85 GSL 12a: I pulled the tank to clean it out, and almost have it back on but I can't get the drivers side strap close enough to get the bolt started. Everything I can see with the tank in place looks fine, and the passenger side strap hooked up easily, could I have something pinned in above the tank that could be stopping the drivers side from going up all the way?

I went and got a longer bolt that I can get started, but I'm worried I might damage something if I force it.

 

might not be seated correctly. Maybe loosen the passenger strap and start over?

 

make sure it isn't hanging up on the filler neck/vent.


Isaac

 

I loosened the drivers side just leaving the threads engaged to wiggle it around but that didn't make any difference. I'm really wanting to avoid dropping it all the way back out because its such a pain to get the filler neck in right.


The filler neck is screwed into the body just fine, and the vent and filler neck are both on the tank all the way.


I'm thinking that if I bent the strap a little in the process of taking out the tank, it would cause it not to reach the bolt hole. If that were the case, using a longer bolt would straighten out the strap and make it work. But the strap doesn't have any obvious kinks or anything so I don't know. I think I will try it tonight if the weather cooperates, and see what happens...

 

put impact gun with long extension on jack....................

 

Did you tighten the rear bolts fully already? They need to be loose until all 4 are in place. You may need to drop the tank to see if you have anything interfering above the tank.

 

What 4 bolts? I guess you mean the either end of each strap? I only removed the back bolt on each strap, I think that was my problem. Mostly because I'm too lazy to wriggle all the way up under there to reach them


LMAO don't think I didn't consider it! I practically bench pressed the rear end with a ratchet and an extension trying to get the bolt in over the weekend!

Anyway, I got it in last night. I loosened the drivers side rear bolt and wiggled the tank around to be as sure as I could without dropping the tank again that it wasn't interfering with anything above, then took a 45mm (vs the stock one which is about 30) long bolt I got at lowes (10mmx1.25 just for reference), ran that in on the drivers side, tightened the passengers side, then removed the long bolt and put the original in without any trouble.

So in conclusion I think the drivers side strap got bent up a little because I didn't completely remove the straps, but by tightening the straps down they pulled and straightened themselves out.

Anyway, little evil is back on the road Thanks for all the help as usual!