Gas cap lock seized on my sons 07,tried every thing ,wd40 carb cleaner etc.left it over night, stilled seized.took a small flat blade(200 thou)some loctite freeze and release, gently moved back and forth a fraction until I gt slight movement.lock freed up .worked it back and forth with the key and 3 and 1 oil til she felt smooth.just have to find out what the best lube is now

Glad that worked for ya...that mechanism is pretty fragile really.I wonder HOW many guys don't realize that when closing the cap....the key is NOT to be used for turning anything.Cap is pushed down firmly...key will turn automatically as it locks again.Not saying your son was not doing this...but a met a few seasoned riders who own 14's and didn't know about this deal.They were trying to use the key(by turning)to lock the cap.Wondering if MAYBE they've been damaging their lock system on there?Probably not...but I tried ONCE to use that key...it certainly didn't want to close all the way(lock).I could imagine over time it could bend something...maybe force a locking situation maybe?

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 8/30/2014 @ 8:41 AM *

Yep, I'm gentle with mine. I push the lock down with my finger and turn the key with the other hand. There is no real torque applied to the key that way. To lock it, I don't push down on the key or even turn it. Just push the lock down with my finger and it snaps into place.

"Break Free" for guns and lock maintenace.

hehe yeah...my first bike had the spring-return dealy on the gas cap. Yep, I'm very caeful with mine, push the cap closed with my finger the key springs back about all the way or all the way.

what is break free? is it just a light machine oil?

Ask Danno: he had the same problem and it had nothing to do with the design of the cap mechanism.

Something about the residue of gasoline vapors and white crusties...

I'm very happy. I just found a gas station that I believe has E0 gas. Check for Phillips 66 in your areas if you're interested. My bike seems happier too, with most E10 it seems I was getting a little knocking at just off idle from a stop. I'm not hearing this noise now.

"it had nothing to do with the design of the cap mechanism".I didn't mean the mechanism...I meant the use of the key to 'help' lock it.If ya don't break yer key off in there tryin to lock the thing...you'll be lucky;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 8/30/2014 @ 10:03 PM *

Ask Danno: he had the same problem and it had nothing to do with the design of the cap mechanism.

Something about the residue of gasoline vapors and white crusties...

Makes sense.

Gas vapor: Causes a gummy drying out of gas so it looks green or white.
Gummy vapor: Causes at least one driver pin to hang up is my guess.
Driver spring: Causes the spring to gum up so no bounce but more a hangup.
Push pin: Causes wear on the key so one is at least more worn than the rest of the cuts I would assume.

Therefore: Without that spring bounce, the green/white crust filling in between the coil winds, the next gummy drag is the hole the driver pin slides in, the wear of that one key cut drop, I add all these up I see how one driver is dropped and no joy.

I would remove the cap, drop vinegar in that area, wait a few minutes and flush with gunk carb clean. I'd repeat until I could make the push pins do their thing so I know the springs have room and the drivers slide. Then, 3-in-1 oil for the springs to be saturated so they don't hang or fill with the white/green vapor reaction on the springs and drive holes.

That's my best guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin_tumbler_lock#mediaviewer/File:Pin_tumbler_no_key.svg

since Vic mentioned it, check for stations in your area

pure gas

* Last updated by: alg8er on 8/31/2014 @ 1:08 AM *

since Vic mentioned it, check for stations in your area

pure gas

Also google search E0 gas. There's 2 or 3 sites like pure gas that list ethanol free gas. None of them listed the 3 Phillips stations that are in my city. All listed stations 30-40 miles away out in BFE. I googled E0 gas in my city and found Phillips stations through their website. At the station, I asked the attendant and even I think manager if they knew if the gas was E0 or not, they had no clue what I was even talking about. I actually had to explain to them what E0, E10, E85 mean. Still had no clue! I also looked around the pumps for any stickers, nothing indicated ethanol content.

My bikes not knocking now. So either way it likes that gas best so far or it is actually E0.

I might email Phillips Corporate and find out for sure, and let them know as long as they carry E0 gas it's where I will fuel up for any vehicles from now on.

.but a met a few seasoned riders who own 14's and didn't know about this deal.They were trying to use the key(by turning)to lock the cap.Wondering if MAYBE they've been damaging their lock system on there?

Good point, good observation too, Grn. I'm going to guess half and half? When I traded in the '08 for the '013 I had to remove the gas cap off my ebay bought crashtank. My thought was the same thing. What happens if they turn the key only and not thumb down on the cap first?

For whatever reason we are in the transition of swapping bikes and paperwork, sales guy comes back and says they can't open the gas cap and that set will costs them $300. They wanted to deduct more off the bike and I said to stop the deal. I said I'll work on it so there is no issue, I'll come back with it. They said to forget about it and you know they didn't want to blow the sale for whatever their cost was.

So maybe half I blame on the cap and half I blame on the observation of that young kid [I saw working on the bike as they kept on inspecting it], did not thumb it first? I lost faith in that new cap seeing it's the same 'ol. So the crashed tank uses a spin on style cap with a swinging locking clip. No way will I be stuck with no gas when I'm sitting in the gas station with a stuck key tumble.

