pontiac59
10-28-2008, 02:30 AM
And it was pretty easy and cheap.
Probably not everyone realizes (I see people ask and this be recommended to do a lot), but it helps to bleed air out of the fuel system on these trucks, when you change the filter - the technique is explained in the sticky on top of the board. One of the methods to do it is put around 4-5 PSI into the tank.
My truck came with a gas cap someone had already broken the top off from, so I'm not sure if there was a trick to it, but the part that spins when it gets tight, was gone.
Inside, down in there is a metal ring which holds the spring for the vent. You can pop it out from the top, or just do what I did - drill out the center bottom and pop it out from the tank side. I used a bit that was smaller than my tire stem. If you go from the bottom, the pop up vent piece becomes ground up bits of plastic. You can probably press it out or find a way to pull all the pieces out from the top, but they're going to be throwaway anyways, so it doesn't really matter.
Once I had it gutted, there is a lip on the tank side around the vent area. I had to cut that flush to the surface around it with a pair of diagonal cutters. Then I used the bit to open the hole a bit - a bit the correct size is not going to fit in the typical small drill chuck. Once big enough, insert valve stem - presto, it fits tight. Removing the lip may not be necessary for every valve stem, but you need a long one to reach out the top of the cap.
Took about 5 minutes, the valve stems were like a buck, and you can probably scarf a cap free or for a buck or two at the junkyard. Any '80s GM screw-on cap works, as close as I can tell.
A smart guy might even be able to figure out a way to make the stem work as a vent again, but for how cheap this was, it's just as easy to make it and put it in the glove box when not needed.
Probably not everyone realizes (I see people ask and this be recommended to do a lot), but it helps to bleed air out of the fuel system on these trucks, when you change the filter - the technique is explained in the sticky on top of the board. One of the methods to do it is put around 4-5 PSI into the tank.
My truck came with a gas cap someone had already broken the top off from, so I'm not sure if there was a trick to it, but the part that spins when it gets tight, was gone.
Inside, down in there is a metal ring which holds the spring for the vent. You can pop it out from the top, or just do what I did - drill out the center bottom and pop it out from the tank side. I used a bit that was smaller than my tire stem. If you go from the bottom, the pop up vent piece becomes ground up bits of plastic. You can probably press it out or find a way to pull all the pieces out from the top, but they're going to be throwaway anyways, so it doesn't really matter.
Once I had it gutted, there is a lip on the tank side around the vent area. I had to cut that flush to the surface around it with a pair of diagonal cutters. Then I used the bit to open the hole a bit - a bit the correct size is not going to fit in the typical small drill chuck. Once big enough, insert valve stem - presto, it fits tight. Removing the lip may not be necessary for every valve stem, but you need a long one to reach out the top of the cap.
Took about 5 minutes, the valve stems were like a buck, and you can probably scarf a cap free or for a buck or two at the junkyard. Any '80s GM screw-on cap works, as close as I can tell.
A smart guy might even be able to figure out a way to make the stem work as a vent again, but for how cheap this was, it's just as easy to make it and put it in the glove box when not needed.