tplasek

My 2000 started running out of fuel with the fuel gauge still showing 1/2 a tank. I dropped the tank and found the the arm which rides on the fuel sender resistor had worn all the way through the tiny resistor wires and smeared them together. I couldn't locate just a sender from the dealer for my 2000 and they wanted to sell me a $300+ module. Not wanting to spend that much on a fuel sender, I decided to do a $65 capacitance type sender just like illustrated in this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...ce+fuel+sender

What is the purpose of the fuel module. When I took a flashlight and looked mine over, it just appears to a fuel basket which holds the return fuel. It appears this basket fills up with return diesel and then sinks to the bottom of the tank. It also looks like the suction tube runs all the way through the bottom of the basket and picks up fuel from below the basket located at a position very near the bottom of the tank. I was thinking the fuel would be pumped into the basket and then the suction would take it from there to eliminate the effects of tank slosh but I could not find a way for this to happen since the suction tube runs through the basket and out the bottom side. Can someone enlighten me as to what the fuel module is for and how it works? Why don't we just have a metal drop tube which extends to the bottom of the tank with a sock on it?

HotRodTodd

The $300 module is an updated version that has an in tank pump and fuel sender assembly.
Now the bad news, that is only a replacement module if your truck has already been converted to that type before. If not, you need the complete kit, #68003854AA, which is $540, and has the extra wiring and fuel pump relay, and a external lift pump bypass plate.

Now, if you are good at wiring, buy the $300 module, and get a relay, tie into your harness, and forget the bypass plate, leave your external pump inline and you will have about 30 psi @ idle, and 20 psi under load with both pumps.
If you need a diagram, I can scan you one.

infidel

Just the sender is available separately for $54.
It has been improved so as not to fail.
Problem is an inexperienced parts guy can't find it for you.
Part number 4897497AA

kawi600

The fuel pickup module has a float on the bottom, a couple filter screens and some one way valves inside so that positive fuel pressure pushes fuel into the pickup and vacuum is blocked. This is how you can get consistent fuel with little entrained air from the fuel sloshing back and forth in the tank.

tplasek

I knew it had to be something to eliminate air from tank slosh, I just could not figure out how the fuel was sucked in from the basket. The only suction inlet I could see was below the bottom of the basket from the main tank and the only feed for input to the basket which I saw was the return from the lift pump. Do to the expensive price I didn't want to take it apart to see what makes it tick. I still have the tank out, maybe I'll pull the module out and give a look over one more time.

4897497AA may be the part I needed although I already installed the capacitance style sender. The dealer did find an $80 sender but when it arrived it wasn't the same is mine. The dealer part had a set of spade clips on it for wiring, mine has 2 wires soldered to the resistor with a short pigtail to a connector which plugs into the plastic module lid. I don't recall the part# of the incorrect dealer part. Thanks for the input.