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Suzuki GS750L - stuck gas tank cap

  • Thread starter Thread starter Crake
  • Start date Start date
C

Crake

Guest
Quick, stupid question - I'm in the process of resurrecting a 1979 GS 750L that has been rusting away for the last 30 years or so. The gas tank is horribly rusted and gummed up with old varnish. I want to scour the inside of the tank but I can't get the damn cap off. It's circular (as pictured).

The key inserts and turns as far as the embossed arrow on the cap. However the cap remains firmly in place. It would help if I knew how the cap functions (twist off after unlocking, pull straight up, hinged) but I haven't been able to find a description of how the cap functions. Short of putting a snake cam in through the petcock hole to see what's bunging it up... can anyone describe how the cap works?

Thanks! - "Crake"
 
Stuck gas cap - disregard

Stuck gas cap - disregard

Disregard, disregard... apparently cranking back and forth on the key, pressing down on the cap and screaming like Homer Simpson in the throes of a temper tantrum works like a charm. My god, the inside of that tank looks horrible...

For future reference, here's the dark side of the cap (which I couldn't find a picture of anywhere...)
 
You turn the key something like 90 degrees from where it is now, then the cap lifts straight up. No hinges or anything.
 
Take off the black cover and youll then see a brown kidney bean shaped thing with 2 more screws. Take them out and remove things remebering where the ball bearings go.

Next remove the oring bat the bottom of the lock cylinder. Turn the key and youll notice that theres a waffer that moves and hols the plug in place. take a thin thin blade and press that detent back and apply a little pressure to the bottom of the cylinder and it will slide out the cap.

Do this slowly because the waffers are spring loaded and can go flying. IF you decide to remove it you can then really clean the assembly and the cap itself.
 
Crake said:
Disregard, disregard... apparently cranking back and forth on the key, pressing down on the cap and screaming like Homer Simpson in the throes of a temper tantrum works like a charm. My god, the inside of that tank looks horrible...
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, brother.. the 83 GS650G tank I'm working on is gorgeous on the outside but horribly rusted inside.. Cap was stuck as well.. getting that tank back into shape will be a project all in it's own..

Best of luck!
 
Rusty tanks with real nice paint...use 8% white vinegar for a few days to dissolve the rust. It wont hurt paint or the sending unit.

After soaking, remove the vinegar and rinse it well. I use the hose reversed on the shop vac blowing in the filler neck to dry. Then remove the sending unit ( if it has one ) and remove the cover off it and clean the board inside with a toothbrush.

Prep the tank for a liner kit by sealing holes with duct tape and wrapping it in plastic wrap to prevent any spills on the good paint. Heres the pics of the 73 Yammy tank I did that way. I also put set screws coated with oil in to the petcock bolt holes to keep them from getting sealed shut. Put them in flush with the tank surface and tape over them. Follow the kits instructions and remove the screws at the proper time and all is good.

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Very nice paint! Though I won't be salvaging the paint job on this tank, the metal is dent and ding free, it will be repainted.. There's a thick gooey stinky sludge at the bottom of the tank that has to be dissolved and removed first, then I plan to de-rust it with a safety glass shard tumble to get rid of the big stuff first before trying the vinegar solution. Then sealing with Caswell.. should be interesting..
 
Get some MEK or Acetone and soak it a day or two with the filler closed off to prevent it all from just evaporating. Should dissolve it good. I took a heavy wire and bent a loop in it to mimick a gun cleaning rod and scrubbed down the sides of a tank once also. 3 days of soaking and it still had some really hardened in stuff till i got something to apply some abrasion.


IMPORTANT...........remove the sending unit if it has one..very bad stuff on the float.
 
Awesome, thanks for the tips. I was wondering on what to use to dissolve the gunk but Acetone sounds like it will do the trick.. No idea yet as to what condition the sending unit looks like now but it won't be a problem for me not to have a fuel level indicator on the bike..

Thanks again!

Cheers
 
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