Datsun Roadster Gas Cap Alignment Review

[ted heaton]

Datsun Roadster Gas Cap Alignment Review.

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The annual ongoing effort from the 311s Official Gas Cap Inspector to remind roadster owners
that there is a correct alignment for the gas cap. The ridge on the lid is vertical and the hinge is at the top.
Skeptics might ask "How do you know?"
Aside from the obvious "sure looks right and matches the other lines of the trunk area", there are pictures
from "original" sources such as sales brochures, owners manuals, Introductory bulletins, publicity photos and magazine road tests
that show the roadster as it came from Nissan..
Not too many clear pictures from the back but here are 2 good ones. More at the link.






So the questions are.
"Why are so many gas caps offset to the right about 25 degrees?". The metal filler tube has turned in the rubber filler hose.
"How come"?. Gas cap removal turns to the right, The vent hose from the filler tube to the gas tank is
angled to the right and wants to twist the filler tube to the right. Over time the filler tube slowly turns to the right
until the vent hose angle is reduced and it stops twisting the filler tube.
Solution?. Loosen the filler hose clamps and turn the filler tube to the left till the cap lid ridge is vertical.

The gas cap can be seated on the tube upside down with the cap hinge on the bottom.
The pictures show the hinge is at the top. Thin end of the ridge is at the top.

Covid-19 allowing I will be at the 2021 West Coast roadster shows and I will be checking gas cap alignment.
Violators will be photographed and shamed on 311s!

Seriously. lets have our roadsters looking nice.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AjExGNQ-D8bA2DGxSbE ... 4?e=XvPxk1

Ted
311s Gas Cap Inspector and Enforcer.

[Solex68]

Great reminder and something to check and align easily enough. I'll inspect mine tomorrow. Pretty sure I aligned it before the last Solvang event but I will double check.

[Curtis]

Just say no. My cap will never be aligned.

[itsa68]

Thru the years I lost too many caps.
Now using a rag. I believe it hangs down when not driving.
Hope that helps.

Cheers
Ray B.

[bajaroadster]

There's supposed to be a cap? Seems inconvenient to have to remove and replace a cap each time I need to fuel up.

[70MTRoadster]

I went out and checked mine and found it rotated slightly to 1 O'clock. Followed your instructions and am now "oriented correctly" to 12 O'clock, thus joining the inspected and corrected alignment crew. Amen.

[DAC21]

Thru the years I lost too many caps.
Now using a rag. I believe it hangs down when not driving.
Hope that helps.

Cheers
Ray B.

Well tongue and check to some degree. But I'm not sure how a gas cap gets left behind if the ignition key is on the same fob as the gas lock key. Keep the gas key in the cap when filling. When done you have to put the gas cap on to pull out the gas / ignition key to drive away. Yeah yeah easier said then done. Back in the day when these cars left the factory wasn't the ignition and gas cap key one and the same? How did you drive away without your cap if you had the sense to keep the key in the cap while filling? I must be missing something?

[theunz]

My gas cap lock malfunctioned years ago. I simply removed the locking tang and have used it as a non locking cap ever since, so no key required.

[C.Costine]

I promise to check mine. I have to get the car down with my forklift from winter storage overhead on a pallet rack so it may be a week or two.

[Kurt]

Any alignment tips for my '70 gas cap?

[ted heaton]

Any alignment tips for my '70 gas cap?

Kurt, Use your black sharpie and draw a nice vertical line.
No alignment enforcement for those plain, ugly 70 gas caps.


Ted.

[RustBucket]

Ahem, It seems like the two caps in the pictures you provided are not straight either. The Datsun plated picture is Clockwise a few ticks and the 871 picture is counterclockwise a few degrees. Doesn't that give a poetic license to be off a bit? I solved it by using the non-standard Dauphine or Suzuki or whatever it is cap painted car color.... I have a locking one hanging out on the tool bench waiting.... I'll make sure to point out my mangled mess to you at Solvang.
Rustbucket

[Ralph]

Will this make up for the tremclad & roller paint job??

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Just checking. Now .... get back to the game.

[Randalla]

So, I'm headed to Solvang with my Roadster in tow Thursday morning. This is the first time I've brought my car, but I've been there twice before. Reading this thread today, I definitely didn't want to be shamed, or worse yet ticketed by the gas cap police, so, one of the last things I did today was to properly orient the cap. I've never affixed the locking tab to my cap, and looking today, I seemed to have misplaced the key. Does anyone know if the 4 digit code under the cover (5641 on my cap) is sufficient to have a key made by a good locksmith?

I'm sure I'll be set straight on several other issues on my Roadster at the show, but that's OK. Part of the reason for attending is to learn from the "experts." The other reason is to drive through the vineyards tasting wine for four days in Paso Robles the following week. That's been on my wife's and my bucket list since the Roadster was finished. Looking forward to a fun week!

[Solex68]

Yes...a good locksmith can cut one with just the 4 digit code under the cover, He'll have to see the cap itself too probably because there are different caps. keys and locks (i believe).
I may bring my spare keys to sell at Solvang but I don't have all the types organized right now so matching one up is kinda a pain with so many choices. If I had more time to prepare I would have for sure. I'll see.