Fuel tank sending unit leak

[mally002]

Hey guys,

Took the z out today for the longest ride it's ever had, it ran wonderful but being almost out of gas I stopped for 10 gallons before I went home.

I noticed fluid on the garage floor and then the dreaded gas smell, I thought maybe it had just overflowed but on closer inspection it is seeping out the sending unit.

I dried everything, checked all hoses, clamps, etc then removed the rear tire. After watching the sending unit area I noticed it started to seep. Before I had always just had a few gallons in the tank so it never leaked, but if the fuel is above the sending unit it's leaking.

Is there a sealer I could use till I can replace the o-ring. I know they make a marine grade putty, but would it work on gas?

Any suggestions, anyone else have this problem.

Thanks,

Randy

[Diseazd]

Mark the wires, unplug them, then drive off the locking mechanism (counterclockwise). Pull out the sending unit and replace the "o" ring. Reverse the procedure to replace. You can probably get the" o" ring at your dealer, if not,you can get them from MSA or BD. 20 minute job.

[AZ-240z]

I second everything Diseazed said. Just replaced my sending unit and it was quite simple. I would jack up the rear, under the differential, drain maybe 5 gals. from the tank into a clean container, and change the O-ring. The sending unit fits into a notch on the drivers side of the tank opening so you can't screw up the installation. Just be sure to put a little lub on the O-ring so it won't tear. Got mine from local Nissan parts counter. I would hesitate using any sealant because it would need to be cleaned off eventually, and it would be my luck to get a piece of sealant stuck in the fuel line.

Good Luck

Dan

[Darrel]

Drain the gas.

Replace the oring as stated above.

Then check, because sometimes it may be the sending unit itself that is leaking.

[Jetaway]

Definitely replace the O-ring. More than likely available at a local dealer and shock, shock, you'll even get change back from a ten-spot.

If it still leaks, it could be leaking through one of the electrical connections. I must have wrestled so hard with one of the connectors when I removed the sender a year ago that I managed to break the connector free enough to rotate, and as a result leak gas. At most I could put eight gallons in before it would start leaking. To fix it I used JB Water Weld (not the liquid stuff, a 2-part putty) packed into every possible crevice in the connector. One of the connectors is part of the case (ground, I would think) and can't leak, you want to work on the other one. JB claims it cures even while submerged in gasoline and I don't doubt them, but I let it air-harden for a day before reinstalling the sending unit.

While you are there, might as well clean the sending unit. I didn't trust my "touch" enough to avoid breaking the resistor wire so I used a spray electrical contact cleaner. I believe it was a cleaner from MG Chemicals. I used the cleaner with lubricant, which at various times is labeled as having 'lubricant' and other times not, but with the magic words "with poly ethers," and sometimes labeled with both. (I'm not at home, but I'm pretty sure about the brand and the magic words -- or at least pretty close.)

Chris

[Jetaway]

And dooohh!

I meant to add that I doubt there is anything special about the MG Chemical cleaner and any brand should do. The advantage to getting a cleaner with lubricant is that it is much kinder to switches and such, and your Z likely has a few that wouldn't mind a cleaning.

Chris