Help ! 2008 GSA Fuel Tank Frustrations...

[Magwych]

I am starting the process of replacing my fuel strip. Easy enough, remove pump assembly, remove old strip in its guide, put new strip in the guide and reassemble.
My first hurdle is access. The screws hoksing the fuel cap and its surround to the tank are well and truly rusted into their captive nuts. One cane out, I can see how badky rusted that one is. The captive nuts for the other 3 are just turning in the tank. That leaves the centre tank cover, and fuel filler neck, well and truly fixed to the tank. I cannot get to the top end of the fuel strip that way ☹
For probably the last 49 years my arms have been too large to reach the top of the fuel strip by through the fuel pump access hole ☹
Has anyone else had this issue and found a solution? I do not want to damage the body panels, and ideally not the filler cap nor the tank - at least not beyond repair.
I am only fixing this because I need to sell, I do not want to throw a lot of money, that I dont have, into new parts abd I don't want to pass issyes on to the next owner. Can these captive nuts be freed from the tank , i.e. spun until they heat up or do I have to bute the bullet and break the filler off then find a 2nd hand tank?

 

[Scotriders]

I'd put the one bolt back in.
Let the new owner know that the fuel strip has gone the same way as most others and offer them the new strip with the bike but explain the problem with the bolts.
Tell them that a new strip probably won't be a permanent fix anyway, and they should reset their trip meter every time they fill up and not run it past 300miles like the rest of us.

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[Magwych]

I'd put the one bolt back in.
Let the new owner know that the fuel strip has gone the same way as most others and offer them the new strip with the bike but explain the problem with the bolts.
Tell them that a new strip probably won't be a permanent fix anyway, and they should reset their trip meter every time they fill up and not run it past 300miles like the rest of us.

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I could but I don't like passing the buck on like that.
Also, here in France there is are law relating to "vice cache" - hidden faults. Having sold a vehicle a vehicle on, the seller can be held liable for 2 years afterwards for hidden faults. The new iwner can, in some circumstances, be rewarded a complete refund. Any faults hidden by the unremovable panels could come back to bite me...
I have the new strip, I am trying one made by Fuel Sensor Tech, slightly cheaper than BMW and, allegedly, more reliable.

 

[Scotriders]

In that case, your best bet to save damage to the tank or filler cap might be to drill the head off the bolts.

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[botus]

we learnt a few hundred years ago children are good for forcing in to tight spaces

 

[Magwych]

I drilled the heads off, I now have a tank with the cover and filler cap removed. Oh, and 4 brass inserts with screw remnants rusted solidly inside them.
Getting the old captive nuts out now is not so easy. I have opened up some of the surrounding material to see what iniinitially appeared to be a square brass insert. This is turning inside the moulded plastic of the tank. What I cannot see is what is still retaining it.
Feeling inside, fingers through the filler neck, there is not a lot of material around these brass inserts. I think I am going to gave to settle into a few hours of gently dremelling them out, from the middle outwards.
Bizarrely, lots of tank parts on eBay but no tanks.






Quote Re

 

[Santa-2512]

There probably flanged nuts ,

I dont think you'll get them out without major damage to the tank -

 

[Scotriders]

I drilled the heads off, I now have a tank with the cover and filler cap removed. Oh, and 4 brass inserts with screw remnants rusted solidly inside them.
Getting the old captive nuts out now is not so easy. I have opened up some of the surrounding material to see what iniinitially appeared to be a square brass insert. This is turning inside the moulded plastic of the tank. What I cannot see is what is still retaining it.
Feeling inside, fingers through the filler neck, there is not a lot of material around these brass inserts. I think I am going to gave to settle into a few hours of gently dremelling them out, from the middle outwards.
Bizarrely, lots of tank parts on eBay but no tanks.






Quote Re

Can you drill down through what's left of the screws and re-tap them?

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[Santa-2512]

I'd be tempted to open the holes up fill with JB weld or epoxy and drop some new nuts in. (dont drop them in blind, line them up with the FFF etc )

There only 8nm torque if i recall

 

[Magwych]

Can you drill down through what's left of the screws and re-tap them?

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That would not work. The brass inserts are turning within the plastic.

 

[Magwych]

I'd be tempted to open the holes up fill with JB weld or epoxy and drop some new nuts in. (dont drop them in blind, line them up with the FFF etc )

There only 8nm torque if i recall

That is my hope. One issue is that there are very few products that bond to HDPE. The bigger issue is getting the basards out in the first place
Yes, they do not need tightening up, finger tight is enough. The oroblem is nit bevause thry were too tight, it is corrosion between the mild steel screw and the brass insert. What is left of the screws after taking the heads off is very rusty. Any fuel spillages will have washed off all protective coatings and rainwater will have boosted the rusting.

 

[davegs]

Can you drill down through what's left of the screws and re-tap them?

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How on earth can screws be "rusted" into brass inserts?, more likely locktited.

 

[botus]

its a nasty design - no need at all the plastic cover doesn't pop off over the filler - that would save years of hell on other servicing - and then they could have just had convention nuts you could reach from beneath - brass in to plastic wot a joke !

on a GSA LC around 60 bolts to remove the tank - decent design would cut about 10 different panels and mouldings down to the one you need for cosmetic reasons and then 2 bolts for the tank - all that time they waste with incompetent design, adds weight and cost to every bike we stupidly buy - clearly from a bunch of fools with no idea on how to keep the planet alive (or how to make more profit)

 

[Magwych]

How on earth can screws be "rusted" into brass inserts?, more likely locktited.

The screws rust, the physical dimensiom of the screw alters at a very small scale, enough to jam in the threads. There was no Loctite or thread locking compound made ny another company on the threads. The screws were not overtightened.
I was the last person to remove and replace these screws, in 2016.

 

[Scotriders]

The screws were not overtightened.
I was the last person to remove and replace these screws, in 2016.

A wee bit copper ease back then might have prevented your current predicament.



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[Magwych]

A wee bit copper ease back then might have prevented your current predicament.



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Thanks.
You invent the time machine, I'll wait for you

 

[theoneandonly]

A wee bit copper ease back then might have prevented your current predicament.



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no it wouldn't , the screws will still rust.
doing them up with just a screwdriver ,and 2 fingers , and pulling them out every service will help

 

[rovert57]

How about trying a left handed drill bit usually as the drill goes in the rusted part will free up even at the last few mm of the stud .

 

[crumbles]

How about trying a left handed drill bit usually as the drill goes in the rusted part will free up even at the last few mm of the stud .

The insert is turning in the tank,he has mentioned...

 

[Mistacat]

My two pence worth.
Use a rotary burr in a Dremel ( Lidl do sets of fine diamond burs Very cheap). Remove the plastic around the top of the brass bushes that are rotating.
The brass bushes are set approx 7.5mm below the surface once this is removed there should be enough thread exposed to be able to pull the bushes out as they are already loose.
The brass bushes are approx 8.5 mm long, I have no Idea what the o/d of them is Hopefully under 9.5mm.
I would open the holes to 9.5mm and fit M5 expanding rubber bushes these are 9.5 o/d and 14mm long. The threaded insert in them is brass.
Could also be tempted to put a drop of super glue on them although with them expanding in the hole should be enough.
The retaining CSK screws are M5 x 20.
Good luck.