1955 - problem with oil filler cap

[DiIanni]

I have a new chrome oil filler cap. It's on correctly with the word "front" where it should be.
I cannot seem to remove it. Does it twist off or simply lift off, If it twists off, does it twist off in a clockwise
or counter clockwise way?

 

[Ward 57]

I have a new chrome oil filler cap. It's on correctly with the word "front" where it should be.
I cannot seem to remove it. Does it twist off or simply lift off, If it twists off, does it twist off in a clockwise
or counter clockwise way?

It should just lift off. There are a couple of flat springs that hold it onto the tube. A little wiggling back & forth & side to side should crack it loose. Mine is just an auto parts store chrome cap not labeled front so not Concours correct but looks good.

 

[4VE]

It pulls off. It may be stuck due to twisting but you should be able to pull hard on it to release.

 

[willcarterdc]

I had this same problem/confusion. Short answer: it should come off by pulling it straight up. It doesn’t have any screw threads.

The key word being “should.” So, slightly longer answer:

1. See here: http://fordthunderbirdforum.net/***...&sid=c4b138eb1ee72c89d28aa282d0b60225#p118486

2. One of my responses from the linked thread: “I did eventually get the oil cap off. No amount of force was sufficient to remove it by hand, but a few moderate taps of a rubber mallet around the bottom of the oil cap loosened it sufficiently that I could then pull it off. Note, however, that once I pushed the cap securely back on, I again could not remove it by hand; I needed to do the rubber mallet again. Thus, either the clips on the cap are extremely tight once the cap is situated or there’s some corrosion or paint or something that’s causing a lot of friction. (There’s definitely something going on: I have reasonably strong hands and arms and still cannot get that sucker off by hand). Now that I can get it on and off using the rubber mallet, I considered lubricating the cap to avoid this issue in the future; but concluded that, all things considered, it’s better to have it be too tight than risk it becoming too loose!”


By way of a further update to the above: I ended up buying a new oil filler cap for various reasons (mostly to ensure that the smoke I was getting from the tube at the time wasn’t being caused by an old clogged cap). The new cap slides on and off easily.

 

[CSPIDY]

You May want to spay some PB blaster or your favorite penitrent oil up into it before using the crow bar
Also a little heat will help draw the oil up were you need it to loosen any rust