Pop-up Assembly Does Not Fit

I just installed a new Bates sink in a marble vanity top. The flange for the pop-up assembly is flush with the sink drain except in the very front where there is a 1/16th to 1/8th inch gap. The manufacturer for the faucet (Brasstech) recommends only silicone sealer for flange. Can I or should I seat the flange with sealer, or get a replacement sink? Is there another solution?

Secondly there is a gap of 1/4 to 1/2 inch between sink overflow and pop-up. Is there something I should be using to fill that gap so water does not bypass?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Lee

I'm not familiar with a Bates, but I always use plumber's putty for pop-up flanges. I apply a bead of it just under the flange on top of the sink and another bead above the rubber seal on the bottom to fill in any abnormalities under the sink.

I just checked out the Bates pages a little and it looks like most of the sinks don't have an over flow. I would change the pop-up to one with no over flow port.

This One Does Have an Overflow

This One Does Have an Overflow