Hitchcocks Forum

Have had my 2010 Elektra for a short while now,done a few little cosmetic changes to it, Woodsman seat, complete Enfield Trials silencer and upswept exhaust, trials bars. I should have bought one years back,really enjoying riding it, only bit of a problem i have is the petrol filler cap. If i have any more than about a tenners worth of petrol in it, whenever i brake, it spews petrol out of the closed filler cap, on occasions it will chuck it out on a bumpy road. cant see any adjustment on it at all, ok you may say don't fill it so much, but surely there is a way to stop this happening. Any advice appreciated

Dennis

Not good Dennis, Dont need petrol running back over the tank in the wind..

Try our host for a new gasket or fashion one yourself... I know they list a thicker cork gasket for the old push and turn type but not sure about the flip ups.. However you could convert to older type at a price... page 179 online catalogue, conversion kit... gwilly

Leaking petrol taps and Enfields go hand in hand, most of the locking caps leak. Not much help but the factory is incapable of making a petrol tap that doesn't leak. Just think about it, they plan to push a bike a minute off the end off the production line, think about how much fuel will be spilt out of them and not used

Norm, at the risk of causing offence, I have never heard such a pile of rubbish in all my life. You are simply suggesting that "they all do that sir". I must disagree. The sealing function is a relationship between the cap, the filler neck and the sealing washer in between. It is nothing to do with the speed or numbers involved in manufacture. A bike a minute off the line, well BMW produce a Mini off the line about every 55 seconds and their filler caps do not leak. Nor do the ones from Triumph or even the ones from Norton, BSA, Triumph, AJS, Matchlees or Ariel etc etc which were fitted 50or 60 years ago. If the problem exists Denwyn then buy or cut a thicker gasket or perhaps simply take it back to the dealers and let then sort it.

Hi Mike at the risk of causing offence they all bloody leak and there seems to be little chance of a fix. Can't say I have ever heard of other manufactures havimng the same problem but with Enfields "they all do that sir" and if yours doesn't leak then you are one of the lucky ones. Of course they shouldn't leak but the fact is they do

Sorry MM, have to go with Norm, not been able to seal mine,( petrol cap), simply/cheaply, as regards gaskets, done everything known/suggestesd, just pissing in the wind.

You paid good money for a bike that leaks petrol from the tank?????? Well if it is any consolation that is an MOT failure. As I said even old from the 50's and onwards do not leak petrol unless the sealing washer is worn or split. I have both screw in and pivoting types in my collection and no leaks. There is always a solution you merely have to find it IMHO. Leaking petrol can do your nuts no good if it sprays back along the tank, and of course it is a serious fire hazard.

Mike, you got me, I paid good money for a POS but they will never get my money again. I have since welded an early filler neck from a fifties tank into my Hellectra tank and now it doesn't leak, funny about that, just proves it can be done but obviously the factory aren't able to

My Electra used to leak like this but when i bought my EFI a previous owner had placed a rubber seal between the tank and the cap and my EFI has never leaked. The seal is circular in shape and quite thick -not the standard O ring size and it has to be crushed between the top of the filler neck and the cap as you close it. If you can experiment with various thicknesses of seal it may just cure the leak but i totally agree this is a bodge they shouldn't leak in the first place.

Cant take the bike back to deales,was a used buy,problem was not long after i bought it i had to lay it up as i had no spare time to use it,so the problem has only recently shown itself. Looke at the Hitchcocks cap conversions to round cap,bit pricey and i prefer it to be a locked cap anyway. Will give cutting a new rubber seal to fit over the existing a go, looked at replacing the old rubber seal,but its not easy to remove from the cap at all. I love the bike, and from old Enfields i ownwed in my youth ( Continental and Crusader sports ) its a much better build quality, not up to Jap standards though,but for me its a bike i enjoy riding,which is more than i can say of my last bike ( 600 Diversion ) Thanks for all the advice