Gas Tank Cap / Latch Corrosion, Cleaning, and Modification

[VirginiaJim]

Wasn't there a tutorial on that?  Me memory ain't as good as it used to be.

[Big Red]

Even if there isn't, I've been thinking about this mod. I may take mine apart to do the mod and then see how the lock comes out.

[maxtog]

Wasn't there a tutorial on that?  Me memory ain't as good as it used to be.

I was the one who posted the tutorial on the latch mod.  But not about the cylinder.  I searched for hours trying to find anything anywhere about how it is done.  Nada.

[maxtog]

Even if there isn't, I've been thinking about this mod. I may take mine apart to do the mod and then see how the lock comes out.

The lack/key removal modification doesn't require removing the cylinder, or disassembling anything except the latch part.  My instructions warn pretty specifically not to allow all the rest of the stuff to come off, lest you will have a nightmare.

But I will carefully disassemble the new one and provide photos of what I find.

[Big Red]

I don't mind tearing things apart. Locks are one of my (too) many hobbies.

[maxtog]

This thread has been around coming on 7 years now.  And I like thread reuse.  But I spent a significant amount of time creating some general gas-cap replacement instructions and placed that in a different thread here:  http://zggtr.org/index.php?topic=25405.0  since it is a different topic flavor and also so the main new material will be at the top.

This thread is still perfectly fine for discussion of the corrosion issues, latch "no key to close" modification, etc.

[maxtog]

I ordered a replacement gas cap assembly from Partzilla 51049-0744 $118.04.  It arrived today.  [....]

Well, it was nice while it lasted.  That brand new latch mechanism is corroding the same way.  Took a lot longer, though.  But the stiffness and white stuff is back.  At least it reset everything back to an earlier time.  I guess some things never change.

[Big Red]

I had the same experience. Ditched the whole cap and went with a ZX-14R aftermarket cap that's just a twist top.

[Boomer]

Having just done mine, I have to believe it is E10 gas that is causing the corrosion. I live 7 miles from the ocean and in the UK you can't get more than 72 miles from the ocean, yet on my most recent rebuild the latches were in really good condition and the only corrosion was in the barrel area. I have been using E5 since I got my MRP flash in 2019 and in the 1st gas cap clean since then the corrosion was less, and even less still on this 2nd clean.
I am tempted to get a non-locking cap, but they all have small fill holes in them and I prefer to be able to see what is happening as I fill up.

[maxtog]

I also live close to the ocean (about 5 miles), and all the gas here is E10 (there is no other option), and has been that way for many years.  Perhaps that is the magic dangerous combo.

[Boomer]

In that case you may need to start adding an E10 Protector to each tank of gas.
If you do lots of miles it'll probably be easier/cheaper to just clean/lube the cap every 6 months, but most of the additives claim to reduce corrosion so may be worth a try if the bike sits for long periods.

[Boomer]

If you are near the ocean, can't you get "boat" gas that is Ethanol free?