68 Gas Tank Door Spring

[Jack C.]

Can the spring which holds the door in the open position be replaced? If so, has anyone have an idea where to get one?

[Paul L.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Dr. Rebuild shows a 1968-70 gas door spring as part #1294598 ($2.50).

[Jack C.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Thanks Paul.

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Can the spring which holds the door in the open position be replaced? If so, has anyone have an idea where to get one?

No, not if it is an original 68 gas door lid. 68 gas door lid "hold door open spring" (for lack of a better name) is a spring steel clip that is attached to the underside of the chrome bezel with two cast in rivets.

These rivets break after repeated use (really poor design), and the spring falls off. It cannot be re-attached because the rivets are one time use rivets.

You could drill two holes in the bezel and use pop rivets, but this would be an obvious repair. Functionally, it would work.

The spring on Dr. Rebuild's web site "appears" to be the spring that holds tension of the latch when the door is closed.

I strongly recommend to anyone that has a fully functional 1968 gas door assembly to take it off of the car and replace it with a 1969 and later assembly. Only install the 1968 assembly for show purposes.

Continued use of the 1968 gas door assembly WILL result in some sort of failure of the assembly. The failures I most often note are:

1. Hold door open spring rivets break loose, and spring falls off.
2. Spin rivets holding door to hinge fail, and door separates from hinge
3. Door latch separates from the door (perhaps latch tension too tight)
4. Chrome bezel cracks and separates

I have been looking at this problem, and other problems associated with 1968 gas doors, for over ten years, trying to come up with a reasonable way of restoring them. I haven't found it yet, but in the process I have acquired 32 1968 gas doors.

The things we focus on

[Dick W.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Can the spring which holds the door in the open position be replaced? If so, has anyone have an idea where to get one?

If Ed McComas does not jump into this discussion, drop him a line. He seems to have made a part time career researching the doors and ways to repair them.

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

If Ed McComas does not jump into this discussion, drop him a line. He seems to have made a part time career researching the doors and ways to repair them.

Dick, you are a day late and dollar short.

It has been an extremely frustrating career so far.

[Jack C.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Thanks Ed. I took your advise a while back and don't latch the door closed after refueling. I may now want to find a 69 replacement.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

No, not if it is an original 68 gas door lid. 68 gas door lid "hold door open spring" (for lack of a better name) is a spring steel clip that is attached to the underside of the chrome bezel with two cast in rivets.

These rivets break after repeated use (really poor design), and the spring falls off. It cannot be re-attached because the rivets are one time use rivets.

You could drill two holes in the bezel and use pop rivets, but this would be an obvious repair. Functionally, it would work.

The spring on Dr. Rebuild's web site "appears" to be the spring that holds tension of the latch when the door is closed.

I strongly recommend to anyone that has a fully functional 1968 gas door assembly to take it off of the car and replace it with a 1969 and later assembly. Only install the 1968 assembly for show purposes.

Continued use of the 1968 gas door assembly WILL result in some sort of failure of the assembly. The failures I most often note are:

1. Hold door open spring rivets break loose, and spring falls off.
2. Spin rivets holding door to hinge fail, and door separates from hinge
3. Door latch separates from the door (perhaps latch tension too tight)
4. Chrome bezel cracks and separates

I have been looking at this problem, and other problems associated with 1968 gas doors, for over ten years, trying to come up with a reasonable way of restoring them. I haven't found it yet, but in the process I have acquired 32 1968 gas doors.

The things we focus on

Ed-------


With respect to the hold open spring, the 1968 configuration is the same as 1969-70. All use a spring that is "riveted" to the bezel with "integral rivets" and breaks off.

To get to a better design, one has to go with the 71+ bezel, spring, and hinge. That bezel can be used with a 68-70 fuel door without removing the hold-down bracket from the door if the bezel is "notched" for clearance.

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Ed-------


With respect to the hold open spring, the 1968 configuration is the same as 1969-70. All use a spring that is "riveted" to the bezel with "integral rivets" and breaks off.

To get to a better design, one has to go with the 71+ bezel, spring, and hinge. That bezel can be used with a 68-70 fuel door without removing the hold-down bracket from the door if the bezel is "notched" for clearance.

I did not know that Joe, thanks for the info. I am narrowly focused on 1968 gas doors only.

