Locking gas cap

[D S.]

How does one get the locking gas cap off that doesn't have a key to release it? Lock picks? It seems like I read here on the TDB recently that someone knows how to get them off without damage to the filler neck or cap. Now I can't find it in posts or threads.

Thanks,
Scott Sims
Texas Chapter

[Terry M.]

Re: Locking gas cap

PM sent.

I have to say more so I have ten charecters for the response. What ever happened to the NM posts we were able to make.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Can't say I know the secret or if there is one whether it should be revealed or not, but I know it doesn't take much to release the lock. With my own, I just put the key in and twist it back and forth until it releases. The key doesn't seem to want to turn much at all, unlike your usual key lock. If it rotates 2 degrees in either direction I'd be surprised. Mine may not be functioning right, but it does lock and it does release with a little twisting effort on the key and a few cuss words.

Stu fox

[Alan D.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Just use a nickel or dime into slot, turn, and lift - almost never used the key when vet was my every day car.

[Dick W.]

Re: Locking gas cap

It works, I have five new ones here and they are easy to unlock!

[Stuart F.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Well, so much for that dirty little secret. Guess it could be said that the locking gas cap only served to frustrate the Corvette owner at the gas pump and/or give him a false sense of security. I was going to at least carry mine with me to apply at shows and cruise-ins, but why bother if it is now so well known how to defeat it - it's a moot point. I'll just hang mine on some peg board in the garage as a momento of a bygone ERA. The chrome still looks good.

Stu fox

[Jim T.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Stuart a long time ago, back in 73 or 74 on Halloween night my locking gas caps on my 68 and 70 Corvettes saved me a lot of gas tank cleaning. On the 4th of July I made these "mothers angels" quit shooting fireworks into the air and debris landing on the wooden shingles of the apartments where we lived in Dallas. Had covered parking so the cars were reasonably safe. Could not prove who did it since I or no one else saw who egged and used tomatoes on my 68 and 70, but the locking gas caps kept the tomatoes out of the gas tanks. Tomatoes were smashed on top of the gas caps. Later the "mothers angels" were actually caught pissing in someones gas tank. Cost their mom some coins.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Ahhhh the 70's. Now there was an era. If they weren't trying to steal your gas due to the Energy crisis, they wanted to put sugar in your tank or some other crap that would at least mess up your Carburetor or ruin your engine. That's when I bought mine (locking cap) too. I had just moved back into the States with a new job away from home requiring me to stay at the local "Y" for a while until I found an Apartment. I had to park the Vette in their lot and, as it was, I had my convertible top cut and my antenna mast broken off. However, no one attempted to access my gas tank while the locking cap was on. So, for over 35 years I believed I was safe until this Nickle/Dime secret has been "outed". So much for "peace of mind".

Stu Fox

[D S.]

Re: Locking gas cap

Well, the person in question who had the locking gas cap without keys issue wasn't patient enough to use the nickel or dime trick. Paid $85 for a locksmith to do the job. Or at least $79.90 too much. Gullible that I am I was skeptical about the nickel/dime thing so I wanted him to try it.

[Harmon C.]

Re: Locking gas cap

I had a old gas tank with a hole in it I wanted to scrap last week and it had a locking cap on it and I could not find the key. A flat screwdriver would not open it so I just removed the neck screws as I planned on saving it anyway.