Stihl Flippy Cap solution

[gggGary]

I've had, dunno, 15 various stihls with flippies Some are OK some just plain SUCK! What redneck sez. I bought some Chinese caps to replace the ones on the (circa 2018 pole saw?) and it's fine now.
Whats so hard about a ONE PIECE threaded cap with a raised grab ridge for tool free operation?

 

[stihltech]

Hardly any complaints about the fuel caps. The complaints on the oil caps are usually the saw that I have to clean away enough sawdust to find the cap first. Then there is enough sawdust in the tank to plug the pump inlet . That is not the caps fault. So out of many hundreds of floppy caps in a year, I find an actual issue with maybe 25?
Funny, I stock Husqvarna caps and replace them too.
Most people I trying to hard when they wreck the cap.
They work if you keep them clean. As do most parts on any piece of equipment.

 

[David Ellis]

I also never liked the Stihl flippy caps. I much prefer the old fashioned screw caps with O Rings on my Husqvarna saws. It feels good to know that I am not alone in this sentiment.

 

[gggGary]

I find an actual issue with maybe 25?

 

[David Ellis]

Hardly any complaints about the fuel caps. The complaints on the oil caps are usually the saw that I have to clean away enough sawdust to find the cap first. Then there is enough sawdust in the tank to plug the pump inlet . That is not the caps fault. So out of many hundreds of floppy caps in a year, I find an actual issue with maybe 25?
Funny, I stock Husqvarna caps and replace them too.
Most people I trying to hard when they wreck the cap.
They work if you keep them clean. As do most parts on any piece of equipment.

"The complaints on the oil caps are usually the saw that I have to clean away enough sawdust to find the cap first."

I suppose my gripe is with this mostly. The flippy caps always get buggered with sawdust and are just more tedious and time consuming to clean and remove.

 

[stihltech]

A lot of the issues would disappear if they were simply brushed off first. 5 seconds. Too much?

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I love the husky flip caps. They designed it right with screw tanks still. So you can use old caps or flippy caps.

Also designed if ever broke one a flat scrench removes it too.

 

[David Ellis]

A lot of the issues would disappear if they were simply brushed off first. 5 seconds. Too much?

I generally don't carry a brush and don't need to carry a brush for the conventional screw caps. With the conventional screw caps I can remove sufficient sawdust with my fingers. With the flippy caps, the protruding contour and edges catch more sawdust that isn't easily accessible. So... for me and my preference, give me a screw cap.

 

[Sidecarflip]

Stens makes replacement caps for the flippy caps that I don't like either. Terrible design, easily fixable. I carry a small paint brush in my back pocket to clan around the fuel and oil caps when I refuel or add bar oil. keeps the area swarf free and prolongs the in tank filters as well.

Echo don't have that issue... Glad of that.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I got the biggest laugh when @Andyshine77 did this flippy cap video's years back.

I think they had a recall on the caps due to swelling.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Yep recalled way back https://www.stihlusa.com/safety/recalls/toolless-fuel-cap/

THIS RECALL IS FOR SAFETY REASONS!​

Answers to frequently asked questions concerning this recall can be found here.
Specifically, the levels of ethanol, aromatics or other additives in some gasoline sold in the United States may distort parts of the fuel cap, which could make caps more difficult to install and/or remove. If a fuel cap is not properly installed and fuel spillage results, there is a risk of fire if an ignition source is present, which could result in a burn injury to the consumer. STIHL Incorporated has received no reports of injuries at this time.
The toolless fuel caps subject to this recall can be distinguished from a newly designed cap which corrects this problem by a molded identifier mark located on the lever of the cap and also by a letter molded on the underside of the cap. These identifier markings are shown in the example photos above.
You should discontinue use of your recalled STIHL product immediately and take it/them to an authorized STIHL Dealer. If your machine(s) has a fuel cap that is being recalled, your dealer will install a new toolless fuel cap without any cost to you.
If you need to locate your nearest STIHL Dealer:

• Consult our Dealer Locator
• Call our Customer Service number: 1-800-GO-STIHL
• Email us via Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this recall, please:

• Contact a STIHL representative at 1-800-233-4729
• Email us via Contact Us

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

A 12 year old boy and his father are new to the Western World and entered a mall for the first time.

The boy was amazed by everything he saw, but especially by 2 silver doors that move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, "Dad. You're an Engineer. What is this?"

