Oil filler cap too tight!

[lewic]

I've just bought a K10 micra and am having problems getting the oil filler cap off and on. I couldnt budge it at all, and it took a strong friend of mine 15 minutes to get the thing off (and needed hitting with a mallet to get it back on again).

Can you get replacement filler caps? There doesnt seem to be any screw threads on the hole, unlike other cars I've looked at. Any advice appreciated, as I dont want to have to take it to a garage every time I top it up.

 

[ollie240585]

No thread sounds a bit dodgy, replacement caps can be purchased on ebay for a small amount. But it'll b pointless if there's no thread, you should really get the thread re-tapped but i have no idea where you could get this done!!

 

[paddymarsden]

couldnt you get another rocker cover off a scrappy ?

i wouldnt know as i dont have a k10

 

[Arnold]

K10's oil caps are a REAL pain in the arse to remove and refit. They're not screw on like every other car but forced in. I think if the engine's slightly warmer, it makes it easier to do without pulling your fingernails out!

 

[Turtle]

now this is an art im practiced in (since I have to fill my oil up regularly!!)

getting it off: wipe the area clean of oil and get a rag. helps if the engine is warm but its not vital. Standing on the passengers side (left) loop the rag under the far edge of the filler cap and put your hand under the far side. err... then pull hard.

getting it on: my cap has a small chunk of rubber missing from one side, which helps...lube the edge of the cap with clean oil and, again with the car warm, place it gently at juuust the right angle in the hole, then (i have the side with the chunk missing away from me tilted up), hit it very hard once with a rubber mallet. It'll either pop out or pop in. Repeat until it pops in :wasntme:

The alternative: go to the scrap yard and try to get the better version with the screw thread. It does exist, but I have yet to find one.

 

[ollie240585]

MMM, sounds like a great design here!!!

Pull hard to remove

Hit hard to re-fit!

Well then everything i've said above is a load of rubbish then, LMAO

 

[Arnold]

The reason its stiff is so it doesnt fly out under pressure!

 

[ollie240585]

The reason its stiff is so it doesnt fly out under pressure!

Whats wrong with a screwed design then?

Or do u think possibly a cost cutting technique as it's cheaper to have an interference fit than to tap a thread into the rocker cover?

 

[Arnold]

Whats wrong with a screwed design then?

Or do u think possibly a cost cutting technique as it's cheaper to have an interference fit than to tap a thread into the rocker cover?

Screw is better. The march engines and figaro i think had screw caps. The first micra rolled off the line in 83ish so they probably didnt think of screw caps then!

 

[uppy]

mine is really tight i just use a pry bar to get it off and hammer to get it back on ... easy

 

[Pete]

wimps, There would be nothing to tap a thread into btw, if someone was a decent fabricator you could build a clamp down one.

The filler cap isn't much of a problem if the engine is warm and it should be warm when your checking and filling oil anyway . I'm not sure but I think some of the E-series engines had a similar design (not the E15ET tho).

I don't mean to sound too rude but when someone asks a blindingly obviously K10 specific question why do the K11 boy's answer saying that that's not what their car is like. The K11 was an evolutionary design but the engine is a completely different kettle of fish. The CG and MA series engines share nothing.

It's something i've noticed a few times, could someone whittle these out when modderating? Pretty please? i'll put a cherry (mmm datsun cherry *dribbles*) on top.

Pete

 

[Fordy]

if your oil cap gets blown off and the caps fine then the engine is shot basically (piston rings)

 

[Mulbers]

I don't mean to sound too rude but when someone asks a blindingly obviously K10 specific question why do the K11 boy's answer saying that that's not what their car is like. The K11 was an evolutionary design but the engine is a completely different kettle of fish. The CG and MA series engines share nothing.

It's something i've noticed a few times, could someone whittle these out when modderating? Pretty please? i'll put a cherry (mmm datsun cherry *dribbles*) on top.

Pete

Im so glad someone else noticed this.

 

[Arnold]

It's something i've noticed a few times, could someone whittle these out when modderating? Pretty please? i'll put a cherry (mmm datsun cherry *dribbles*) on top.

Pete

If posts are put in the wrong section then please report them to the moderators (report post option). its quite easy for us to miss - and yes even i replied to this post and didnt action it, however i didnt think in this particular case it was much of an issue as we replied saying K10's were different.

Anyway, any further dodgey posts etc, please report them instead of silently complaining!

Ta

 

[K10]

the oil cap does my head in too I must admit! i felt really embarrassed when i viewed my K10 cos i took the cap off to have a look for mayo inside, and i'm meant to know about cars and i couldnt get the cap back on :blush:

the only reason for it i can see is the rocker cover is pressed steel instead of cast, so it brings the cost of manufacture down.

 

[Krian]

I shaved the bottom of mine at a bit of an angle with a craft knife, its still hard to get off, tho I find twisting it as you pull helps a bit but it helps stop it popping out when you hammer it back in.