couple of years ago I had made a vented guage gas cap similar to the original ones Bonanza used on the fiberglass tanks. This style cap is NLA, other styles that come close can be found but not with a vent you can close usually.
The idea to modify the one I had came from the fact that the NOS generic Kelch gauge cap I did have that fit my tank had a loose lens on it and I was able to pry it out. so I thought I could possibly easily modify it with a vented lens. I was able to do it.....just not easily :laugh: total of 3 caps to make it and was a mess of a job, and still not totally like the original!!
So recently I got another Bonanza MX, It did come with the original cap, but as usual the vent was knocked off the lens and the remains of the lens itself were destroyed, The rest of the cap however is in good clean shape but with the lens gone it was useless.
so yesterday a neighbor wheels over his Briggs and Stratton brand Generator thats been sitting for the past few years. Says "hey will you see if you can get this running and sell it for me?" So I am checking this thing over and noticed the cap. its a neat gennie, it has a fuel tank thats built like a remote boat tank and quick connects off the gennie...nice feature. Big honkin gas gauge cap on it with the correct aluminum knurled vent knob for a bonanza......the light bulb goes off in my head.........
Don't tell my neighbor, far as hes concerned the fuel cap was bad and needed replaced :laugh:
as you can see I was like a 3rd world country surgeon harvesting organs from kidnapped tourists ot resell on the black market, but I got the lens out!!! its a bigger lens than the bonanza cap so I just cut around the outer edge of it
Next up I cut and trimmed as best I could the glued in remains of the old lens in the nanza cap, It looks like kelch heat presses these parts together and everything sort of just melts together in the process. the edges of the nanza cap already had some damage/chips I made it a little worse but maybe I can fix that. I also then took my bigger than the hole lens and and shaped the edge down till I got a pretty good fit....
this is where I am at now, yesterday a trip to the hardware for some good adhesive to bond it came up pretty much zilch. I did get some JB weld for plastic but it and anything else specifically for plastic there is tinted in light colors. so if anyone has used something black or clear in an application like this and has a good suggestion let me know. Different color may not really be a big deal, with the chips and dings around the edges I am considering taping off the lens, using the product to fix the damage as well as adhere the lens in, and repaint the cap. Something I would like to avoid but it should not be a big problem with the proper paint products.
hopefully I can save this "unobtainium" part!!!!
The idea to modify the one I had came from the fact that the NOS generic Kelch gauge cap I did have that fit my tank had a loose lens on it and I was able to pry it out. so I thought I could possibly easily modify it with a vented lens. I was able to do it.....just not easily :laugh: total of 3 caps to make it and was a mess of a job, and still not totally like the original!!
So recently I got another Bonanza MX, It did come with the original cap, but as usual the vent was knocked off the lens and the remains of the lens itself were destroyed, The rest of the cap however is in good clean shape but with the lens gone it was useless.
so yesterday a neighbor wheels over his Briggs and Stratton brand Generator thats been sitting for the past few years. Says "hey will you see if you can get this running and sell it for me?" So I am checking this thing over and noticed the cap. its a neat gennie, it has a fuel tank thats built like a remote boat tank and quick connects off the gennie...nice feature. Big honkin gas gauge cap on it with the correct aluminum knurled vent knob for a bonanza......the light bulb goes off in my head.........
Don't tell my neighbor, far as hes concerned the fuel cap was bad and needed replaced :laugh:
as you can see I was like a 3rd world country surgeon harvesting organs from kidnapped tourists ot resell on the black market, but I got the lens out!!! its a bigger lens than the bonanza cap so I just cut around the outer edge of it
Next up I cut and trimmed as best I could the glued in remains of the old lens in the nanza cap, It looks like kelch heat presses these parts together and everything sort of just melts together in the process. the edges of the nanza cap already had some damage/chips I made it a little worse but maybe I can fix that. I also then took my bigger than the hole lens and and shaped the edge down till I got a pretty good fit....
this is where I am at now, yesterday a trip to the hardware for some good adhesive to bond it came up pretty much zilch. I did get some JB weld for plastic but it and anything else specifically for plastic there is tinted in light colors. so if anyone has used something black or clear in an application like this and has a good suggestion let me know. Different color may not really be a big deal, with the chips and dings around the edges I am considering taping off the lens, using the product to fix the damage as well as adhere the lens in, and repaint the cap. Something I would like to avoid but it should not be a big problem with the proper paint products.
hopefully I can save this "unobtainium" part!!!!
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