gas tank/sending unit question

[unreconstructed1]

OK, I finally got out today to work on my '69. One reason I got the truck in nthe first place was a problem with the gas tank; apparently the PO couldn't get fuel to the engine.

I went today and cleaned out the tank and I blew out the fuel line attached to the sending unit. The problem I'm having is that the mesh filter that attached to the sending unit fuel line is missing, and it's not replaceable. when I checked out the parts catalogs, it looks like their units don't have the filter either, so is it OK to run without the filter?

edit: OK, never mind the above, I found the strainer, but does anyone have any idea how they attach?

[MikeyMan]

I'm going through the same situation right now.

Pulled the tank out of the cab to dump the 3 year old gas. Phew! The plastic float was eaten up and the sock/strainer was torn and in bad shape. The strainer is crimpped or welded to the sending unit fuel line. I just cut the mesh off that metal part. I'd think you could slide a new sock/strainer over the fuel line and tighten a stainless steel hose clamp around it. That was going to be my plan after finally finding the strainer online.

After reading many posts in the forum, I've decided to not use a sock/strainer. Just have an inline filter or two that you can easily check and change. I had done this on another truck about 15 years ago. Back then, I got the rusty gas tank cleaned and re-lined at a professional shop and ran the sending unit sock-less with a Fram G3 in-line filter right before the fuel pump. It worked great and I never had any fuel pick up issues.