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I bought my 'vette 20 years ago ('71 LS-5) and it came with a locking gas cap. Well after 20 years I have managed to misplace the key! I knew I should have gotten rid of that thing. It was one of those little keys that "says GAS". I have asked my local locksmith to no avail, even bought a gas cap skeleton key .. pretty useless.
The filler neck is attached to the top of the tank with 9 hex head bolts. If you pull the rubber filler boot out, you might be able the unbolt the neck from the tank. If the cap is one of the flat round chrome ones, with the key hole in the middle, once you get the filler neck out, you should probably be able the get the cap off by disassembling it. There are three Phillips head screws on the underside of the flat chrome caps, that hold them together. If you can't get it apart, with the neck off the car, you can drill out the lock without worrying about getting something in the tank. With the cap on, you may have to tear the boot to get it off, but new ones are less than $25.
If you have a plastic one, the cap is basically 2 pieces. the top the spins freely, and the threaded part. the lock engages the 2 parts together so it unscrews. You can try to break of the plastic so it seperates the 2 parts. then you just have to unscrew the threaded part in the neck.
Or you can drill a hole in the freespining top piece, so you can insert a screwdriver/awl and jam it into the lower piece to get a grip on it and spin it off.
I think some metal ones have lock pins that open instead of the freespining top.
A 1971 would be a metal locking cap it would look like this.
A trick locksmiths use is you get a set of new uncut keys that fit the lock. Then file the key edges to a knife edge insert the key and using some force turning it. Then remove the key see were the tumbler pins make an indentation and file to make the keys teeth. Will take several times to inserting the key and filing to get it to unlock
I bought my 'vette 20 years ago ('71 LS-5) and it came with a locking gas cap. Well after 20 years I have managed to misplace the key! I knew I should have gotten rid of that thing. It was one of those little keys that "says GAS". I have asked my local locksmith to no avail, even bought a gas cap skeleton key .. pretty useless.
Any ideas, guys?
Thanks Chris
Originally Posted by PJO
A 1971 would be a metal locking cap it would look like this.
A trick locksmiths use is you get a set of keys that fit the lock. Then file the key edges to a knife edge insert the key and using some force turning it. Then remove the key see were the tumbler pins make an indentation and file to make the keys teeth. Will take several times to inserting the key and filing to get it to unlock
The chrome locking gas cap on my '71 looks like that, but it's 50 years old and the key has Briggs&Stratton on one side of the key and # (A890) on the other side.
Last edited by 71 Green 454; Mar 14, 2021 at 01:56 PM.
Would you please try like i said use a nickel or a quarter in the key slot and turn to the right it does not have go down in the keyhole you are just turning the chrome part of the key slot
I bought my 'vette 20 years ago ('71 LS-5) and it came with a locking gas cap. Well after 20 years I have managed to misplace the key! I knew I should have gotten rid of that thing. It was one of those little keys that "says GAS". I have asked my local locksmith to no avail, even bought a gas cap skeleton key .. pretty useless.
Any ideas, guys?
Thanks Chris
Originally Posted by ralphspears
Use a nickel or a quarter to open it just put it in the key slot and turn it to the right clockwise
Originally Posted by ralphspears
Would you please try like i said use a nickel or a quarter in the key slot and turn to the right it does not have go down in the keyhole you are just turning the chrome part of the key slot
To the OP....
Son of a gun....Ralph Spears is correct.
I just removed my "Locking" gas cap with a dime.
Key? We don't need no stinkin' key!
Last edited by 71 Green 454; Mar 14, 2021 at 03:22 PM.
I Iearned that 52 years ago when i would gas up my 1969 corvette i would leave the car running so would just take a coin from my pocket and remove the locking gas cap
Would you please try like i said use a nickel or a quarter in the key slot and turn to the right it does not have go down in the keyhole you are just turning the chrome part of the key slot
Huh... who'da thunk!
What is happening that allows this to remove the cap?
Those were a dealer installed option and the Briggs key is correct. They sell for about $50-$75 if in nice shape with B&S keys. I had one on my 72 when I bought the car back in '79, never knew about the dime trick either but sold it at Carlisle the year people were walking the car field stealing c2 gas caps. I had mine on my table the year before with no takers, that year 10 guys came back after lunch looking since the crooks hit them in the morning.
Locking gas cap ... oops
