I got a new tank and took my old vortex gas cap off my crashed tank and put it on the new one. I screwed on the top just to make sure the base wasn't bent and it went on fine. Then I unscrewed it and about half way out it made kind of a scratching noise then siezed up. WTF!!! After trying to turn it back in a bit then out(it wouldn't move either way) I sprayed WD40 in the little crack, let it sit and tried to take it off and it was still stuck :banghead: After trying everything I could think of I put a cresent wrench on it and tightened it up to the size of the middle piece and started trying to turn it and it wouldn't budge. I had to phyiscally sit on the tank (it was on a cardboard box) and put all my weight on it to get the m-f er to come off. the last two lines of threads are jacked up and I'm pissed. WTF would cause that to happen when I put it on just as easily as before and then on the way out it catches. :kicknuts:
now i'm really happy I get to buy another one :spank:
Keep a light coat of grease on your next one. Also, try drilling a hole through the handle that will fit a small screw driver to add a little leverage if needed. But no clue on what might have caused the current problem you have.
Been there, done that... it's aluminum on aluminum. If the threads dry out and you get a small particle of material in between the threads it will start to gall up and seize. The best way is to keep the threads lubricated with a small amount of grease or oil. I usually re-lube mine when I'm doing my week-before the race pre-checks.
:banghead: I put some grease on it two race weekends ago, I guess that dust from the RA gravel traps dried it all out :banghead:
gas will break grease down pretty quick.
jube it often.
I had that problem with the cap on my street hawk, put a little anti-seize on it. Gasoline will eventually evaporate grease, but with anti-seize the powdery residue remains. I also had siphoning problems so I removed the o-ring. That also helped with the sticking.
it's called 'galling'. metals basically weld/fuse together. I've had it happen several times on different items. A light coat of grease every time (moly grease is an excellent choice) will prevent it.
it just seemed so wierd that it happened so quickly. I literally put it on and tried to take it off and it got stuck :banghead:
you sure it wasn't cross threaded slightly
Nope, it threaded on nicely. Then it was only at the half way out point when it siezed. If it was cross threaded it would have been the whole way and it wouldn't have gone on easy.
what if you loosen the cap from the tank maybe it's distorting it
Aluminum on aluminum is really bad, I can't speak for the Vortex caps but most parts are anodized which forms a very hard coating on the parts and this coating will protect them from touching aluminum to aluminum and therefore prevents galling. Chances are you had a small area where the anodizing had worn through, The suggestions here of a good quality grease applied frequently will prevent this in future but at this point both parts are toast, if you try to screw a new cap into the base you will have the same problem again. Incidentally Titanium is even worse about this and Stainless will do it also. A little anti-seize on ALL bolts and hardware goes a long way to reducing maintainance problems and costs.
Sometimes mine was pretty hard getting on and off. A little squirt of WD or some grease helps. Every time I would take my vortex cap off you would hear it let out pressure. I tried adjusting the little allen screw so the gas could breath but it still did the same thing so I just got ride of the allen because I was afraid it would vapor lock on me.
+ 1 on the light NON-moly grease. WD-40 will evaporate.
Anti-seize and moly grease is the worst thing to use. It will mix with the fuel and you don't want that on your valve guides or cylinder walls
There is a product called anti seize that should be used on the threads of your spark plugs. It's for when you want to remove a threaded object alot and don't want the problem of galling.
Use some of that on the cap. It's a very common problem.
Without reading anything posted......They SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!