The background ....a few years ago whilst on four day trip on my Triumph Thunderbird I lost my keys after stopping in a diner early on day one hundreds of miles from home. I eventually found the keys wedged into the diner seat cushions but it brought home to me how easily I could have been in big trouble. Triumphs dealers are not exactly plentiful in the US...!

I was relieved when I moved to HD and both my bikes have the security system enabling me to use the code if I ever loose my keys again. It was great piece of mind until I realized that on my FHLX I am only "saved" for the amount of fuel I have left in the tank and then the locking fuel door would thwart me.

Now to the "dodged the bullet" event ...I decided to replace the locking fuel door cover with the push button one. I ordered the part and when it arrived I had a quick look at the instructions and it seemed like a very simple less than five minute install. I was getting ready for a ride and decided to quickly install the new fuel door system. Taking off the old catch and installing the push button one was indeed simple but removing the old hinge and replacing it with a spring loaded one required the removal of two awkwardly placed small screws. Its was hard to get a screw driver on them and I decided to remove the gas cap to get a better angle. Fortunately I figured that fiddling with small screws a couple of inches from an open gas tank hole is not a good idea and (contrary to my usually "bull in a china shop" approach) I took the extra minute or two to cover the hole with masking tape. As luck would have it when I was removing the last screw the screw driver slipped and the screw came loose and rolled down finally resting on the masking tape covering the hole!

I am not sure what is involved in removing a screw from inside your gas tank before it does any damage but it's probably complicated and expensive

New Years resolution is to slow down and plan for all eventualities when working on the bike.

Any other "dodge the bullet" stories?

 

Experience can be a painful teacher! Glad you had the foresight to use the tape. I've made those mistakes and a 5 minute job turns into a multi-hour expedition! Glad you took the extra 45 seconds to save you hours. ����

 

1.) my spare key is zip tied to my boot

2.) any key will open the fuel door

3.) I had a push button fail on me- it just fell apart...the brass pins in the linkage backed out and it just fell apart at the gas station...

so off to the dealer for a replacement


800 miles from home, pulled in for gas in a small town...gas station closes in 30 minutes.

go to open the fuel door and nothing..for the 2nd time the linkage has fallen apart.

I bought a couple of bottles of water and filled them with gas at the pump...I knew I was going to be in for an adventure.

luckily I was familiar with the failed mechanism, and can work with my hands-I do fine work and can pick locks

luckily I had some tools incl leatherman and feeler gauge set

I was able to slide a brass feeler into the gap after bending it to a gentle curve and "feel" the latch.

I used the leatherman to cut a notch in the side of the gauge so that it became a hook

I was able to slide the gauge in and eventually release the lid....it was almost 4 hours later.

I poured in the gas from the water bottles and removed the pushbutton crap.

It was a couple of hours riding before i could find a vacancy.

next morning i found a dealer and they sold me a keyed latch

and never had a problem again.

under the "locked" lid is also a good place to keep a couple of extra bucks.


a magnet with a piece of tape on it, or wrap it in a rag to protect the paint...move it to the lowest part of the outside of the tank and work it up to the neck.

I also have magnets on sticks for fishing parts

and a large magnet on a broomstick which I use to find small parts dropped on the floor

you can also put a magnet on the shaft of a screwdriver to help keep the screw on the tip of the driver


Mike

 

No, I never dodge the bullet, LOL.

 

Cool method to remove the screw - I would not have figured that out but I am glad I didn't have to :-)

 

I did something I rarely do...rtfm.

So, when I changed out grips, I made sure to very carefully wrap a piece of masking tape around those little ball thingies on the ends of the cables. Wouldn't wanted to have to go looking in all the dust bunnies under the bench.

 

after an 800 mile trip, pulled into driveway ,put it on the kickstand and bike dumped half of the tranny fluid from the primary race walking into mainshaft seal. Put the new race in with red locktite.

 

Rebuilt the carb on a 302 Ford. Somehow a washer (we later discovered) got dropped into the intake and we didn't know it. Made a God-awful noise when we cranked it up. We decided to pull plugs and look into the cylinders with a scope. When we pulled the third plug there was a washer captured between the electrodes of the spark plug. Don't get any luckier than that.

 

In the late 1960s I was building a small block Chevy. Put the engine in the car and was about done...just had to install the distributor. Somehow I managed to drop the bolt that holds the distributor down, and it fell right into the distributor hole. Figured I'd at least have to raise the engine and pull the oil pan to get that bolt out of the engine's innards. Before I did that I got a magnet on a telescoping stick and poked it around in the hole. After about 5 minutes of fishing I heard the most wonderful "tink" sound of a bolt being stuck to a magnet. C-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y pulled the magnet out and retrieved the bolt. <insert photo of me wiping my forehead in relief> From then on I always stuck a grease rag in that hole until I was ready.

 

I've never had a push button cap fail. Used to be among the first changes was to get rid of the "lock".

A screw in the tank won't hurt anything, can't get sucked into the engine, not counting the pump, there is a screen, a regulator and a filter. It will just roll around in there indefinitely. Retrieving it isn't that big of a deal, I've got 2 extendable magnets, make that 3, counting the Screamin' Eagle flashlight with extendable flexible magnet.

For ease of access, the top assembly comes off the tank pretty easy, 5 minute job.

The best thing to do, is think ahead, and cover the hole with something...

Good job!!