Fuel sender gasket seal?

Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:16 am

I am currently working on a QB -9 wing, and received a very rubbery (silicone?) type gasket with the fuel sender kit from Vans... after prowling around on the forums, I have read both "throw away the gasket", and "use the gasket, but put a lot of Proseal on everything."
Regarding the installation. I have 2 questions... is one method favored over the other, and also, if one needs to remove the fuel sender, will a "hot air type" heat gun, soften the Proseal to facilitate removal, (as is done with epoxy glue)

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:35 am

throw it in the trash. i have removed the plates one time before and found that they were easy enough to remove without heat. i would be especially careful about using heat on alu. even a heat gun. it will likely be easier to remove the sender with the gasket installed but it will likely leak . to top that off, the screws are not long enough that come with the sender.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:46 am

Joe...are you referring to the actual SENDER gasket, or the ACCESS PLATE gasket?

The sender gasket must be used, and the cork-type gasket for the access plate is not used by some. By saying "rubbery/silicone" type gasket, I'm assuming you are talking about the float sender gasket...use it.

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 9:57 am

cjensen wrote:Joe...are you referring to the actual SENDER gasket, or the ACCESS PLATE gasket?

The sender gasket must be used

says who? vans said to toss it. what is the difference of not using a gasket here v/s the plate?

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:13 am

weezbad wrote: says who. vans said to toss it. what is the difference of not using a gasket here v/s the plate?

You know, it's funny how people choose when to listen to Van's, and when not to...Van's says to toss a gasket that comes from the sender manufacturer, we do it. Van's says to not install more HP than what they say in any of their airplanes, and people install whatever they want. IO-360 in a 9? Heck yeah! IO-540 in a 7? You betchya!

Sorry Willy...not really directed at you, just an observation.

I used the gaskets for the sender with gasket seal (we call it grape jelly at work) and sealant. Stewart Warner says to use them, the A&P's here at work say to use them.

I don't know the difference between using the two gaskets, other than one is rubber, and the other is cork. I used 'em both.

Do what you want, I suppose...

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:15 am

Okay, I will jump in on this one!

ProSeal seals EVERYTHING!

ProSeal seals aluminum to aluminum, aluminum to gasket material and everything in between!

I say that if you want to use the gasket, use the gasket. If not, don't. It won't matter either way.

I used the cork gasket on the access hole because I felt that it would allow the cover to be removed more easily. You know, the cork will fall apart when I begin to pry at it. I know the ProSeal won't give up so easily.

My two!

CJ

Post by **bullojm1** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:15 am

My tanks didn't come with a rubbery/silicone gasket...they came with a cork one. I knew too many people who needed to replace the cork ones over the years because of leaking -- cork is a porous material after all. If my kit came with a silicone gasket, I would of used that instead of prosealing the access plate directly on the root rib.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:31 am

I think the two gaskets are getting confused here.

If standard float senders are used, there is a rubber gasket that comes with the sender.

The other gasket is for the access plate for the tank. Those are the cork one's.

If you're using capacitance senders, you won't have a rubber gasket.

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:24 pm

cjensen wrote:
Sorry Willy...not really directed at you, just an observation.

in the voice of Major payne
aint got to be no name callin

and yes we listen to vans when it serves us

seriously, i think

(yeah right) the manufacturer made this float for apps that had easy access. esp. top mount. i am sure you can use it else why would it be in the kit? the screws happen to be to short(because we use them in a nut plate application) and if you used them then good luck to you. i myself am an A&P, worked on helicopters as well. if i use a gasket i dont use ANY sealer wtf is the gasket for? all sealers do for gaskets is cause them to squirm out more than they would when torqued down. ever pull a pan off of a transmission? you will find the gaket alone or sealer alone. never both unless some meat head put it on there.

the gasket will leak at some point. i dont want to have to replace it in the wing root. it may last for years??? and yes people are confusing the sender gasket with the plate gasket.
at the risk of being moderated i appologize in advance if this offends one...i am laughing and so should you.......all

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 1:26 pm

i did one of each, when i took them off ( for the pick up sb)the cork was more difficult to cleanoff from the seperated parts and wasnt easier to seperate. it had never been exposed to fuel however. YMMV
either way the difference is negligible

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:58 pm

I do remember my rubber gasket squirming out a bit when I tightened down the screws. I think that's why I used sealant as well. Hmmm, I may go back and revisit that one of these days...

tmbg · Post by **tmbg** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:38 pm

I have cap senders, so no rubber, but I installed my access plates with the cork gasket coated in fuellube. Removable, and seals. That's how A&Ps do it on certified birds, so it's good enough for me.

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:46 pm

if you leak tested it and it held i would go forward and check it conditional inspectiosns. but to used a heavy sealer on top of a gasket is somewhat a waste of time. the only time i will use a sealer along with a gasket is at the recomendation of the manufacturer. and then it is usually a almost transparent spray on type. ie. "copper coat", "hi tack" or the like.but never a rtv thick like sealer..not saying it wont work but that you dont need both. the generic design of these tanks with screws that penetrate the fliud cavity into nut plates you have to use sealer, so in doing that i toss the gaskets....ther are ten million ways to skin a cat.

i suppose.
ive taken stuff apart that were cobbled together like more is better and it gives me a good idea of the last person that worked on it.

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:50 pm

tmbg wrote:I have cap senders, so no rubber, but I installed my access plates with the cork gasket coated in fuellube. Removable, and seals. That's how A&Ps do it on certified birds, so it's good enough for me.

fuel lube is good stuff and if you ever have to take them off it will be a breeze. i'll stay with the proseal though. keep in mind i am not saying cork is inferior. it is a great gasket when properly installed. and not overtorqued. it will last a loooong time . most people just overdo it.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:57 pm

Yeah, they leak checked okay. One no leaks, the other had two small leaks that were fixed with more sealant applied. I'll just watch 'em in the future.

svanarts · Post by **svanarts** » Fri Jan 25, 2008 4:51 pm

Well, as a guy who has to fix a leak that has develped around the rubber gasket that came with the fuel senders I can say, throw the rubber gasket away, proseal that puppy on. I used the cork seal that came with the access plate and it *seems* to be holding just fine. I used fuel lube on both sides of that and I don't think it's leaking there. I have to pull my left tank to fix the leak. I'll let y'all know where it's coming from once I find it.

I'm pretty sure it's the rubber gasket though.

Post by **Spike** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:23 am

I used both gaskets, and no proseal except for the screws. I did dab the screws in proseal before screwing them in to keep the threads from wicking fuel out of the tank.

So far it has all held tight despite a few removal / installation cycles.

John

RivetBangers.com

Fuel sender gasket seal?

Fuel sender gasket seal?

toss it

????

leak teasted?