Last night I went to fill up and my 82 gas cap would not turn, with both hands I was able to rotate the outer plastic cap but it wont come off, makes clicking sound as you rotate so the tab(s) are probably broke off. How can I get the cap off and where do find an OE cap?
-
-
Re: 82 Gas Cap won't come off
Mike-----
I've never dealt with this problem and I've never even heard of it happening. Obviously, it does, though. The only way that I can think of to get the cap off would be to try to cut away as much of the "top portion" of the cap as you can, possibly using a Dremel tool. This part is, of course, a separate part from the portion of the cap that screws into the filler neck opening. After you can get at the threaded portion, I think you'll be able to screw it out, perhaps with the help of a pair of channel lock pliers. I don't think that there's any way to repair the ratcheting mechanism in the cap, so you don't have much to lose.
The original cap was GM #22503147(early) or GM #22510715 (later). These caps had very wide application across all GM car lines for model years 1979-82 and 1982-83, resepctively. So, if you can find a 1979 to 1983 GM car in a wrecking yard with its original cap, you may have what you seek. You will have to compare the caps you find with your original so that you get the right one. I do not know what the physical differences are between these 2 caps. So, take careful and complete photos of your original cap before you remove it. I THINK that both caps are all plastic, but it's possible that the earlier one has a metal crown.
The problem with these plastic caps is that they are life-limited. Although they are made of a fuel resistant plastic, any plastic is an organic material and will be degraded, to one degree or another, by an organic solvent like gasoline.
The GM #22503147 and 22510715 caps were discontinued from SERVICE in January, 1984 and replaced by GM #22518911. In July, 1985 the 22518911 was discontinued and replaced by GM #22525300. That cap remains available to this very day. I will post a picture of one so you can compare its configuration to your original.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Photo Addendum
Here's a photo of the top of a GM #22525300 cap:
In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
-
Re: 82 Gas Cap won't come off
Mike, Try pushing down hard, on the cap while turning. Most times it can then be un-screwed from the filler neck. DaveComment
-
Re: 82 Gas Cap won't come off
Keep in mind -- if judging is in your car's future -- those gas caps are date coded. Someplace on the outside of the threaded piece of plastic.
I only know because I have gazed in wide eyed wonder at the later C3 judges doing their thing.TerryComment
-
Re: 82 Gas Cap won't come off
I was able to get the cap off by drilling a small hole off center in order to put a screw in the cap to keep the outer portion from turning seperately from the inner part. Now that I have ruined the cap from a judging view point it sounds like it will be difficult to find the correct one.
Thanks for all the feed back and info.Comment
-
Re: 82 Gas Cap won't come off
Mike-----
The good news is that you might be able to fill the hole without too much trouble. The bad news is, as I mentioned previously, trying to repair the ratcheting mechanism of the cap to make it usable. I don't know of any way to do that.
Can you post a photo of the cap or, at least, e-mail a photo of it?In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
Comment