondering if it would be ok to cut the fuel line below the plastic clips a ways and then clean up the still attached part of the nipple and run new fuel line and hose clamp them on?? (the nipple still has like 1 inch left of plastic before the elbow down to the unit.)

Just wondering if i could get some advice from some guys that know if this would effect performance at all or not. Thanks a ton guys

P.S. I know i said nipple a lot, just try to ignore it

boostjunkie1

As long as you can seal everything off and no contamination can be caused I would think that this would be ok. I mean, you are replacing a plastic piece with a rubber hose. Nothing wrong there!!

high country

if you do some searching you'll find that there was someone building a metal pickup that eliminated the one in the module, I can't remember who....maybe HOHN or Big Blue will know. the part that would scare me about reusing what you have is perhaps the plastic is fatigued and might break again. I personally would just "git-r-done" but you don't want to be stuck in bfe again

DieselGoose

Ok next question, does anybody know if a newer module like an 03 or higher are the same?? I know an 02 will work but just wondering if a newer less used one from a junkyard would line up right??

DieselGoose

little update for anyone who cares. I decided to cut my fuel lines at those stupid connectors and reconnect with hose clamps and rubber fuel line. I cut and fixed the supply line first out of the sender unit. Got it all hooked up and got the fuel line bled. Started her up and the friggin return line was leaking and i never touched that one beside unhooking it. What a stupid design and forget paying 300 for a new sender unit from dodge. If you look at the thing its just plastic tube , oh well.

Its running great and no leaks.

J BODY

I've got modules laying around at work. I've sent members the inlet/return plastic fittings before....

DieselGoose

little late....... oh well though, i trust my hose job better than those plastic pieces of $$$$ anyday, especially after stranding me