Bob Drake locking gas cap

Hotrodvideo

Hotrodvideo

Senior Member
Anybody else ever have trouble putting a Bob Drake locking gas cap on a '32 Vintique gas tank? I can't get it to work.

It fits and locks but you can't get the key out because the lock hits the inside lip of the filler neck. Is there a simple fix for this like a thinner gasket or something?

I could grind down the inside of the filler neck with a Dremel but I really don't want to risk getting shavings in the tank.
 
Ken Crans said:
Another fine product from Drake!! LOL What a joke... Ken
Click to expand...
You will rarely find me defending Drakes stuff, especially his customer service (the LACK THEREOF). In fact this may be the first time I've defended him.
The problem with the cap fit may very well be the Vintique tank.
Vintique products normally make Drakes stuff appear to be mint and NOS.
You know, how did Henry manage to get all this stuff to fit correctly on the fly and these guys with modern technology can't?
Rhetorical question I know... The obvious answer is they CAN make it right if they CHOOSE to do so. Choosing to do so lowers their profit level. THAT'S the choice they made.
 
George/Maine, I took it apart to try to get it to work and I removed the locking taps but then the gap is loose on the filler neck when it finally does lock, should I just put a thicker gasket on the cap to compensate? Can you e-mail me a pic of what you did? koolcars@hotrodvideo.com. thanks
 
Before blaming Drake or Vintique try troubleshooting...

Try the Drake cap on an original tank, that should prove the cap.

If you could find an original locking cap (unlikely in reality) try it on the Vintique tank, that should prove the tank.

There also could be an unusual conflict of tolerences where both the Drake cap and Vintique tank will work with original parts but not with each other.

This is the first issue I have heard of on either the Drake locking cap or Vintique tank, except for the obvious that the cap is vented and will leak fuel when the tank is full or the car sets at an angle.
 
The back of the cap has 2 plates with locking taps that bolt on, I tried taking one off and then trying the other, either way I can then get the cap on and take the key out but the cap is loose on the filler neck. I think if I just add another gasket under there to take up the slack it might work. I don't have a real tank or a gennie cap to compare them to
 
I have 39 orginal fill tube and there was tape at the very top were the vent tube meets.I didn,t like the tape and removed it,come to find someone may have had a vent problem and drilled a small hole at top.I just did'nt like the key thing so it no longer locks.Gasoline here is $3.09 maybe should get new cap.LOL
 
I e-mailed Bob Drake and this is what they said:
"Sounds like the gas neck inside flange is not “bent” in far enough on the neck. You could modify it by bending the flange where the locking tab rests when the cap is closed, or by removing material in the same area."
 
No gas has been in it yet, it's brand new.

Looks like it's Vintique's fault here, They make their flanges different than a stock Ford flange on the filler neck. Bob Drake e-mailed me several times with pictures to show me the difference between their filler neck and Vintique's.

I have to commend Bob Drake on their sterling customer service.
 
Drake made a hot rodder out of me. If for some reason I can not make it myself, find it, restore it, or run it with patina, I can use his part while I make or search out the real part.
 
I had the same problem with mine on my 46..I just filed down the locking tabs
until the key would go all the around then the key will come out..
 
I hate to add this but iou may have just found your first problem. If it is like the cap I purchased for my '32 (about 25 years ago) it will leak gas when you go around a corner. They fit a '32 neck but were really intended for tanks with longer filler necks. Mine has found a new home on my '37.

Charlie Stephens
 
All --

Fordbarn folks have been very helpful since I joined, so here's a small contribution in return.

I noticed this thread is now 7 years old. But in the last 6 months I bought a Vintique tank from So-Cal speed shop and the Bob Drake locking gas cap. Same problem. Guess I should have read this thread first!

But I found a simple fix - I fab'd a 16 gauge steel shim to go between the lock mechanism and the outer cover held on with three screws. This provided the needed 5mm gap between the seal (inside the gas cap) and the inside edge of the two tabs.

I've included some pics in case anyone is interested. Pic #1 shows in the inside of the lock mechanism. Pic #2 shows a picture of the shim I put inside the cover. Pic #3 shows the shim installed and cover mounted - it also shows where I had to trim away a bit of metal from the top cover for the sliding locking tab to clear. Pic #4 shows the completed install.

About an hours worth of work to make the shim. The gas cap is snug and locks properly.

I hope this helps someone.
 

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Last fall I located and installed a NOS Ford vented gas cap on my '47. I have a matching one if you're not needing a locking one and a '40 fits a '32.
 
deuce .... here's not-so-exciting inside-outside photos of vented gas cap. I obtained two caps claimed to be NOS. The inner gaskets are unused and there is a vent hole in the center of the inner dome. They fit my '47 tank pipe but don't know about your situation. Suppose could compare measurements. Dan
 

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