Fuel Tank & Sending Unit - 1984 vs 1985

[DirtBronco]

My sending unit packed up shop and is no longer giving me a reading at the gauge.
I read online that the 1984 fuel tank will bolt into the 1985 chassis, which would enable someone to use the more common 83/84 fuel sender.
Can anyone substantiate this claim?

1985 is a weird year due to the prep for fuel injection so converting as many parts over to 83/84 hardware would help with longevity and sourcing.

Makes sense, but it'd be nice to get some confirmation before dropping $200 on parts

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Is the older sender even available? I didn't think it was.

I just use the low pressure in tank fuel pump from a later truck to feed my carbed V8 with a regulator.

 

[DirtBronco]

The 83/84 unit looks to be still available on Rock Auto and other sites.
Most places will state the 85 fits up to 88 but from from what I've heard, it comes with the nozzle clocked wrong for 85. .

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

When I looked a couple years ago I couldn't find a sender at all for my '85, I already had an electric fuel pump so I just updated that to a OE style instead.

I had no issues drawing fuel thru an in tank pump with an electric pump on the frame, I don't know if a mechanical pump would have an issue or not.

Back to your initial question, I think the tanks would otherwise be compatible.

 

[DirtBronco]

I'm going to see if the unit from RockAuto will fit my truck as is, and if that doesn't work I'll try out the new fuel tank combo.
I don't have any issue with sending fuel. My fuel gauge is dead.

After grounding out the pigtail to the tank, the fuel gauge shot to full.

 

[DirtBronco]

I ended up going a different route, still in progress. I want my gas gauge...
Literally all the wiring was eaten by years of bad gas. Silver lining - the pickup tube and mount plate were not super corroded so the actual hardware is salvageable.

JEGS was having a clearance on full-size Bronco senders for $35. They operate in the same ohm-band and the pictures looked similar.

Why not. Grasping at straws anyway.

There's some chopping, drilling, and frankenstein-ing that occurs. I'll post pictures of the process later if there's any interest.
But everything bolts up to the Ranger sender nice and factory-like. The resistance range read 9.8 - 74.5 ohms.

Downside and hopefully the final challenge: the old signal wire eyelet went the way of tube TVs and the terminals are swaged/pressed in.
I drilled out the eyelet diameter in hopes it would fit around what was left of the terminal but the metal started to get too thin for comfort.

I'm considering a few options:
1. Soldering the new eyelet on then dumping copious amounts of Seal-All as a stress relief.
Problem is, after an afternoon of amateur soldering, I couldn’t get a healthy enough contact for consistent signal.
I would get a valid number but only with constantly applying hand pressure.

2. Tapping a micro-thread and using a very small bolt to tighten down the eyelet for better contact.
Copious amounts of thread locker included.... and then the Seal-All.
Downside is the pins are tiny. Here’s the one from the new/donor unit.

3. (stupid) Drill out the existing pins and removing the connector housing.
Cannibalize another unit with the appropriate pinouts(FS Bronco pins were different size/shape)
Somehow fix them into my original unit.
Seal-All.

More to come.