Urgent: Fuel cap stuck

[arthur_chan]

anybody got experience with stuck fuel cap and know which shop can do?

[ocel]

what do u mean by stuck. my cb4 last time also gt stuck bt manage to diy myself. then just spray rp7 n the walaa no prob after tat

[arthur_chan]

turned the key totally no feeling, just the spring only. i'll try to diy myself if possible, however can't even open n i'm low on fuel. i've approached a bike shop n they say need locksmith to open, what they usually do in a situation like this is knock in the cap but it dents the tank. so i'm wondering if there's any expert ways to open it. i know i have to get the cap replaced.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Here's something from a Kawasaki forum -

 

Possible causes are vacuum forming in the fuel tank preventing the fuel tank cap gasket from disengaging, or some rust had formed around the fuel cap.

 

Solution:

 

1. Spray WD40 liberally around the fuel cap and lock area

2. Use a hair dryer to heat up the penetrating agent (WD40)

 

http://172.31.254.244/www.kawasakimotorcycle.org/forum/images/icons/icon1.gif Re: Gas tank won't open

 

Well, sure I could get the gas cap off after unscrewing the bolts. But it's not as easy as just unscrewing them and lifting it off is what I meant. You'd have to cause some damage to teh cap/tank to get it off from the point of unscrewing the bolts.

 

As for the hairdryer, it worked like a charm. It's funny that everyone's reaction is it is dangerous yet my shop's mechanic is the one who recommended it to me. I think the heat would have to be sitting on the cap for quite a long time to penetrate far enough through to the gas to heat that enough to explode. We were talking about maybe 3-5 minutes tops of heating it. It worked very easily and no damage at all caused to my tank or cap. I was then able to file down the grit and lube the lock from the inside and it works great now. But in case anyone else encounters this problem (which I hear is very common on these lock caps) this is an easy solution without having to drill the lock or call a locksmith. I spent $5 for a can of

WD40.

 

Thanks for everyone who replied to help!

Apparently, no, it won't explode. Trying to unbolt or remove the fuel cap in any way would likely cause damage to the tank, so try WD40 first.

 

 

Or, report in to Universal Motors tomorrow :3

[arthur_chan]

thanks kitten, i dont think vacumm was the cause, i had known problems with the inside stub disengaging. further more i think i might have spoilt the lock mechanism by forcing it to open, that's why i turn the key and can only feel the spring.

 

i guess i've to try UM. hope they can get it open w/o spoiling the tank. and i'll tell them the heating WD40 theory, see if it helps.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Arthur, if you can try use hp to record what they did to the tank to un-stuck it. Can post on youtube for future public reference. Btw, you seem very technically knowledgable and I can pick up a few things on DIYing I think... Especially on electrical stuff. I'm allergic to it lmao.

[powy]

Kindly let us know how much they charged to unlock that cap. I've got a spare tank and I lost the key.

[arthur_chan]

Arthur' date=' if you can try use hp to record what they did to the tank to un-stuck it. Can post on youtube for future public reference. Btw, you seem very technically knowledgable and I can pick up a few things on DIYing I think... Especially on electrical stuff. I'm allergic to it lmao.[/quote']

haha, sorry, my hp is flat n my charger is in office. i'm not technically good in diy stuffs, just lots of junk ideas n most wont work. the only electrical stuff i know is connect + to -, dont even know how to use a multi-meter, but if u need anything, i'll try to help.

Kindly let us know how much they charged to unlock that cap. I've got a spare tank and I lost the key.

$10 to pry open the cap. n some diy. for my bike they charge $45 for the cap without lock, not sure ur bike model how much they charge, but est shouldn't be more than $50 + labour.

 

depending on ur situation, for mine, the stub is stuck, so no choice but to pry open, n my tank slightly spoilt. when they fix back that time i just recall someone told me if u want to check if the cap has been pry open, the new cap will purge more outwards than a new 1.

 

in ur case if u lost the key, u can try lockpick ur self or get a locksmith to open n just replace the lock. if the lock mechanism is ok, not necessary to replace the whole cap. a hardcore way is to punch in a screw driver n force open the lock, the cap wont spoilt, that's what my mechanic do when he want to scap old parts for my cap. but my advise still go to a locksmith, my est $10 for the locksmith, $10 for the new lock. good luck.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Ahh, that's a very enlightening read. I got curious about how to fix a stuck tank cap because I find this is something that can happen to anyone - no such thing as a 'newbie problem'.

 

I might borrow some points from your experience (with credit) when I get a motoring website up. Forums are great for gossip, which I'm not here for - I notice good "how I solved the mystery" threads like these usually get buried within a week.

 

So, thanks for the detailed explanation on the problem and your preferred solutions, I'll see if I can put them up into a "don't panic" article on the subject

[arthur_chan]

lol, the solution was actually very common, ply out the cover and replace it. however this method dents the tank and easily accomplished.

 

i'm still thinking if there's another method, drilling maybe, without getting the tank dented. because if no old parts are available, and u're going to replace the cap anyway, why not do a nice one without leaving a mark.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Last night I read about people trying to unbolt the fuel cap assembly, which obviously didn't work as it would be too easy to steal petrol if designed to be dismantled in this manner.

 

When I got to the drilling part, I thought about sparks entering the fuel tank and BOOM

 

There however should be a way to drill into the lock and get it to disengage. Not something I'd DIY though

[arthur_chan]

Last night I read about people trying to unbolt the fuel cap assembly, which obviously didn't work as it would be too easy to steal petrol if designed to be dismantled in this manner.

lol, there's still the slow method of stealing, if u know what i mean.