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Over the past few years I have noticed something, it appears that gas caps are becoming difficult to find one that fits. Both my 87s, and my 89 have the original gas tank. A few years back I bought 3 GM gas caps, BUT every replacement cap I have (even the GM ones) do not have the correct thread. It is like they are too large, and the thread is wrong.., they kind of fit if you fiddle and monkey with it, They do not screw all the way down either, so they do not seal correctly, and in some cases leak if you just filled up!!!
The ONLY car that I have a gas cap on right now that fits correctly is my 87 Formula, I can easily spin it on, and then it clicks.
Anyone have any luck with any gas caps? I should take some pictures this evening to show what works and does not work.
I had the same issue but got one from Auto Zone and it fit perfect. Don't have the part# for it, but I went up to the counter, told them what year my car was. Paid for it, and tried it on for size in the parking lot.
Clean the inside of the filler neck, and the threads on your gas caps. IDK, maybe it's because I never drive my cars, or because I have a lifetime supply of caps from working at the gas station. LOL
Most of the "GM" caps have the Stant S logo molded right in on the cap.
Looking on Ebay at NOS caps, plastic caps in the blue/white GM boxes have the Stant S mark too. Getting really whacky, some of the old metal gas caps have the S stamped in them.
Stop at your friendly corner gas station and ask the clerk if they have a gas cap lost and found. I'm just going to spitball here, and say that if you ask 2 or 3 different stores, one or another will probably send you home with as many as you could ever want.
It's all made in China now. Not surprised they can't make a simple gas cap. No pride in workmanship and no quality control. Anymore, I try to buy used original parts and recondition them as often as possible and you should too. My 89 needs a new gas tank due to loose filler neck and all I read are horrible reviews on the aftermarket tanks and I have no interest in that gamble. My factory tank will come out, go to the local specialty shop and be reconditioned with the filler neck fixed and put back in the car and WILL fit perfectly as it should, I don't care if it costs me a grand. Finding new parts that look, function or even remotely resemble what you take off your older car is an absolute chore. I would rather pay 3 times for something used then new. I'm sick to my stomach of China parts.
My OEM cap would leak every time I took a hard right turn. Over time, the plastic started warping with age, which made it worse.
Fed up with this, I randomly walked in to an AutoZone in lower Alabama one day and asked for a replacement. The parts guy did the typical type an essay drill and asked me how many doors my Camaro had.
After he finished his auto parts dissertation on his greasy computer, he turned around and disappeared into the labyrinth of parts behind him. Minutes later, he reemerged with a gas gap.
All my cars but the 92s have this gray cap. Not sure when they changed but I've noticed that the black caps from 92s don't fit well in my 89s that have the gray caps.
I ended up fixing it... Kinda... Took Tony's advise and filed down the threads... At least it screws on now and does not bind on the 2nd thread not sealing... Took about 3-5 min to do. The thing is I do not think it really fits quite right still, but it seems to at least seal. The Gray Cap I have just spins on and then I seal it with a click. I still need to twist and monkey with the new black one...
I just purchased a new tank from Eckler's with a sump. My original cap would only screw down about 1 turn and start clicking. It was not all the way down where it would seal. I called Eckler's and they could not come up with a solution but they did offer to pay return shipping if I could not resolve the issue. I also took the members advice and got a flat file and started lowering the thread peaks and then used a small round file to clean up the shavings. Not alot of filing maybe 5 minutes including cleaning up the threads with the round file and it screwed all the way down and sealed.
gas cap screwed all the way in
I have had this problem throughout my car's 28 year life. I replaced about 1 cap every 2-3 years early on and then decided to win the battle. I used the file technique and lowered the peaks in the cap threads. Prior to installing, I added some lubricant to the threads and it went on perfectly. All I do now is add a little "zipper grease" to the cap threads every 6 months or so and I have not bought a new cap in the last 8 years. All of my replacements came from a GM dealer.
I have the same issue with a Stant locking cap. Worked ok at first, but after a few months, it got impossible to screw down all the way. I bought a replacement, and it’s now doing the same thing. I hadn’t thought of filing down the threads on the cap...might give that a try.
I should have been more clear..I removed the cap from my ‘93 Corvette, and put it on my ‘88 IROC.
For some unknown reason, it appears to have resolved the issue. Interestingly, I tried putting the IROC cap on the Corvette, and it wouldn’t fit, so I threw the cap away. Both were Stant locking caps, but I didn’t see a part number for comparison.
07-17-2018, 09:04 AM
