Fuel sending unit, how to "seal" it? * F*#&K! here we go again...*

[michalik.piotr6837]

Quick intro, I'm on my 6th Ducati (3rd m900), so I'm not new (over 30 bikes total), live in Seattle, know a lot of people. I haven't hung around many msg boards for years since I stopped caring if the newest prettiest aftermarket part would fit on my bike, just kinda did my own thing rat farming sh*t together... which leads me into my question.

My fuel sender went bad (power wire broke inside it somehow so the pump would not run), I don't need the idiot light to work, so I cut it all open (had nothing to lose) before I spent $180 for a new one. I'm stubborn (Polish) and cheap (buy fuel filters, relays, etc at NAPA).... so I drilled the + wire out, drag a new one in and epoxied the whore thing back up then put jb weld on it. Well, a day later and its leaking!

My questions: Are there any other alternatives out there as far as nuts/plugs to fit that I can drag the two wires through w/o leaks? Or,

What can I use to seal the wires in the now cut off fuel sender?? (I know its leaking from the wires not the oring in the nut or the nut. Is ther some kind of gasoline resistant epoxy out there?

Went to NAPA and all they had was some putty that looked just like jb weld.

Thanks, Peter

[ducpainter]

jb weld is pretty fuel proof.

sounds like you didn't get things clean enough.

[krista]

I can cut you a teflon "plug" that will fit between the nut and the tank. I use / make those to leak test our tanks. Or you can find something about an inch round to put under the nut and then use a rubber disc about an inch round to seal it. Is your sender nut plastic or metal? Plastic ones like to break.

Good luck,
Chris

[Porsche Monkey]

Or you could buy a nice shiny new metal one from Chris ^^^

[michalik.piotr6837]

Chris, first off I wanted to say thanks for providing a cheaper alternative to the OEM fuel pump, then thanks for shipping one out to me so fast and last, thanks for accepting the return (when I realized I diognosed the problem wrong!).

I'm attaching a pic of the fuel sender after I cut off a few inches of it and then dug appart the original sealing material to get to the wire.  This is where I drilled a hole to drag a new wire through and then I shelacked it with the epoxy/jbweld and this is where its leaking now, around the wire (i'm 99% sure).

So, your suggestion of a teflon plug might work as long as i can drill/punch two holes in it to drag the pump wires through w/o leaking.  I was thinking of similar ideas...... either picking out all the OEM and my expoxy sealing material and starting from scratch with some new jb weld type sealer or, making a rubber plug and punching two holes through it and then dragging the wires.  What do you think would seal better?  Punching holes through a rubber plug?  Would that even work?

[He Man]

id try jb weld again, but make sure you clean the surface with a degreaser then scuff it up. id strip the paint in that are with a sanding disc though. JB likes bare metal.

[michalik.piotr6837]

The JB wold only be going inside the piece I am holding in my hand (through which two wires would be going also, the root of the problem since its leaking around them).  That piece is a round "cylinder" that goes inside the nut and seals.  Its hard to picture this unless you took your sender out before.  This would be less complicated if I did not have to run the wires through it.  Hope that makes sense.  i appreciate your suggestions and feel this will be overcome, it has to!  I'm stubborn, haha.

[ducpainter]

I think you're going to have to seal the holes regardless of material.

Teflon might present adhesion issues as not much sticks to it.

I'd try again with what you have now I think.

[krista]

Ah, bummer ... I forgot about the fuel pump wires. Yeah... my idea was to seal the tank shut. In my two decades of f*cking about working on motorcycles, only one time have I personally made a repair to a fuel-holding item and it actually not leak. My two cents is to buy a new or used sender that holds fuel and get on with life.

IMHO, the only way something non-JB-weld-ish will work is to get 2 oversized chunks of rubber forming a split cork and drive them in the opening with the wires in the middle. There's a lot of engineering with regard to rubber and sealing liquids -- it's possible, but IMHO beyond the reach of anyone not already manufacturing such a device.

Chris

[michalik.piotr6837]

Yup......those two wires are the thorn in my side.  Actually, this yet another Ducati design flaw is.  I now wish it was the fuel pump b/c at 150 its less then the 180 for the sender and i would not have to wait god knows how long for it.  You can now imagine my disappointment and frustration after I sealed it the best I thought and it still leaks.  I'm surprised the epoxy did not work, since it was liquid that completely submerged everything before it cured into a solid.   

[michalik.piotr6837]

Ok, so........went to Home Depot and got a $1.20 rubber "cork" plug.  Cut it in two, drilled two holes through it (smaller diameter then the wires) then drug the wires through it, jammed the plug into the plastic "collar" aka, fuel sending unit I cut apart then poured some expoxy into both ends.  And, guess what?  Over 24 hrs later and its still not leaking.  But, what is more important today me and my best friend Rick came up with yet another bullet proof way to solve this problem if/when it leaks again (w/o spending the $180 for a new sending unit and waiting).  Actually, two ways.  1) drag the fuel pump wires into the tank via the vent tubes!  Or, 2) and this is not for the faint of heart, drill a hole in the top of the tank then insert a gromet and black tubing through (then run and hide it under the tripple) it and run the wires into the tank through that!  It would just look like a vent hose the way early Gixxers had.  Here are the pix of my fix, hope this helps someone out sometimes.

[Bones]

my only concern with that patch would be the long term integrity of that particular grade of rubber when continually exposed to gasoline. I would keep a VERY close eye on that for the next few days/weeks. if the whole plug gives out while you are riding and dumps gas onto the battery and engine you might be f%cked.

[michalik.piotr6837]

Hey, we all gotta go someday!  No doubt though, I'm checking it daily...several times a day, lol.

[michalik.piotr6837]

Well, didin't take but two days and....yup, leaking again!  So, like I said....on to the "final solution".  Here are the pics...  so far no leaks.  Just put a clean piece of plastic into the plug.  Vent hose, aka: fuel pump wire cover...ghetto?  Maybe, but phuck it, I'm rideing today and I didn't drop $200 and had to wait for Italy to ship it.



Clear plastic to plug it up....god, if this leaks i will weld this mofo shut!!!  Sick of doing this over and over and over.



Instead of drilling through the tank I did through this...



Hole through tank.



Finished.