Tag: gas cap

Fuel Cap Troubles

JamesLeave a comment

Back in A Few Easy Wins, I replaced the fuel filler cap (jbugs link). The old one was clearly aftermarket, form over function, and the paper gasket had clearly soaked up its last bit of gas.

After my next fill-up, I had the strong smell of gasoline when I pulled back in the driveway. Upon inspection, the cap was clearly not sealing and plenty of gas had sloshed around and out the top. It was puddled behind the fuel door and had run down the side of the car.

I put the old cap back on for the time being. The flimsy little rubber gasket that came with the new cap was way too thin to make a decent seal. I started googling around and found that lots of places sell new gaskets for ATVs and lawn tractors, but nothing I could find specifically for this size of cap. The best thing I found was AutoZone sells rolls of “rubberized cork” gasket material (AutoZone link). Oddly, the package even comes with a utility knife. Also, to be fair, O’Reilly also sells it, but is a couple of dollars more.

I traced out the thin gasket that came with the new cap and cut out a couple of new gaskets.

Two layers of cork gasket ended up being too thick, but one layer of cork and the thin rubber gasket was enough for a nice, tight fit. I haven’t had any additional issues with it.

A Few Easy Wins

JamesLeave a comment

With all the failing that has been going on since I dismantled the dash, I felt it was high time for some easy wins.

When ordering the new padded dash, I added a few other parts as well.

My ash tray face doesn’t have the shift pattern printed on it, as I have seen in lots of pictures online and in the original owner’s manual. It’s also missing one of the press nut/washers that holds the plastic face to the actual ash tray. Someone had smeared RTV or something in there to glue the old one on.

The black paint is all chipping away off the spring mechanism and that’s certainly something I can rectify.

Or at least I could if I wasn’t still making silly string from yet another can of Dupli-Color 1634 engine black…

OK, maybe not an actual win, but it will look better once mounted in the car with the ash tray closed.

It’s not dead, just sleeping.

Anyway, next up we have a new, more Beetle-y looking gas cap.

This has a nice rubber gasket. The one that was in there originally had a paper gasket that looks like it has seen better days.

Last on the list for this wasted afternoon is the dome light.

The one that’s in there looks melted. Also, when trying to pull it out in the past to check the bulb and wiring, it felt like it was going to crumble into pieces in my hand, so I left it alone.

Now that I have the replacement part in hand, that is exactly what happened when I pulled the old one out.

The bulb is burned out and will need to be replaced, but at least the new one fit without issue and looks nicer. Edit: I didn’t bother trying to turn it on at the time, since the glass in the bulb was blackened, but it actually does work. Not with the door switch, but it does turn on with the switch on the light itself.