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rrankin
Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2004
Posts: 287
Location: Austin Texas
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 Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 9:58 am Post subject: |
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I love my TTS Locking gas cap. I think it seals better than my older gas cap, and I don't have the problem of missing fuel or people messing with it.... My Thing is my daily driver so I'm out and about in it all the time.
Unfortunately, there are places in Austin I lock my engine compartment when I park the car because people tend to feel entitled to look at your engine and touch things even when you're not there. (Sadly, they are the 'nicer neighborhoods' this has happened in.) I caught someone in the last year ... he kept saying: "It's ok, I used to one one."
Just my two cents worth.
-R
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'74 Thing [Fritz]
Austin, TX |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| kubelmann wrote: |
| I have tried a number of times and have broken the red gasket in half each time. A few years ago, some Thing lover figured out that a standard bathtub drain gasket is close to the same size and serves as a fuel resistant rubber gasket... I seem to remember that the gasket cost way less than $5 |
I decided to give this a try.
Sorry some of the pics are a tad blurry.
Comparison of the two together.
The inside opening of the bathtub gasket is a little too small. Outside diameter seems pretty close.
I tried heating the gasket a bit and stretching, but couldn't get it to lay flat that way, so I trimmed the inside diameter to open it up a bit. I just centered the rubber on the cap and pressed to transfer a ring to the rubber, and cut that out.
The cut out ring.
Final product. When I put the cap back, I could feel a little resistance from the rubber. Time will tell if it seals well, and if it stands up.
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Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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Mike Sal
Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2014
Posts: 195
Location: Southern Illinois
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 10:42 am Post subject: |
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Let us know how that rubber holds up. My replacement cap came with a rubberized cork type gasket. It was installed on the tank a few months during the restoration without issue, but when I started driving the vehicle (I assume there was some splashing), the first time I took the cap off the gasket popped out because it swelled up. I had a difficult time stuffing it back into the groove. I haven't taken it off since (don't drive it much), but will need a remedy pretty soon. BTW, it was non-alcohol gas.
Mike S |
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kubelmann
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3266
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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| First let me say, Thanks for posting the details of one of the old school VW Thing threads. Great job. As was posted last, keep us in the loop of your “research” The gas cap gasket is an old Thing challenge.. Even in 1975 the VW dealers sold poor quality Brazilian ( or worse in those days Mexican) caps that leaked from the factory.. I still have one of those (in the bag) lousy “dealer” replacement caps.... |
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vwwestyman
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2004
Posts: 5688
Location: Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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Well bad news guys. My leak wasn't the gasket. At least, the gasket wasn't the only problem. My kid was driving and when he turned left, I could smell the gas and watch it come out!
The inner, sprung part is cracked. I imagine it is sprung to allow air in to the tank to prevent a vacuum from forming. Or maybe it is to press the cap/seal to the lip?
I dunno.
Either way, the plastic is cracked, so gas can leak past it, all the way to the metal of the cap, and then out. (Hopefully that description makes sense.)
If you look closely, you can see the cracked portion. There is cracking all around the plastic, but that looks like the only part that is cracked through.
So for the moment, I placed it so that part was facing up-maybe a little less will slosh out that way.
What purpose does the springyness serve? Could I glob some silicone up into the cracked part?
Look closely and you can see it.
_________________
Dave Cook
President, Wild Westerner Club
1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing |
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Ron Domeck
Samba Member
Joined: August 05, 2007
Posts: 1466
Location: louisville Ky
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2015 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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| The spring is there so you can push down to get the cap past the 3 notches on the filler. I think it is time to spend $ 20.00 on a gas cap. |
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kubelmann
Samba Member
Joined: April 13, 2003
Posts: 3266
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| Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 9:12 am Post subject: |
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Although I have new, used and broken Thing gas caps here... I decided on a whim to type in “Thing gas cap” into yahoo search and the first hit gave this:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=vw+thing+gas+cap
This is one big pile of gas caps both Thing and non Thing
>>>>>>>>>>>caveat emptor...
As always Ebay searches can be more informative that the Rush Limbach show.... |
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[email protected] 
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Joined: February 21, 2003
Posts: 868
Location: Clifton Park NY Saratoga County
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