Re: Gas tank filler lock fell into the gas tank!

Posted by Fish'n Jim On 2023/1/8 11:09:43

I'm not sure they are magnetic either. I don't recall them being brass, maybe white/pot metal? I have one somewhere.
When I tried to clean out the gunk in the tank, I had a difficult time removing what I put in to scour the interior. So not unexpected, but patience and craft may help. I'd drain the tank of all the gas. There should be a drain plug on it, but maybe frozen so don't heat or over power.
Then you might fish a stout wire down and get the lock near the drain and snag with the wire through the fill tube, but just guessing. A flexible inspection camera would help too in fishing it out.
If you drop the tank you should be able to take it out through the level gauge opening. Probably your best shot*.
I wouldn't approach this by taking off the top cover. These are fairly non-robust and you can usually force them off. That's how I got mine off. Brute force.
Probably not the first. I don't know if it will or won't do damage, but why take the chance? I can see it both ways.
* I just changed the fuel gauge on my diesel P/U and the plastic/metal inlet screen broke off in several pieces and impacted the sending unit. I tried to pull it all out with my flexible grabber, but couldn't get the last small one. So I had to go in with my arm through the gauge hole.