DonaldSmith Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Vintage gas caps - be sure any replacement cap is vented, otherwise the engine will eventually stop, and opening the cap will produce a sucking sound. So let that be a lesson to you. Modern gas caps - sealed system, with some sort of carbon vapor trap at the engine to let air in and capture any vapor trying to escape. With this type of gas cap, be sure to close it firmly, at least three clicks, or else your engine light will come on and the car will not start remotely. I heard that on the internet some time ago, and verified it for myself just now. A few days ago I filled the gas tank, and must have given the cap just a lick and a promise. Th engine light came on, and the car would not start remotely these last few days (and it's cold! out). After my new Harbor Freight code reader refused to work, I set up an appointment for next week to have the code read by an expert, and the problem fixed. But, acting on a hunch, I tightened the cap this morning before running some errands. No engine light! Car starts remotely. "Honey, I startled the car!" So let that be a lesson to you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted January 7, 2017 Report Share Posted January 7, 2017 Sometimes it seems like the simplest things are the hardest to diagnose and fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William Davey Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 I got 2 caps at NAPA, both were supposed to be "old style" vented caps. Neither one was - used to run really rich and get a big puff of gas vapor when removing the cap. Since I had 2 (another story) I drilled the guts out of the center of one cap and it has been working fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
austinsailor Posted January 8, 2017 Report Share Posted January 8, 2017 (edited) Wrong cap can cause other problems, too. In another life I was a motor Sargent in a small motor pool. Unknown to me, The Colonel's driver lost the gas cap on his staff car - a Ford Fairlane, I think - and just replaced it with whatever he could find. A couple days later he ran out of gas with the Colonal in the back seat. They raised hell with me that I wasn't maintaining the car, since he's just filled it up and the mileage had gone to hell. Pulled it over the pit and, low and behold, the gas tank was flat as a pancake. He'd replaced the vented cap with a non-vented one and the fuel pump has sucked that tank flat. Edited January 8, 2017 by austinsailor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51Meadowbrook Posted January 15, 2017 Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) When i bought my 51 Meadowbrook a few months ago i bought a pretty shiney new fuel cap for it off of Ebay. It said it would work on my car. After putting it on i noticed bubbles in my glass fuel filter! At first i thought it was vapor locking from heat because i've had some old muscle cars do that. after checking the heat on the engine and compartment area, I found that it wasnt heat. The new shiney gas cap had too much seal to it causing the fuel line to bubble and lose pressure! Edited January 15, 2017 by 51Meadowbrook misspelled word 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted January 15, 2017 Report Share Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) 4 hours ago, 51Meadowbrook said: When i bought my 51 Meadowbrook a few months ago i bought a pretty shiney new fuel cap for it off of Ebay. It said it would work on my car. After putting it on i noticed bubbles in my glass fuel filter! At first i thought it was vapor locking from heat because i've had some old muscle cars do that. after checking the heat on the engine and compartment area, I found that it wasnt heat. The new shiney gas cap had too much seal to it causing the fuel line to bubble and lose pressure! My 1955 Stant catalog shows this is the correct cap for your 51 Dodge. Dadge'49 to early '52 (overflow in side of neck)........... .. .. .. .. .. .., R·14 Since so much has been changed on these old cars over the years,check and make sure you have the overflow tube on your neck before you buy one. If you don't that might be part of your problem. BTW,don't you love it that Stant spelled Dodge "Dadge"? Don't feel quite so bad about MY brain farts now. Edited January 15, 2017 by knuckleharley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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