I think it was the lock barrel assembly that was seized in the gas cap, when I checked my 2012 the tumbler assembly rotates ,so instead of stressing the key I used a screwdriver gently until I got slight movement then the key.its like cunnilingist pay attention and when she starts to move your doing it right

Something about the residue of gasoline vapors and white crusties...

I had white residue around my keyhole.

If you face east from your house you might be able to hear me cackling at the top of my lungs!

Truth be told, D, I'm remembering you and Danno (possibly Mr. Caruso as well) discussing Gen 1 caps with a few years exposure starting to get sticky with their release mechanisims. If memory serves the crusties were quite impervious to commercially available solvents although I don't remember anyone trying acetic acid (vinegar aka turtle squeezins').

* Last updated by: hagrid on 8/31/2014 @ 7:38 PM *

I tried dry graphite lubricant first and it seemed to help. Thought it was fixed for good but then it stuck on me again at the gas station. I think I ended up going home with no gas. I tried a product called Deep Creep. It worked after it sat for a while but I had already bent the key trying to turn the lock. At that point I decided to heed the tutelage of Hub. Products like Deep Creep might work but some of them eat corrosion and in the process, probably eat the good metal too until they saturate to the point that they neutralize. I think the lock was still a little sticky and I didn't want to get stranded so I went for the 1/4 turn. Saves a few ounces of weight too. ...and you can get some pretty snazzy ones with different colored bolts and caps.

just buy another one

just buy another one

Gas cap, seat lock, key switch 27048 = $300 ~ Comes as a $et.
Key switch [only] 27005 = $130.00 ~ shows no seat lock or that gas cap icon looking think in the box is how you buy a gas cap for 3 bills.

Gallon of costco vinegar = $3.00

1 gulp size cup and drop the gas cap in it. Pour .50 cents into the cup to submerge the 'what have you got to lose but 3 bills,' you take that plastic spoon and swishakenough times to remove the bubbles out of the chamber so everything has to fill up with that acid, so more like shake the shit out of it so the fresh acid takes away what was in there in the shake = Arm Pump is when the cap is ready to come out of the solution or insert key and test.

Get the hose from outside and now spray the shit out of it, force water in there. I have a 1.5v batter explode in some plastic sweater/cloth shaving machine. I slide the cover off, see this white shit on the battery cover, watch the acid bubble it off as I drop it in a plastic cup filled with vinny. The bubbles stopped within minutes, I pull it out, brand spanking new it looked.

I'm not about to keep that much cap-time in the vinny with any 0ring or rubber attached to it. I do not think the rubber can be removed? My tank is boxed up so I can't tell. The point is, very little swell happens, but it is still a tolerance where I no longer dip carburetor rubber tipped needle and seat type needles into the vinny and clean it. Ask me how I know the rubber tip no longer fits.

Knowing that action, I'm jamming in a straw into key flapper so I can bubble the fluid into the springs, push holes, cylinder shaft, so as to get that acid working sooner. So the time starts now once the dip happens. Only a key turn knows for sure when to pull it from the acid. It's all outside work so that hose is there and I finish off with gunk brand carb clean and more water when the gunk chemically pulls that white crap off the springs. Ask me how I know about using chemical cleaners and gunk seemed to wash away the gummy gone trick.

I finalize the internal clean with compressed air or brake clean and air dry in the sun. I then push the flap over, drop sewing machine oil into the tumbler assembly, key fob it a few times and if those few minutes of time and trouble kept $300 towards tires... D'UH!

$300.00 """"well if it happens to me i'll be getting a Gallon of costco vinegar

Ok, my 2014 ZX14r has this same problem. It got to the point where it took me 15 min to get the cap open the last time.
Right now I don't have the $$$ to drop on a gas cap, and I want to retain the key lock.
So I took the entire cap locking mechanism apart, other than the key tumblr.
Cleaned the white nasty stuff, Gas, moisture, and what ever else. Out of the working mechanism. Put 3 or so drops of Fine Machine oil in the key tumblr, and lubed the mechanical part with a ceramic brake hardware lube. Re assembled the cap assembly and it works as smooth as glass! It even returns like it should once you push it down to lock.

* Last updated by: PTJr on 9/25/2016 @ 3:46 PM *

you can get chinese quarter turn cap for like $60.

Having the same issue, just ordered a Driven Racing Halo gas cap kit ($140)...will get some pictures once I install it, assuming I can open up my stock gas cap one more time this weekend...

You can get new keys at the dealership but you need the key code. I bent my key twisting in the gas cap.

Received Driven Racing Halo gas cap kit yesterday, a cinch to install. First, unlock and open gas cap, take out 5 4mm allen bolts holding stock cap in place (2 of 5 are short cosmetic ones), line up Driven Halo gas cap base, 3 bolts, install cap by 1/4 turn. Have not ridden bike yet, but open/close mechanism seems very solid, slick looking piece of kit, will try to snap some pictures after riding it and post next week.