Crazy response fromSpencer Fluid Power on Barksdale water level sensor!
- Thread starter MrTomacco
- Start date
I had the same response. I think they are owned by the Rapido Group, not Ford.
Anyway, I bought one online from Europe: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/66020/#post-1005302
Anyway, I bought one online from Europe: https://sprinter-source.com/forums/index.php?threads/66020/#post-1005302
Riptide
Active member
Which one did you buy?
CaptnALinTiverton
xT1N Westfalia
I purchased one from Barksdale years ago at a decent price. A few years later I tried to remove it to clean it and the hex ripped off (I probably used some thread sealer that I shouldn'tt have used). When I called for another, Barksdale CSR said that they didn't have any more. So I stated to gauge fullness by usage, basically assuming it needs emptying whenever fresh water needs filling.
The prices at your links are outrageous!!! I'll continue with my gauge method before I pay those prices.
One thing in my favor is that a few years ago I installed a "swimming pool type" diverter valve between the grey water tank outlet and the black water hose that allows me to drain the grey water without going through the black water hose. Therefore I cannot be seen draining it through the black water hose so I won't be accused of dumping waste on the street.
AL
The prices at your links are outrageous!!! I'll continue with my gauge method before I pay those prices.
One thing in my favor is that a few years ago I installed a "swimming pool type" diverter valve between the grey water tank outlet and the black water hose that allows me to drain the grey water without going through the black water hose. Therefore I cannot be seen draining it through the black water hose so I won't be accused of dumping waste on the street.
AL
autocamp
un-Airstream'ed & un-Dodged NAFTA JC
I suspect the reason these senders failed is because the sealing (likely epoxy) design of the plastic plug at the bottom prematurely failed. It is also possible given enough time the material of the polypropylene plug actually allow water thru. From my experience of dissecting the failed plastic one there is along and narrow simple PCB that runs the whole length of the tube which forms the simple circuit I sketched on my blog. Everything inside is potted with a white RTV silicone. You can build you own replacement using the parts from this failed one. You do need to source the latching reed switches and the resistors. Rather than making a PCB for it, you can just fabricate the simple circuit with cut to length wires which will fix the locations of the reed switches WRT to the desire trigger height. A guy did exactly just that on James Cook Forum.
When I investigated the failed one, the failure were at the reed switches. Water corroded the metal conductors encased by the glass body and water worked inside to the contacts.
The plastic tubing of the right OD may be source from plastic sheet good suppliers. I measured about 13mm OD. I meant to rebuild my failed plastic one but never got around to it. There are only three resistance steps. I measured them starting from the float at the bottom:
Bottom = 17k
10 cm from bottom = 730
22 cm from bottom = 0
You should be able to source the reed switches from Digikey or Mouser.
When I investigated the failed one, the failure were at the reed switches. Water corroded the metal conductors encased by the glass body and water worked inside to the contacts.
The plastic tubing of the right OD may be source from plastic sheet good suppliers. I measured about 13mm OD. I meant to rebuild my failed plastic one but never got around to it. There are only three resistance steps. I measured them starting from the float at the bottom:
Bottom = 17k
10 cm from bottom = 730
22 cm from bottom = 0
You should be able to source the reed switches from Digikey or Mouser.
autocamp
un-Airstream'ed & un-Dodged NAFTA JC
It's been so long ago. I went and checked my own blog on the sender. The plastic one had 4 graduations while the SS "new and improved" one only 3. Here is the link if anyone is interested. There is a comment by what I believe the German guy on JC Forum that made the repair with just simple molding of parts and wire together, and I totally agree with him not potting the circuit made for easy repair down the road. That's is what I will do to repair mine should the need arises.
autocamp
un-Airstream'ed & un-Dodged NAFTA JC
Finally I procured all the essential parts and made some significant progress. Having recently moved didn't make things easier and I turned the house upside down to find the float, PCB, and the threaded knob fittings that attach to the water tank top access cap. My first batch of latching reed switches were NFG which was the major setback. I order another batch and this time is all good.
I located the float and the threaded fitting that attach to the water tank access cap; these are the most important parts to rebuild the sensor but the plastic connector housing was still missing since I remove it so the contacts are easier to connect to with a DMM for testing
I am able to reuse the PCB so that makes thing a lot easier. Find the plastic connector housing in my countless boxes of electronics parts was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was a miracle that I managed to round up all these pieces that I dissembled eight years ago!
I temporarily place the PCB inside the tube to make sure all 4 signaling steps are working
I almost gave up hope of finding this little plastic connector housing as I filed it somewhere else from the other two key parts; I have a lot of connectors that look like this but none are interchangeable
I am cheap and I will not spend a dime if I can use something I already have. That is why I will die a hoarder. I have this set of West System epoxy that I have almost as long as my adult life, and a bag of Microballoon. The hardener has long past the supposedly shelf life and it turn a deep bloody red color but I know it does not affect the epoxy for this application. Hell, I will use it for carbon fiber repairs in my race cars.
the epoxy is used to glue the new tube onto the threaded fitting, as well as to create a plug at the bottom of the hollow tubing that house the sensing circuit components that are on the original PCB
In case you wonder what is Microballoon. It is a cocaine like powder to mix into the epoxy resin to increase its viscosity. This way I can avoid to find a water tight plug to seal the bottom end of the tube.
Microballoon looks like a bag of cocaine but if you inhale it, it will kill you faster than cocaine
I located the float and the threaded fitting that attach to the water tank access cap; these are the most important parts to rebuild the sensor but the plastic connector housing was still missing since I remove it so the contacts are easier to connect to with a DMM for testing
I am able to reuse the PCB so that makes thing a lot easier. Find the plastic connector housing in my countless boxes of electronics parts was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was a miracle that I managed to round up all these pieces that I dissembled eight years ago!
I temporarily place the PCB inside the tube to make sure all 4 signaling steps are working
I almost gave up hope of finding this little plastic connector housing as I filed it somewhere else from the other two key parts; I have a lot of connectors that look like this but none are interchangeable
I am cheap and I will not spend a dime if I can use something I already have. That is why I will die a hoarder. I have this set of West System epoxy that I have almost as long as my adult life, and a bag of Microballoon. The hardener has long past the supposedly shelf life and it turn a deep bloody red color but I know it does not affect the epoxy for this application. Hell, I will use it for carbon fiber repairs in my race cars.
the epoxy is used to glue the new tube onto the threaded fitting, as well as to create a plug at the bottom of the hollow tubing that house the sensing circuit components that are on the original PCB
In case you wonder what is Microballoon. It is a cocaine like powder to mix into the epoxy resin to increase its viscosity. This way I can avoid to find a water tight plug to seal the bottom end of the tube.
Microballoon looks like a bag of cocaine but if you inhale it, it will kill you faster than cocaine
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autocamp
un-Airstream'ed & un-Dodged NAFTA JC
The epoxy cured properly and formed the water tight plug at the bottom of the tube. I assembled it all up and performed bench test to make sure all 4 signaling steps are functional. I made the rebuilt slightly longer than the SS version just to be sure the floating magnet will have adequate travel WRT the bottom reed switch.
the rebuilt one is lightly longer
I swapped out the SS one as it has one less graduation.
now the sensor matches the display which has 3 bars plus no bar, making 4 levels
the rebuilt one is lightly longer
I swapped out the SS one as it has one less graduation.
now the sensor matches the display which has 3 bars plus no bar, making 4 levels
CaptnALinTiverton
xT1N Westfalia
Sorry, my post was about the gray water sensor. This thread is about the fresh water sensor. Barksdale all the same. AL