# 1972 fuel tank and pick up



## tjs72goat (Jul 20, 2017)

Who makes a quality stock fuel tank and a correct sender to go with it? I bought a Canadian made Spectra fuel tank. It's suppose to be the tank of choice. But, the baffle inside the tank is spot welded about an inch too close that the fuel sending unit float hits it. I also ordered a Spectra fuel sender to go with it, and that was different looking than stock with the float at a slight angle causing the float to hit baffle before I could drop sender all the way down. So, I ordered a Dorman that should fit and pics looked like my original. Well, when dropped into tank, the tab for locating it on tank points the pickup and return line tubes to be at a slight angle rather than straight forward like stock. As well as causing the float to hit baffle in tank. If the tubes could face straight forward, the float would parallel the baffle and maybe not hit. URGH!! What have others used and is compatible?


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

tjs72goat said:


> Who makes a quality stock fuel tank and a correct sender to go with it? I bought a Canadian made Spectra fuel tank. It's suppose to be the tank of choice. But, the baffle inside the tank is spot welded about an inch too close that the fuel sending unit float hits it. I also ordered a Spectra fuel sender to go with it, and that was different looking than stock with the float at a slight angle causing the float to hit baffle before I could drop sender all the way down. So, I ordered a Dorman that should fit and pics looked like my original. Well, when dropped into tank, the tab for locating it on tank points the pickup and return line tubes to be at a slight angle rather than straight forward like stock. As well as causing the float to hit baffle in tank. If the tubes could face straight forward, the float would parallel the baffle and maybe not hit. URGH!! What have others used and is compatible?



So when you contacted Spectra, what did they tell you the problem was?


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## tjs72goat (Jul 20, 2017)

They said the baffle was probably welded in the wrong place and the tank could be returned. I got a third sender from National Parts Depot (they said they have Spectra tanks and they fit). I tried it and it was very close to hitting. The baffle on the Spectra is unlike the original. The original is welded to the bottom. The Spectra has a gap about an inch off the bottom of tank and it can be pushed around. I stuck a large screw driver in the tank and pushed the baffle away from the sender and all is good.


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

tjs72goat said:


> They said the baffle was probably welded in the wrong place and the tank could be returned. I got a third sender from National Parts Depot (they said they have Spectra tanks and they fit). I tried it and it was very close to hitting. The baffle on the Spectra is unlike the original. The original is welded to the bottom. The Spectra has a gap about an inch off the bottom of tank and it can be pushed around. I stuck a large screw driver in the tank and pushed the baffle away from the sender and all is good.


Thanks for the follow-up. So it sounds like the bottom line is that the Spectra gas tank might not be a good choice for a Pontiac. Good that they would take it back, BUT, it costs you the shipping which most expect you to cover. You also lost money on the sending unit which it too sounded like it was a poor copy of the original sender.

So all in all, *Spectra products get a negative review*. :banghead:


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## tjs72goat (Jul 20, 2017)

In the end, I was able to return two senders that hit and made the one from National Parts depot work and kept the tank.


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