Gas cap won't shut

[yadada]

What do you do when your gas tank cap won't shut, and you tank is full of freshly pumped gas, and you are not at home?

I used a wad of paper towels and some duct tape to get me back home.

Lock froze up or broke this morning when I was getting gas. Went to close the cap and the key wouldn't turn, and the cap wouldn't close.

I suppose it might need a cleaning and some lubricant, we'll see.

I was just wondering if there are any other creative solutions to the problem I had out there.

[Stralya]

Carbon powder

If it's just a stuck lock, try coating the key with carbon powder, it's available from locksmiths. Insert the key into the lock and move it back and fourth several times. Older bikes like ours pick up corrosion everywhere and a small bottle of carbon powder comes in handy and works really well.

Dan

[Crazcnuk]

Lock de-icer. available at any gas station in the snow belt

[egsols]

Like Craz said, lock de-icer. For my truck I always keep a bottle of gas line antifreeze onboard. Helps with the lock on the tonneau too and can go in the tank if needed.

[trbig]

Mine gets kind of sticky sometimes. I have actually bent my gas key getting it to turn before. I spray some lube on the keepers on the bottom side of the lid and then give it a shot directly into the key hole. But you're right... it could probably use a good stripping and cleaning.

Duct tape and paper towels.... Sounds like something a dang engineer or something would use!!



Tod

[wa407mpp]

That fix fix was invented by a guy named Molotov wasn't it?

[Guy_b_g]

"That fix fix was invented by a guy named Molotov wasn't it?"



...then a passing motorist tossed his cigarette butt out the window...(usually only a minor irritation to Molotov on his rides to & from party meetings)...but tonight....

[fredintoon]

Not unlatching is worse.

What's worse than the filler cap not latching is being 100 miles from home, low on gas and not being able to get the effin' cap open to refuel. On a Special if the key don't turn (or if the sh*tmetal pin that works the latch shears off) you can poke in with a screwdriver and pop the latch open.
But the Standard's gas cap is buried in a hole so you can't get at it. Anyone know a trick to get that one open?

[trbig]

Anyone know a trick to get that one open?

????? The above mentioned Molotov and a match?


Tod

[wa407mpp]

find your local locksmith. We have ways.

[boyat68]

Standard

That Standard!

you can always take the tank off and remove one of the petcocks and fill the tank, of course some will leak out of the overflow but you can put in enough to get you home. The lock happens to pick up a lot of rust and the spring tension on the cap is heavy, and there is a tendency to turn the key before you press down on the cover to relieve some of that tension. Short of carrying a big "C" clamp around, greasing the lock mechanism with a bit of lithium grease before the start of a ride should be added to the pre inspection routine.

[yadada]

Uh why didn't I think of the de-icer??? I have no idea. I wash the bike sunday, then expect the lock to work on a 24 deg monday morning. What a dummy. It was early due to time change so I'll blame it on that.

Good news is it worked when I got home, so it must have thawed. Just odd that it opened, but wouldn't shut.

Didn't have any carbon lock lubricant, so I put in some white lithium.

Have to start doing that on a regular basis in the cold weather.

Or at least after I wash it.

Don't worry about the firebomb thing, I was well aware of the possiblity of gas going all over. I taped up the top REALLY well. And drove very carefully.

Molotov....that's a good name for a bike! hmmmmm....pehaps a few too many negavite waves associated with it though.....

[Crazcnuk]

It's ok, if I fill up my virago, to the top, it leaks all over for the first couple miles (fromthe gas cap) as a rule!

[wa407mpp]

Movotov the bike?

I don't know, still partial to Roadkill.