Tank Cap

[DevilBoy]

Hiya Gang

I was putting my new tank on my S4 over the weekend, and hit a bit of a snag.
All the gubbins inside went on (with a little bit of contortionist behaviour on my part), but I can't seem to get the damn cap on!

There's a rubber seal around the cap that just wont let the cap go on.
I stopped short of using a hammer to whack the bugger in, just incase I dented this tank too!

Anyone got any tips and tricks on getting the damn thing in?

Allso, I was just about to plug the big rubber hoses underneath in, and I have realised I don't remember which holes they plug onto. Oops!.
There are two hoses, with two white rings with labels on them. Can't remember what they say now, but if anyone knows which one goes where, much appreciate it!

Cheers
DB

[Bodybag]

You have to fold the rubber ring out so that its edges are horizontal. I had the same problem when I repaired the snapped breather pipe inside my tank and it took me ages to get it right before being able to reseat the filler cap. You need to roll the edges out as the rubber seal should be visible all the way round the tank when seated properly. Easier to see than to explain and you will need a little bit of weight to get it back in place.

Hope this helps.

Phil

[Bodybag]

As for your hoses, there should be a label on the bottom of the tank telling you which pipe goes where.

[DevilBoy]

Excellent, I'll check the hoses again and see if I can work it out.
If I remember rightly, one of them had a 'R' on it, and the other one said something else (not 'L' as expected). I'll check again though.

As for the cap. The seal looks to me to be al L shape.
So do you mean roll it back so its pointing outwards?
how does that help it go in easier?

:banghead:

[Bodybag]

Excellent, I'll check the hoses again and see if I can work it out.
If I remember rightly, one of them had a 'R' on it, and the other one said something else (not 'L' as expected). I'll check again though.

As for the cap. The seal looks to me to be al L shape.
So do you mean roll it back so its pointing outwards?
how does that help it go in easier?

:banghead:

When I re-fitted mine, I had to get the outer edge of the seal in the right place on the filler cap mounting before I forced the entire unit back into the tank properly. Otherwise the seal gets creased and wrinkled where its visible.

Inlet hose is marked M and return hose is marked R. The return hose should be connected to the pipe in the underside of the tank closest to the two breather pipe outlets. Hope this helps.

(Information gained from the official Ducati Service manual for an 01 S4).

Phil

[DevilBoy]

When I re-fitted mine, I had to get the outer edge of the seal in the right place on the filler cap mounting before I forced the entire unit back into the tank properly. Otherwise the seal gets creased and wrinkled where its visible.
Phil

When you say 'The Filler Cap Mounting', thats the light grey bit that it is currently wrapped around yes?
And the right place is where? Its currently sitting around the green seal...

Cheers!

(God this cap is so :ymca: )

[Bodybag]

When you say 'The Filler Cap Mounting', thats the light grey bit that it is currently wrapped around yes?
And the right place is where? Its currently sitting around the green seal...

Cheers!

(God this cap is so :ymca: )

You just need to make sure that the seal is in the place it will be in once fitted properly. That means ensuring the edge of the seal is in the right position when you fit it. I've probably made the whole process sound more confusing than it actually is.

[DevilBoy]

I am confused as hell now. :banghead:

I think I'll take some pics and you guys can tell me, left a bit, right a bit, etc..

:mand:

[DevilBoy]

Anymore tips before I try this again this weekend guys?

Cheers
DB

[DevilBoy]

Right Gang. This is the biggest pain in the Ar$e thing i've ever done on a bike.

How the hell does this tank cap go into the tank?!?!?!?!?! :hissy:

Right, I've taken pics. I've tried the black seal (seal 1) turned around every way possible.
I tried putting it in the tank first, and pushing the cap in. It just falls inside the tank.
I've tried putting it around the cap, but even with me standing on the bl00dy thing, it doesn't slide in.

I've attached pics of the cap, and a crude paintshop drawing of what the black seal looks like in cross section.
Can someone please talk me through what I gotta do. The bikes going into the garage next week, and I aint letting him have a go, he'll charge me £60!

Cheers! :o
DB

[Gilps]

I'm yet another one who has had a prolem with this in the past. In your pics you've got the black seal all wrong. Imagine this. When it is fitted you will see a small circle of rubber seal between the cap and the tank. Therefore before you start you need to make sure that the rubber is showing around the top of the cap. The seal has rolled downwards and the weird thing is that it feels like it is in the right place, but it isn't.

[DevilBoy]

Hiya gilps

So are you saying that the rubber has to move up and go around the outside of the cap, like my excellent picture?

If so, which way has it got to sit? If you look at my other excellent picture of the cross section in my last post, which sides gotta be facing downwars, the thick square end, or the thin pointy bit...

I'm sure I tried to get the rubber around the edge of the cap, but it was really difficult, and I did it once, only to see it ping back down to the underneath bit. I decided to give up at that point, as I had a hammer in my hand, and the tank looked like it needed a kicking!

Another thing actually, I've tried pushing the cap on without the black seal on, and it doesn't wanna go in the hole all the way. How much pressure do you have to put on it?

Cheers
DB

[Gilps]

I can't remember which way ound it goes but it deffo sits on the outside of the cap, well part of it does anyway. It can only be one of two ways. Oh, did I mention that I eventually gave up through frustration and got Louigi Moto to finish it off. It can be done though, stick with it. I do know that when you get it right it still feels all wrong but it will go on.

[DevilBoy]

So better off leaving it for the shop to put it on then aye?
He aint no ducati dealer or nothing, but I've taken the monster to him a few times, and he knows what he's doing most of the time.

Unless someone else can recomment a firm that will pick the bike up from near Cardiff, south wales? :)

[grunter]

for fatbloke he may remember? think the rubber needs to be up and used a smear of fairy liquid to help it slide???? hmmmmmmmmm cant remember

[grunter]

the rubber sits between tank and cap like an upside down L all the way round fairy liquid under?

[Starter Sprag]

I'll try and explain the fitting method for you

First put all the pointed grub screws back into the cap, so that they are flush with the OUTER edge, they will be loose and not yet fully home

Remove BOTH seals, green and black,

Next, get some grease - silicone or similar

Now apply grease to fingers, and 'work' both seals, until you have coated all sides/faces with grease, before you wipe your fingers dry, apply a film to the INNER face of the tank opening

Still with me ?

Fit green seal - same as your picture

Next, and this is the tricky bit, fit black seal so as to form 'L' shape as in last reply, this may take some stretching to get right

Position cap over opening, and push down to trap seal at the 6'o'clock position

Next, just nip the 6'o'clock grub scew

Now work on the 7'o'clock bit,then nip the grub scew

Work all the way round

Have a beer


Hope this helps

[gary tompkins]

I managed to fit the rubber seal on mine after installing the filler cap

There's a small gap around the edge of the cap when seated, and you can just about fiddle the seal under it before tightening the grub screws. It takes a bit of patience + vaseline and the last bit is PITA, but I found it 100% easier than other methods I've tried in the past.

[DevilBoy]

OK Guys, Done it!

After an hour of fiddling, Finally got the dam cap in!

What I did, was get some jump leads from my car, and as I was going around the cap pushing the seal up, I was clipping it with the crocodile clips.
Then when I got to the end, took them all off, and it stuck!

Bit of fairy liquid on the hole, and a bit of pressure and it slid into position nicely.
Just gotta remember where all the pipes underneath go now...

Anyone know which way the 2 pipes go? They've both got writing on them, can't remember what it says though...

Cheers!
DB