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..

 

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).

 

thanks that sounds better than replacing it

 

If you drove it to a locksmith they probably wouldnt charge much to pick the lock.

 

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

 

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.

 

ok ill try just prying it off. never thought about a locksmith, maybe a last ditch effort. thanks for all the input

 

Screwdriver in the keyhole, pop the topcap off, unscrew the base, all good.

 

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.

 

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.

 

How do you deal with the misshapen tank? Just curious.....

 

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.

 

As a Firefighter, I must reject this theory with great vigor.

 

Okay, then, for safety reasons, you must check your fuel levels with the second method.

 

Being a Paramedic also....ummm....no.