Fuel guage sender unit query

[nbracken]

I have a Smiths fuel guage and a universal sender unit mounted in my tank - see attached photo.

I built my car more than ten years ago and probably fitted teh sender units sometime in 1992 during my chassis build.

Around a couple of the fitting bolts it has now started to weep very slightly when I have a full tank of fuel (as the unit is mounted near the top of the tank) so I need to remove it and refit with a new gasket and new fibre washers under the fitting bolt heads.

I have 2 questions:
1) I cannot remember how the unit is fitted and whether the attachment bolts (they actually have allen bolt heads) screw into captive nuts or a thread inside the fitting or some other way. I don't recall their being loose nuts on the inside, but I vaguely recall keeping the sender unit in position initially with a loop of string while I loosely attached the first couple of bolts - it is a long time ago...
2) Does anyone know if you can buy gaskets separately for these sender units - if not I guess I;ll have to make one out of gasket material.

Thanks in adavnce for your help/ideas.

[mikey]

Format looks Lucas universal. However I doubt if you can buy a seperate gasket. Get some cork sheet and make yourself one, using petrol resistant RTV in addition.
Mike

[nbracken]

Mike thanks - you are right - it is a Lucas unit. Can you recall how the retaining nuts are fitted - are they captive type?

[rsk289]

Mine are captive - but surely it depends on whose tank you have. Mine's an SS Hawk, and the captives are built into the tank.

[Clive]

If the nuts were not captive then how could you possibly fit/tighten them with the sender in place? The holes in the tank were probably tapped or self tappers were used.

[Purple AK]

I resealed Plods sender unit a year or so ago. Can't remember the name of what I used but I will make a phone call and post it tororrow