Oh no I've broken it already... Cracked gas cap

[Luckylegs]

I cant figure out how this has happened but last night I noticed one of the bolts holding the gas cap to the tank protruded a smidge higher than the other 7 (Yep, the maths is right, there should be nine but there's one missing altogether).

I grabbed the trusty Hex bit and started to tighten it down (no it didnt require brute strength, it wasnt already overly tight). I then wondered whether I had a spare bolt and unscrewed the bolt completely and went looking for a dopelganger for it. Whaddaya know, waste of time didnt have one so went back to the bike and put the bolt back in.



Im not sure what happened next but I was screwing the bolt back in and it was almost flush (3/4 mm from flush) with the cap when the cap ring peice just snapped. The piece which popped up was the side of the crack I was screwing into.

Im assuming Ive overtightened something but the bolt was far from tight, IE the torque was next to Sweet FA. Inside the tank filler area there appears to be a "spacer" type thing which sits below the bolt. Im guessing that the bolt stopped on this and by continuing to screw the bolt has forced the thread of the gas cap ring up the bolt thread and which has caused the snap.

Now I would have thought it would have been strong enough not to snap without some serious wrenching but...... who knows. I wonder whether there was some existing stress in the piece ?

Anyone ever experienced this before ???

[jrandom]

You broke the Snail!

Inconceivable!

[imdying]

Yeah, they break if the wrong bolts are in the wrong place, or they're not tightened down evenly. If you've not had it long, it'd be the last homo that pwned it

[Luckylegs]

Yeah, they break if the wrong bolts are in the wrong place, or they're not tightened down evenly. If you've not had it long, it'd be the last homo that pwned it

Ah yes, the previous owner....... I seem to recall the following

...Well, I Filled it like I stole it...

Oh well, off to let my "fingers do the walking" to find someone whos got another. Bugger, oh well I might make a little shopping list and make the most of it...

[Luckylegs]

...Inconceivable!

Dont know about Inconceivable, but certainly Inconsolable !

I had that "Oh fuck , why do I do I do these things at 1130 at night, why didnt I just go to bed instead" feeling.

[FROSTY:Me]

silly boy. Bring it back--lets have a look at it
There were 4 short and 4 long bolts in the tank cap. 4 hold it down and 4 are really just cosmetic.

[Squiggles]

Oh well, off to let my "fingers do the walking" to find someone whos got another. Bugger, oh well I might make a little shopping list and make the most of it...

Plenty of blingy functional replacements out there, they arent expensive either

[jrandom]

It's just so weird to see that bike with shiny paint on the tank.

[FROSTY:Me]

It's just so weird to see that bike with shiny paint on the tank.

Maybee even more weird--the broken part is all shiney chrome looking.-can't possibly be from the same bike surely

[Luckylegs]

silly boy. Bring it back--lets have a look at it
There were 4 short and 4 long bolts in the tank cap. 4 hold it down and 4 are really just cosmetic.

Um yes... I'll pop in when I get a chance....
It is wierd though as Im certain I wasnt overtightening it. I know what thats like after having snapped a front fork lower pinch bolt on my old VFR400.... hold on did I just admit to that, Im starting to see a trend.........

.....Maybe I should give this bike thing a miss and buy a skateboard or summat ?

[EJK]

LL got a new bike??

[FROSTY:Me]

Um yes... I'll pop in when I get a chance....
It is wierd though as Im certain I wasnt overtightening it. I know what thats like after having snapped a front fork lower pinch bolt on my old VFR400.... hold on did I just admit to that, Im starting to see a trend.........

.....Maybe I should give this bike thing a miss and buy a skateboard or summat ?

Um bro lets not go there--Call me re the handling issues you were having with ya cibber

[Luckylegs]

Um bro lets not go there--Call me re the handling issues you were having with ya cibber

Yeh, nah... do I have to... I dont like the sound of that !!!


...Seriously though, I will call