Johnson Viking Ranger II VFO Gasket Question

[David-SWL]

The Ranger II in restoration did not have a gasket around the VFO bezel, however now that I have taken off the  bezel I see there is a flat rubber strip running around the inside edge of the bezel that was not visible before.  This is not the gasket that we are used to seeing around the edge of the bezel.  I went and purchased a piece of rubber material that was suggested by some folks to use as a gasket replacement, it is used by airplane modelers and is essentially a round extrusion with a slit so it can be pressed into the bezel edge.  It looks very nice but it adds some thickness to the bezel and now I am afraid that the red and green lamp's threaded sleeves which are used for mounting the bezel to the frame will not clear that back of the panel due to the extra gasket thickness.  If any of you have been through this before, I would be curious as to how you solved the problem.  Without the gasket between the face and the bezel there is just enough clearance for the red and green lamp mounting nuts and the 4-40 screws to hold everything in place but with that added thickness from the gasket, I don't think it will fit.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks,
David

[N2GHX Ken]

I have a factory built Ranger II and it too, does not have a visable gasket. So, there must have been some number of rigs built as such.