I think that means that 69 and 70 bezels (minus the hinge plate) would work as substitutes for damaged 68 bezels.

I'm going to look into that.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

I did not know that Joe, thanks for the info. I am narrowly focused on 1968 gas doors only.

I think that means that 69 and 70 bezels (minus the hinge plate) would work as substitutes for damaged 68 bezels.

I'm going to look into that.

Ed-----

I think that the main difference between the 68 and 69-70 fuel door arrangement is the 1968 fuel door. This door has "integral rivets" which attach the door to the hinge. The emblem is also different because it attaches to the door with "integral rivets". However, as far as the hinge and bezel assembly, I think the 1968 is the same as 1969-70. The 1968 and 69-70 bezels were of different part numbers but just how they actually differ, I do not know. The 1969-70 bezel did replace the 1968 bezel for SERVICE in 1970 so the later bezel can be used to replace the 1968.

As I described, the 1971+ bezel can be used, too, but it was never considered by GM to be supercessive.

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Ed-----

I think that the main difference between the 68 and 69-70 fuel door arrangement is the 1968 fuel door. This door has "integral rivets" which attach the door to the hinge. The emblem is also different because it attaches to the door with "integral rivets". However, as far as the hinge and bezel assembly, I think the 1968 is the same as 1969-70. The 1968 and 69-70 bezels were of different part numbers but just how they actually differ, I do not know. The 1969-70 bezel did replace the 1968 bezel for SERVICE in 1970 so the later bezel can be used to replace the 1968.

As I described, the 1971+ bezel can be used, too, but it was never considered by GM to be supercessive.

Joe;

I think I know what the difference is. The hingle plate.

On 68 bezels, the hinge plate has 4 small holes for the gas door rivets to fit in. On 69 & 70 bezels, the hinge plate has 4 larger holes for the gas door screws to go through.

The hinge plate is an integral part of the bezel. However, I have been able to separate the hinge plate from the rest of the bezel by filing and removing the hinge pin.

Replacing the hinge pin and making it look correct is easy.

I guess I will also start looking for 69 & 70 gas door bezels as well now.

The supply of 68 gas doors seems to have dried up at the swap meets (can't imagine why).

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

OK, just to show an obsession.....the last picture is two NOS 68 gas doors and an NOS 68 gas door emblem.

[Joe L.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

OK, just to show an obsession.....the last picture is two NOS 68 gas doors and an NOS 68 gas door emblem.

Ed------


Yes, the difference in size of the holes in the hinge plate is very likely the only difference between the 1968 and 69-70 bezel assemblies.

I wonder how many folks were ever successful in properly installing a new 1968 fuel door on the hinge? I'll bet there were more than a few body shop guys scratching their head when they got a replacement door for a 1968 Corvette during the period when they were available (September, 1967 to March, 1975). This was one of the dumbest designs of a part ever used on a Corvette. I'm sure it was just as much a hassle for PRODUCTION as it was for SERVICE.

Properly "peening" these integral ZINC DIECAST rivets had to be a lot of fun. Zinc diecast has to be one of the most "immalleable" metals you could find.

By the way, I wonder where all those 1968's are that were the donors of those bezel and door assemblies you've collected? R.I.P?

[Edward M.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Joe;

I am pretty sure that most body shops would have had trouble with it. If it were me, I would have just gotten the 69 / 70 door and bezel and been done with it.

John Hinckley was kind enough to sketch me a drawing of the "spin rivet" tool that the factory used in 1968 to expand the rivets on the door hinge and the emblem.

Part of my plan to develop a restoration method for these doors includes making the spin rivet tool.

I think of my gas door collection as the starting point for restorations for 32 1968 Corvettes, all of then L88s or L89s, of course.

[Jim T.]

Re: 68 Gas Tank Door Spring

Can the spring which holds the door in the open position be replaced? If so, has anyone have an idea where to get one?

Jack my original owner 68's metal clip to hold the gas door open came off some time in its lifetime. However the gas lid has always stayed open, it does not flop shut when raised. My original owner70 is the same way. When I discovered the 70's gas lid was not being held up by the metal clip I removed the gas lid assembly and discovered the clip was still holding onto the part that raises to the metal clip when it was properly attached.
Have not tried to attach metal clip for the designed function yet on the 70. Checked the 68 for possible find of the metal clip but did not find it attached like the 70.