Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,

I have this locking fuel cap which I managed to unlock without a key but now need a key made for it. Anyone know what make of key it uses or how I can get one made for it.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame]

Seriously it would probably be cheaper to buy another one with a key from Ebay than to have a new key made.

Well key costs are usually about £3 - £4 and the cheapest ebay locks I see are over £20 unless you have a link to any cheaper options?

If you can get the barrel out there may be a helpful number on it.
Otherwise I'd find a key that fits in the slot then file the tumblers down to suit. Bonus if you can use the ignition key

Thanks to aupickup who pm'd me and identified it as a Wilmot Breeden cap like the following. So I will get the barrel out and confirm the number then get a key ordered for about £3

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-Wilmo ... 23325cf049

Looks like its seen better days and you may have damaged it by manually unlocking it, may be cheaper in the long run to buy another with key.

I picked a chrome one with keys,in good nick, for two pound at an auto jumble

Good points. May keep a lookout for another one at the December auto jumble near me. I had to manually open it to put the petrol in

I was going to say Wilmot Breedon, I have one somewhere, but I was beaten to it. Not much point in a locking fuel cap if you can open it manually! Take it to a proper locksmith who should be able to cut two keys for it. Make sure that it is a vented fuel cap.

mike.perry wrote: Make sure that it is a vented fuel cap.

Just about to say that myself; it is very important.

JOWETTJAVELIN wrote:

mike.perry wrote: Make sure that it is a vented fuel cap.

Just about to say that myself; it is very important.

Would that explain why I couldn't get the car to start because I had managed to lock it and haven't since un-locked it and just rested it on the end of the pipe?

The problem is that if the cap is unvented the air cannot get in, and these cars breathe through the fuel cap. So yes, the pump will not be able to overcome the force created by the blockage and the engine would be starved of fuel, not to mention the risk of fuel pump damage.

With a mechanical pump, the fuel tank itself vacuums in and goes flat as a pancake - yes, a steel tank! Leaving the owners of rarer cars with a major headache.

This is the problem with these non-standard parts. Avoid unless you are absolutely certain they are designed for the particular vehicle.

My cap is different. This cap grabs the inside of the fill tube. My cap grabs the outside of the tube. When did they change?
Can I get an "inside" fill tube? The "outside grabbing" caps are less common, and the gasket won't stay in place.
David

David, you have the correct cap. They never changed throughout production; the fuel cap we are discussing in this thread came from an unknown source and locking fuel caps were never fitted to the Minor, or any other 'bread and butter' British cars. This was the case up to the 1980s.

It should be a cork gasket and you should use some super-glue to hold it in the cap.

That makes me feel better. Will try get it unlocked again and try start the car. Also this one he like a cloth/wool type ring on top if the outer ring you see in the picture. But I have thrown that away now as it had perished.