This week, we upgraded CiCi’s Iris Blue Bugeye (here from Incline Village, Nevada) with a fresh 1275 engine and ribbed-case transmission. While checking over the car, we found the tell-tale sign that her sending unit gasket had failed.
Can you see the clue in the photo below?
Look closely and you’ll see some fine lines along the bottom of the tank. We didn’t fill the tank so we had no gas smell to reveal the presence of fuel sitting in the sender well, (nor did we want to fill the tank incase we would immediately have to drain it for repair). But these fine lines gave us enough of a clue to dig further.
Once we dropped the tank, you can see the next clue in the photos below… notice how nasty the top of the tank looks when the gasket fails… you can see the evidence of fuel around the outside of the sender. This tank was installed with a custom slab of rubber on top of the sender (that’s what you see to the left of the sender) but of course that doesn’t help keep the fuel in the tank.
Once the sender was removed, you can see why there was a leak. The cork gaskets don’t last when ethanol is in your fuel.
Luckily, we have a solution available. A fresh viton gasket set is just what the doctor ordered; it fixed the problem. If you are experiencing a strong whiff of petrol, especially on fill-up, and are seeing these same witness marks on your tank, then our viton fuel sender gasket set may be just what you are after, as well. And if your fuel gauge doesn’t work (another common Bugeye ailment), then your sender may be bad altogether. Be sure to look into our upgraded fuel sending unit assembly with upgraded gaskets and brass float. Remember, when replacing the sender or sender gaskets, the screws go down into the tank through open holes, so make sure to use some kind of fuel-resistant thread sealant on the screws.
