Re: [Amc-list] Definitive fuel tank fitment

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

You can use an in-tank pump in ANY gas tank -- as long as you can get the pump in the sending unit hole, which is a "no-can-do" on most older car tanks. The XJ pump is one of the easier ones. It just bolts to the pickup tube. Wouldn't be hard to hose clamp the pump to the old filler tube, cap it off on the outside, and drill a hole for a new tube to run to the pump. The pickup sock fits right on the end of the pump. If you don't have a sump area around it you'll only be able to run down to about 2-3 gallons of gas, then it will suck a little air. So when the gauge reads empty, IT'S EMPTY!! Use the stock sending unit, just make sure the pump doesn't interfere with the swing arm (may require a little bending). The pump itself is about 2"-2.5" in diameter. If you have a 4" hole in the tank it might fit! Don't think you'd get it in a 3" hole, but if it's a little larger than that...  Of course you'll have to run a wire out to power the pump too. Run that through the sending unit 
 cap. Use "gas tank repair" epoxy putty to seal the new pickup tube and wire in the sending unit cap. Regular epoxy, even JB Weld, won't hold up to gas fumes! Any need to ask how I know? I made some JBW repairs and 6-8 months later they started seeping fuel again. 

The XJ sending unit is NOT the same as other AMC cars. Ramblers use the earlier Ford type with a 9-63 or so ohm range. Starting in 78 AMC went to the late model Ford type that uses a 31-248 ohm range. Highest ohm reading is empty, lowest full. The Pacer and Matador continued using the old style sending unit until they were phased out, as did the the SJ trucks and CJs. My 93 Jeep TSM says the sending unit should read 5-105 ohms. Doesn't say which is E or F, but I would suspect it's the same as all others -- high reading is empty. So you can use the pump, but not the sending unit. It's not hard to buy a universal sending unit and mount it on a pickup tube that has had the original sending unit taken off -- I'm running one like that now. 

-------------

> > " From: "Dan Strohl" <DStrohl@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > " 
> > " Jim-
> > " 
> > " For my 4.0L 79 AMX, I actually used an XJ Cherokee fuel tank. The only
> > " thing I had to do was relocate the fuel filler to the center rear.
> > " Otherwise, it's the exact same shape and size, and if you're swapping to
> > " fuel injection, you can still use the stock XJ fuel pump.
> > 
> > this suggests you could've swapped the xj pump into the amx tank.
> > possible?
>   

Ooh, good catch!

Does the XJ use the same fuel sender/pickup system as the older AMCs 
(and apparently Ford, and many others), and it all fits in the hole? 
That would be a hell of a good thing. The pickup tube and float and 
lever would have to be changed, but that's a straightforward mechanical 
fab task.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


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