Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Hard to remove gas cap

It is difficult to believe that this is unique to my bike. The day I bought my bike, as I was inspecting it, I attempted to open the gas cap and I couldn't budge it and I have a reasonably strong grip. The seller, a pretty big chap tried with negative results. Ultimately, the cap was opened with some vice grip pliers. Since then I have turned it until it snugs up, and it is easy to remove. Today it seemed a little loose so I turned it past the first "ratchet point." I could not open it without a vice grip pliers. Is this common, and is there a solution other than barely closing it or carrying around vice grip pliers? Thanks.

I never had a problem with my 02 BA
but my new 07 is difficult if I turn past the first click.
I had to use pliers one of the first few times I opened it.

Thats first I ever heard tise problem.

2 things my dealer told me when i bought the bike,

1 dont touch the throtlle when starting.
2 dont over tighten the gas cap.

I didn't know you could over tighten it. Before I replaced mine I always turned it until it ratcheted and kept going until the handle was paralel to the bike. Never had any trouble opening it and the same on Wendys bike. Pedalmasher had a very good thought on the gas cap opening being changed in 06-07 and maybe the cap wasn't or the cap is adifferent fit than the old ones,who knows.

Also, I think I recall reading the the manual that the reason the gas cap is ratcheting is to prevent over tightening - which does not seem to be the case at least with my gas cap.

An interesting question has been raised. The stock cap is not vented and any of them back to the 02s could build up a vacuum and get hard to remove. What concerns me is finding out that Brents flush mount cap like I use (vented) doesn't fit the later models. If I remember my original stock cap was a fairly loose fit threading in. It was hard to remove sometimes due to not being vented but never where tools would be required.

If they have somehow screwed up the template of the tank neck and are making them smaller, the original cap might still fit while Brent's doesn't. If you combine the vacuum problem with tighter threading, I could see how it would be very hard to remove.

My question still is why in the heck would they intentionally change the thread diameter of the same tank that's been used since the beginning. I'm beginning to think there's a manufacturing screw up that caused this. Are the tanks still made in England? There should be a way to find out a clear answer.

That raises an interesting point. Could be the die is shot.

Well all I know is my dealer said turn it till it feels like its about to ratchet, then stop.He specifically said dont make it click.Or you may not be able to get it back off.So that tells me its a problem he at least knew of.
Perphaps somthing unique to the newer bikes, mine is an 06.

That's not right.
Triumph needs to fix it.

I had it with the 06....I got a new cap while it was in for something else to be done....ie under warrenty.
The new one is fine, except I dropped it on Monday and it now has a big scratch on it.

i'm running an 06 and have had that same problem... it's embarrasing as h ell to pull up to the tank with this nice ride and everyone is looking at you, and you can't even get the d amn cap off.

Dealer never said anything to me about "over tigtening". was clicking it until it was straight up and down. will try stopping before the first click to see if it changes.

OK.
I just went to the garage and took the original cap off
my 02 and put it on my 07.
and took the 07 cap and put on my 02.
what I have learned.
the caps both fit the same.
the force it takes to reach the click is much
greater for the 07 cap, it gets tighter before it
clicks.
I have not tried my flush mount cap on the 07.
I may before I refit it to my 02.

I always thought I was just a wimp mine sticks after one click and it takes two hands to back it off.

Now I just run it up before it clicks and it is ok.

It must seal pretty well as it vapor locked and stalled in the rain when we were leaving Rob's house in the rain going to the rally.

I had to back it off pretty far to stop the vapor lock.

It sounds to me like the caps didn't change but the tank did. It would appear to be a manufacturing f-up. Whatever template or die they use must have worn down making the hole slightly smaller.

Has anyone tried lubricating the threads on these sticky caps?

I've only put gas in once since I've only had my 07 SM for about three weeks. It was embarassing. Took me a couple of minutes and a lot of force to get the cap off. I thought there might be some extra push/pull/twist action that neither the dealer nor the owner's manual mentioned. Don't know what it will be like next time. I only snugged it up and it came back off ok. I've not tried it since then. We'll see (probably this weekend).
Gary

Seems a problem with later models, could it ba a result of whatever triumph did to correct problem of internal gas tank paint pealing on earlier models

Quote:

---

I'd be concerned about lube getting into gas

---

Agreed so silicone, oil, sprays are out

Quote:

---

maybe some kind of graphite based dry lube

---

Exactly, something that you could apply and wipe off leaving a film

On the same note, does anyone other than me have a hard time getting the cap started after fueling.

I seems like the cap wants to cross thread. I found I have to postion the cap correctly and then push it straight down before it treads correctly.

I tried dry graphite and it did not help.

What Poppy says lends more creedence to the bad die at Triumph if others have the same trouble. I just spin mine on on my 04 no pressure needed. Like I said above I also ratchet my 04 until the handle is paralel to the bike and never had any problem what so ever removing it.

Goes back to my earlier post on this thread that the caps haven't changed but they are making the tank neck slightly smaller probably due to die problems. My stock cap was loosely threaded, easy to put on, and no problem even if clicked tight except the occasional vacuum problem. Even when held by the vacuum, it wasn't that hard to get off.

This easily explains why the flush mount cap won't fit the newer bikes. If they wanted their cap to fit more snug, they should have changed the cap. I firmly believe this change was not intentional.

Thailand Triumph
There is going to be more problems like this, made the same but not the same.

I'm in the same boat with my 07 Speedmaster, have almost given up and gone home a few times after going 2 rounds with the ****** thing. When I close it now, I only give it one or two clicks, never wind it right down.

Well guess what happened to me tonight on my 07 America?yep the cap wouldnt open.I did eventually get it off after having to remove my jacket and get angry with the bugger.I reckon the problem with my sticking cap is down to my tank paint being softened by fuel which basically then glues itself onto the rubber seal on the cap.Its certainly not caused by a vaccuum.Has anyone else noticed their tank paint going soft where the colour ends and undercoat starts?

Yes, my panted threads and beyond look like the paint is curdling and was wondering that myself. that and when it falls into the tank how long does it take to plug up a filter

On my '05 SM it looks like this...

A big flake of this junk fell into my tank today . I'm going to ask at the dealer tomorrow when I take it in for the 6000mi service.

Always click it till it's straight and the effort to get it off varies but never had alot of trouble.

Quote:

---

Yes, my panted threads and beyond look like the paint is curdling and was wondering that myself. that and when it falls into the tank how long does it take to plug up a filter

---

My 02 started peeling like this and I was concerned about the crap getting down into my tank and fuel lines so I plugged the fill hole and scaped out all the paint that was peeling cleaned it up good and installed a flush mount cap from Brent. I figured this would solve the problem with the paint chips getting into the tank, which it did but every once in a while I have a ****** of a time getting the flush mount cap off as well, and I do not over tighten it as I do not use the plastic tool that was supplied to remove and install the cap. When this happens I usually end up using my key to get it opened by pushing on the tabs in a counterclockwise direction. Anybody else having this problem??????