Do you-all have experience sealing gas leaks at the fuel pump glass strainer bowl and the tank sending unit? My F-2 leaks at the sending unit after new tank, sending unit, and gasket. My F-6 leaks at the glass strainer bowl w/nos (not warped) fuel pump and new rubber gasket. This doesn't amount to a rant but close. I'm admittedly a novice but love this hobby.

 

I can't help you but will watch this thread with interest as I can't get my pump to pump. I am thinking I might be sucking air at the gas line somewhere.

 

Is modern gas able to penetrate more readily? I'm using Sta-Bil in premium gas. Am I accidentally inventing a new explosive W2-40? The silicone gasket sealer says it's not for use with gasoline or rubber gaskets. ??? What do you use to seat your gaskets at the tank sending unit and the strainer bowl?

 

I put a brand new Dennis Carpenter fuel bowl gasket on my truck, and within a week it was jello. That was 8 years ago, I converted to electric pump the next day. Maybe by now they are using a new compound, but I could see the hand-writing on the wall.

My tank sending unit gasket is cork as I recall, and I've not had any problem with it (also a DC part).

 

Thank you Ross. I've tried new cork and then neoprene then back to another new cork sending unit gasket. I thought maybe the gas was moving through the threads of the six screws, so I put some gasket silicone on the screw threads. It slowed the gas down but didn't stop it.
On the pump, am I being hard-headed to want to keep the old style with the bowl?

 

I'm surprised there is gas getting up to your sending unit gasket? Do you have a really full tank? Personally I like keeping the fuel level down so there isn't any in the filler tube.

No, if you can get the right material for the fuel bowl gasket, and the pump diaphragm is a similar material (compatible with today's fuel), nothing at all wrong with a stock pump.

 

Yes, my tank is 3/4ths full, but last I filled it I did overfill it to the filler tube. I keep thinking there's some thick - hey! how about reversible lock-tight on the threads? -the gasket too?
You can see I'm drawing at straws. My wife won't ride with me because of the smell of gas (the truck's). (I think.)

 

Are you sure it isn't the filler tube rubber that's leaking? Is your gas cap vented?

 

You may have to go to aviall. com or sporties to find it but I highly recommend a product called fuel lube. It seals all sorts of fuel leaks, avgas, pumpgas, and jet fuels. I rub a light coat on all "O" rings and gaskets during installation and have rarely had a seep when torqued properly.

Sorry,, kinda got on my soapbox there, but I like it and use it all the time.

 

I use Fuel Lube to coat gaskets and o-rings that are used around gasoline. It looks like grease, but it doesn't disolve in gas. It works on the cork gaskets on the glass bowl on my 55 Ford tractor. It works great on o-rings in fuel valves.

Here's a link: EZ TURN LUBRICANT from Aircraft Spruce

One of those cans is good for about 3 lifetimes.

One thought...if your glass bowl has a screen, sometimes the screen can interfere with the sealing surface if it gets off center a little bit.

Dan

 

Thank you Project-55 and Dan! I ordered a tube of EZ-Turn. -Wilson

 

Double-Thank you's Gary and Dan! The tube of EZ-Turn arrived by mail Saturday and I used it on the F-2 sending unit gasket this last weekend. This morning (Monday) there is NO trase of gas smell in the F-2 cab. I have yet to try it under pressure on my F-6 fuel pump bowl.
EZ-Turn has no smell, is like a scent-less blend of pine pitch and bees wax and sticks right now. A lot of scrubbing to get it off anything.

 

I use this on all the bowl plugs on the AA1s I restore. Available anywhere, could be smeared on gaskets. Just a question, are the gaskets actually pure cork? Too often gaskets are a combination of cork/rubber (of sorts) = fail.

Gasket Sealants : Permatex® High Tack

 

The Dennis Carpenter fuel bowl seals are pure rubber. No idea what kind of rubber they're using now.

High Tack cleans up in alcohol, as I recall? Maybe methanol, not ethanol. (Edit: nope, it's lacquer thinner)

 

LOL,,, Yea, fuel lube is some gooie stuff, I also use it to hold those pesky screws on the tip for those hard to reach spots.

Gary