no key for locking gas cap
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
no key for locking gas cap
on my rear tank, when i got the truck, the guy had lost the key for the locking gas cap. i figured i had to replace the filler neck taking the locking cap off with it, but i have no idea how much a filler neck would cost? or is there an easier way to go about this. replaced the front cap with a non locking cap right away just in case, cuz a 460 with a busted fuel gauge is a crap shoot with no way of fillin it up..
Moderator
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 57,023
Likes: 2,754
From: Virginia
1st thing is to round up every cheap key you have at the house and try it. I know a guy that has opened several different things with a pickup camper shell hatch key he has.
Next thing is see if you can get to the 3 little bolts that hold the assmbly to the bed. I think they are an odd 7mm size. If you can get them loose, get underneath and take the hose clamps loose and pull the whole assembly out. Then do whatever you have to do to get the cap off(drill, cut, hammer, etc).
Next thing is see if you can get to the 3 little bolts that hold the assmbly to the bed. I think they are an odd 7mm size. If you can get them loose, get underneath and take the hose clamps loose and pull the whole assembly out. Then do whatever you have to do to get the cap off(drill, cut, hammer, etc).
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,935
Likes: 34
From: Arcadia, Fla
Get some channel locks and crank on it, You will be supprized how easy it is to tear off the lock assy. I done this on several diffrent kinds of locking caps and so far have not encountered one I could not get off. AND NO I am not a gas thief! lol
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 6
From: Florida
When I got my truck, it had one on the rear tank. I knocked off the trim ring, and then put a flat head screwdriver between the filler neck and edge of the cap and pried it right off. I was surprised on how easy it came off.
Locking gas caps are not worth it in my opinion, because if a thief wants your gas bad enough, he will get it no matter what.
Locking gas caps are not worth it in my opinion, because if a thief wants your gas bad enough, he will get it no matter what.
Thread Starter
|
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
ok ill try just prying it off. never thought about a locksmith, maybe a last ditch effort. thanks for all the input
Trending Topics
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,839
Likes: 107
From: Martinsburg, WV
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 6 Best Deals Available on New Fords & Lincolns Right Now
Brett Foote
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,420
Likes: 16
From: Ouray, CO
Warning: Zombie dead thread revival
Just had this happen to my 1999 F350, left gas cap key home (FL) while visiting our place in Colorado.
Find a key that fits the cap, our camper compartment keys all fit, but would not unlock.
press firmly in on both the key and the gas cap, turn to loosen and the whole assembly turned and voila, cap is off.
Kind of unnerving it was so easy, but I figure it deters somebody putting sugar or water in the fuel/gas.
Just had this happen to my 1999 F350, left gas cap key home (FL) while visiting our place in Colorado.
Find a key that fits the cap, our camper compartment keys all fit, but would not unlock.
press firmly in on both the key and the gas cap, turn to loosen and the whole assembly turned and voila, cap is off.
Kind of unnerving it was so easy, but I figure it deters somebody putting sugar or water in the fuel/gas.
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 816
Likes: 0
I found that the best way to get it off is to drill a 1/4" pilot hole in the tank. I then light a match and drop it in the hole. Then the gas cap pops right off. The trick is finding it.
Okay, I will shut up now.
Okay, I will shut up now.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,099
Likes: 0
From: Northern Indiana USA
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 816
Likes: 0
Actually, that is another positive effect of this method. When the ignition happens the tank expands all bends and creases causing the tank to become round. This both increases fuel capacity and gets rid of any flat spots where previously the tank would have been pierced at, but instead the sharp object deflects off.
This method can be used in part if your truck is like mine and has a faulty fuel gauge. In this scenario you would remove the gas cap, strike a match, put the match into the tank and if the explosion is large you know there was not much gas left because the vapors are what burn so good.
An additional way to check your fuel level is to open the cap and get your face close to the opening. You then inhale the fumes and can detect how much gas is left. This technique takes some practice. You need to smell the port a lot at the filling station so you can memorize what a full tank smells like. Then, when you run out of gas you can sniff it and memorize that odor. After a couple of hours of devoted practice, smelling the tank when it is full and then siphoning with a hose to empty for the empty sniff, you can get the hang of it very well. This technique also acts as a medication for insomnia.
This method can be used in part if your truck is like mine and has a faulty fuel gauge. In this scenario you would remove the gas cap, strike a match, put the match into the tank and if the explosion is large you know there was not much gas left because the vapors are what burn so good.
An additional way to check your fuel level is to open the cap and get your face close to the opening. You then inhale the fumes and can detect how much gas is left. This technique takes some practice. You need to smell the port a lot at the filling station so you can memorize what a full tank smells like. Then, when you run out of gas you can sniff it and memorize that odor. After a couple of hours of devoted practice, smelling the tank when it is full and then siphoning with a hose to empty for the empty sniff, you can get the hang of it very well. This technique also acts as a medication for insomnia.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 5
From: Northeast Ohio USA
Actually, that is another positive effect of this method. When the ignition happens the tank expands all bends and creases causing the tank to become round. This both increases fuel capacity and gets rid of any flat spots where previously the tank would have been pierced at, but instead the sharp object deflects off.
This method can be used in part if your truck is like mine and has a faulty fuel gauge. In this scenario you would remove the gas cap, strike a match, put the match into the tank and if the explosion is large you know there was not much gas left because the vapors are what burn so good.
An additional way to check your fuel level is to open the cap and get your face close to the opening. You then inhale the fumes and can detect how much gas is left. This technique takes some practice. You need to smell the port a lot at the filling station so you can memorize what a full tank smells like. Then, when you run out of gas you can sniff it and memorize that odor. After a couple of hours of devoted practice, smelling the tank when it is full and then siphoning with a hose to empty for the empty sniff, you can get the hang of it very well. This technique also acts as a medication for insomnia.
This method can be used in part if your truck is like mine and has a faulty fuel gauge. In this scenario you would remove the gas cap, strike a match, put the match into the tank and if the explosion is large you know there was not much gas left because the vapors are what burn so good.
An additional way to check your fuel level is to open the cap and get your face close to the opening. You then inhale the fumes and can detect how much gas is left. This technique takes some practice. You need to smell the port a lot at the filling station so you can memorize what a full tank smells like. Then, when you run out of gas you can sniff it and memorize that odor. After a couple of hours of devoted practice, smelling the tank when it is full and then siphoning with a hose to empty for the empty sniff, you can get the hang of it very well. This technique also acts as a medication for insomnia.
