Sealed gas cap

[R80Guy]

I'm asking the collective wisdom for a shred of hope, and suggestions. I'm readying my 1986 R80 for a trip this Friday. The bike had been in storage for a long period. New battery, new fork seals, rebuilt the carbs (I'm proud of that - it actually runs GREAT, and I did it myself!) :)

The LAST thing that I did before taking a test ride, was to pour about a gallon of gas in the tank. Apparently, the filler cap locking tabs were corroded (stuck). The filler cap spins freely in either the cw or ccw direction! At first, I couldn't turn the key to the unlock position. I dribbled "Liquid Wrench" and a little fine gun oil into the key slot and now I can turn the key both ways, but the cap still only rotates.

Is there ANY way to "unstick" the fuel cap tangs? I don't care if I have to trash the filler cap, but I'd like to save the expense of buying a new ($$$) fuel tank and cap, even if I could get these items before my Friday trip. Any suggestions are most humbly appreciated. Feel free to e-mail me offline, if you prefer.

Thanks in advance,
Guy Gillespie
guy_gillespie@yahoo.com

[bmwmick]

Guy,
Go here:
http://home.jps.net/~snowbum/fuelfltrs&petcocks.htm
and page down to GAS CAPS. Bob has some very good tips for removing that cap.

Mick

[R80Guy]

Thanks for the great link! I'm anxious to try the recommended fixes. I'm just worried that if I try the first one, running a strap around my waist and through the fuel filler handle, standing on the pegs, then pulling snd twisting the cap, I just KNOW that my wife will appear with a camera!

I'll post the results tomorrow.

Thanks again,
Guy Gillespie
'86 R80 with a one gallon range

[bmwmick]

WE WANT PICTURES!!!!!

:bliss

Mick

I think drilling the small hole UNDER the hinged loop and sticking a drill bit down the hole would be my second choice. That way you could just put a stainless screw down that hole and nothing would show.

Good luck.

[R80Guy]

Thanks again, bmwmick, for the great link with the suggested fixes. I tried all three methods. First, the strap around my waste and through the gas cap handle. No luck, and definitely no pictures (I don't have much pride, but still ...)!

Then, I pried off the weather seal around the cap, but did not have the three holes 120 degrees apart, as mentioned in the write-up. Apparently, by 1986, the holes were eliminated.

Finally, I drilled a 3/32" hole through two layers in the cap, reversed the drill bit to pin the two layers together, and out she came! With the handle down and the tank bag on, you don't see the sheet metal screw that I installed to keep the internal rotating surface pinned to the external surface.

This list is GREAT!

Thanks again,
Guy

[bmwmick]

Guy,
GREAT JOB!!!! I don't want any credit for the fix, just for sending you to the right place. :p You might want to make sure you have a stainless steel sheet metal screw in there. I HAVE seen the mess after that 'emergency repair' screw starts to rust.

Glad you're smiling again. :clap


Mick

[Rbike]

I did about the same to my previous bike...just drilled a hole and stuck a nail in it...then colored it black with a magic marker and it's still running down the road like that this day.

Just gotta love a GOOD cheap fix:D

[jgr451]

I have actually heard of that repair from a friend who also had an R80.
As I recall,the brakes on that went bad expensively,too.

He now has a Yamaha and couldn't be happier.

The BMW is in the garage as ber(beyond economical repair).

What happened to that legendary reliability?Germanic Shtahl vartnesse?(Stalwartness).