When things go just like Murphy said they would

[57imposter]

I changed from VDO to Autometer gauges. when changing the fuel sender, for some reason the float rod would not let the sender come thru the mounting hole. I have no ides how I got it in, in the first place. This is far from my first time with this job. Anyway after much thought and a cold drink, I figured out that is I loosened the screw, just a bit, I could slide the rod far enough to clean. I loosened the screw, a bit, set my screwdriver down and the rod and the float were gone! Geeez! Sometime down the road, I am looking at removing the fuel tank to fish the thing out but, for now, I have one sender and two floats.

[RICH MUISE]

You been taking lessons from me?.........you'd be laughing at what I went thru to replace a radiator hose on mine last week (engine is metric). BTW, regular plumbing rubber pipe adapters will NOT work on a hot pressurized system, lol.
your rod for the float is probably brass, so a magnet won't work, but a flexible claw type pick up tool will. I wouldn't depend on your gage to be accurate at all until that spare part is out of there. If the spare gets under the working one, it may show a quarter tank or so when your empty.

[hiball3985]

I've fished a few parts out with a small diameter wood dowel and chewed bubble gum on the end 

[rmk57]

The rod should be steel, so a magnet could possible work or you could get lucky and fish it out with a bent coat hanger. One thing Iv'e had problems with are the brass floats which develop leaks around where the rod clips on to. Probably replaced 4-5 of them on different Fords. I try and order either the plastic or the other material I forget the name of.

Randy

[57imposter]

You been taking lessons from me?.........you'd be laughing at what I went thru to replace a radiator hose on mine last week (engine is metric). BTW, regular plumbing rubber pipe adapters will NOT work on a hot pressurized system, lol.
your rod for the float is probably brass, so a magnet won't work, but a flexible claw type pick up tool will. I wouldn't depend on your gage to be accurate at all until that spare part is out of there. If the spare gets under the working one, it may show a quarter tank or so when your empty.

It did float past the hole twice. I was ready for the little bas___d, the third time but it never came.  I have a sway bar coming so the thing will be upon the hoist and I'll deal with the tank at the same time.