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MG MGB Technical - Leaky sender unit, strap tank

My MGB (1964, strap type tank, sender unit fitted by means of six screws) has a leaky sender unit. Fuel appears to be coming from the gasket under the plate on the top. The plate is held onto the sender unit by four screws.

I have filled up the tank to see where the fuel is leaking from so I now have to either drain the tank or drive 200 miles or so.

Is it possible to replace the gasket on the sender unit or should I order a new one to come when I have driven the tank dry?

Mike
Mike Standring

one of the t-types have a better type of seal that is lipped on both sides and rubber that will fit to cure the problem
MOSS sell them but i dont know if others do
you will have to empty the tank
just cyphen it with a rubber hose
ste
Ste Brown

Unless the sender is right at the bottom of the tank unlike the later arrangement (and the drawings look to have it in the same place), you *won't* have to drain the tank. Just drive it down to 1/8 tank (I'm pretty sure I have changed mine at 1/4 tank) and raise the right rear corner.
Paul Hunt 2

Thanks, Ste and Paul,

I have done similar jobs in the past and tipped the car to tip the tank, just at the moment the tank is full to help me identify the leak. As the weather here is glorious I intend to drain the tank through the carburettors by driving it as the makers intended, while the spare part is on its way.

The question is, which part should I buy. Ste, have you got a part number or do you know which T-type it fits please? If it had been the round gasket between the sender and the tank, I would have used normal gasket paper and Hylomar. As it is, it sounds like something a bit more difficult to find.

Mike
Mike Standring

Mike

I have just completed the same exercise. The small passivated plate you refer to, held in with four screws should be removed and sealed with a smear of 24 hr epoxy where it sits on the metal casting. The gaskets mentioned are obtainable from Peter Edney on the internet. If you do order one of these you will need to also order six new bolts as the gasket is a lot thicker than the cork one and the standard bolts are too short I would seal the small plate first and see if there is still a leak. Hope this is helpfull

Paul.
Paul Millers

Update: I have taken off the small plate and replaced the gasket with a gasket cut from gasket paper. I used blue hylomar on the paper. The old gasket was rubber and had suffered from being in contact with petrol over the 42 years the car has been in use. There was a mark on the face of the metal where the petrol had seeped through.

All I have to do now is fill the tank up with petrol. Unfortunately winter seems to be coming back again which makes longer journeys less pleasant.

Mike

Mike Standring

This thread was discussed between 12/03/2007 and 20/03/2007

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