The Engineer (never having seen an elevator before, but too proud to admit it) responded, "Son, this is an elevator. I'm very familiar with this because I'm an Engineer."

While the boy watched with amazement, a fat old lady moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button.

The walls opened, and the lady walked between them into a small room.

The proud Father started "See son, this will take her to the 2nd floor, then back down here to the 1st floor. I know this because I'm an Engineer"

The doors closed, and they watched as the numbers above the doors light up. From 1 to 2, then 2 to 1.

Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blonde stepped out.

The Father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son...

"Wholly Spit! Go get your Mother, now."

 

[bwalker]

Hardly any complaints about the fuel caps. The complaints on the oil caps are usually the saw that I have to clean away enough sawdust to find the cap first. Then there is enough sawdust in the tank to plug the pump inlet . That is not the caps fault. So out of many hundreds of floppy caps in a year, I find an actual issue with maybe 25?
Funny, I stock Husqvarna caps and replace them too.
Most people I trying to hard when they wreck the cap.
They work if you keep them clean. As do most parts on any piece of equipment.

If guys would learn to not over fill their oil tanks they wouldn't have problems.

 

[JD Guy]

Yep, guilty as charged . But not the caps fault.

 

[NeSurfcaster]

The 201T oil cap and tank can be clean from chips/dust and still fight ya, are u sayin ya need to wipe off all the oil from the cap/tank as well?

 

[GenXer]

I had to stop watching that God awful video, after he talked about filling a saw while up in a tree and then using a leaf blower to put out grass fires with I just couldn't finish.

 

[johnny first]

I work on saws at work I like them better . Some people I work with use screech to tighten them up .

 

[holeycow]

There is no valid defence for an overengineered, overcomplicated, overpriced hole plug.

Even if they do work ok. Most of the time. Until you overfill the oil reservoir and pop one...as has been stated.

Engineered solutions to non-existent problems are dubious, at best. Even the old stihl caps are ****, as they are also a poor design -there's almost no way to grasp them, so you gotta grab the scrench.

Defend as you will, but logic says otherwise.

 

[holeycow]

Reservoir caps. Done.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

View attachment 1161858

Reservoir caps. Done.

STIHL recommends using only STIHL replacement parts for the repair and maintenance of your STIHL equipment. We want every STIHL owner to have the best product performance possible, so if you are in need of STIHL repair or equipment maintenance, contact your local authorized full-line servicing STIHL Dealer. For more information on routine maintenance and a list of main parts for your STIHL equipment, refer to your product's instruction manual.

(bet I earned 30 STIHL points for quoting that...probably enough to get a free STIHL cap )

Reason for existence:
The patented STIHL special fuel tank and oil tank caps are easy to open and close – without effort and without using tools. The large openings make the tanks easy to fill. (This is true, the previous openings were smaller and it was hard to see when the tank was near full and it was easier to overflow the thank.)

Reason for recall and replacement in the U.S. (corn gas):
Specifically, the levels of ethanol, aromatics or other additives in some gasoline sold in the United States may distort parts of the fuel cap, which could make caps more difficult to install and/or remove. If a fuel cap is not properly installed and fuel spillage results, there is a risk of fire if an ignition source is present, which could result in a burn injury to the consumer. STIHL Incorporated has received no reports of injuries at this time.

From LawnSite:

I have a stihl trimmer, edger and backpack blower, all 3 the fuel caps were jacked up on last year, to the point that it was a big frustration to attempt to get them off and back on. This gas cap debate has gone on around here for several years actually, and prior to the recall there was a number of guys that swore that the guys having trouble were severly brain damaged or something...

The reason some had more problems than others, it's where they live and how much ethanol is mixed in their fuel in that area! I got my new caps PRIOR to the recall, so they are the same caps, same O-ring, as the old ones. Since then I've been using gas from our Co-op that is ethanol free, whereas before I was just filling up the 2 cycle mix cans with regular or mid grade from the gas station down the street that has 6% to 10% ethanol. Since the switch of the fuel to ethanol free, and using the same caps that became a nightmare with the ethanol, I've had ZERO problems with these caps all year! Even through our EXTREME heat this summer the caps were never a problem to remove or replace.

The problem is just as Stihl has claimed, it's not really their caps, it's the fact that the ethanol content has increaced over the last several years, which they couldn't have known about this problem since it didn't exist before when the ethanol content was only a couple percent, or none at all. Ethanol is causing problems with all types of equipment and vehicles, a little o-ring swelling up on a gas cap is the least of the issues.