Finally, some definitive progress. I worked on the tank a bit after work today to clean it up and get the screw heads cleaned up and replace the sending unit (had one already) and take out the pickup.
The tank is surprisingly clean on the inside, the pickup filter was clean. However when I vacuum tested the supply pickup line, there is a small pinhole where the bend is on it on the top/outside of the tank. Unfortunately, there really is no way to inspect it or test it without tearing the whole tank out. Unfortunately they only made an access point for the sender and not one for the pickup.
Order all your parts ahead of time. Remember to buy new hanger straps and bolts (I snapped one off).
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I broke the return off pulling the tank, but you can still see where I scratched a line in the base of the supply tube -- that is where there was a small air leak. Enough fuel seeped out in that area since September(when I noticed this started) and it ate away at the rubberized coating in that area. I will need to clean it up and POR it or something.
The new sending unit I picked up has a different plug on it. There is a white wire with black stripe, and a yellow wire with a red stripe. The original sending unit has 3 wires - a white with black stripe, a yellow with red stripe and a black with yellow stripe. I have not had a chance to actually look at the wiring diagrams, but I was thinking I should be able to just hook up the like wires? Unless of course i would need to change out the gauge as well...
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Hopefully this helps the two JDM's from canada also dealing with air in the fuel, but I hope yours are easier to locate and mitigate. Now I will research cleaning diesel fuel residue to prep for paint, the electrical diagrams for plug options while I wait for my parts to arrive.