There's another thread going very similar to this discussion. There is no doubt that the later top siphon pickups are better then the original bottom feeders because they're off the bottom of the tank where the sediment lays. Sooooo, a lot of guys opt for the later post '53 gauge/pickups. I certainly can see their reasoning.
By the time you bounce down to the end of the driveway, any sediment in the tank has been stirred up into solution and it's gonna get sucked up no matter where your pickup is located. However, that siphon tube has a pre-filter sock on it and it's a lot easier to pull the gauge and clean the sock than to drain the tank, clear the valve, the 1/8" pipe nipple, flex hose and if you were wise enough to have installed an inline filter, change it.
DG
