Installing gas cap

I've been trying all morning to install the gas cap on a new tank on my Z1. The latch part makes no sense to me whatsoever.  I figured out one leg of the spring has to go in the groove in the latch but with no instructions It's really hard to figure out.  I've tried putting the spring in both ways and when I'm finally done struggling with it, the pin is going through the spring and it seems to be in place but there's no spring action on the lever. I'm sure someone's run into this problem.  Usually in situations like this after struggling long enough it usually works itself out but I just recently threw my hands in the air and gave up. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  

So.... yeah, I figured it out.  You have to put one leg of the spring in the groove in the latch, then you have to bend the other leg around so the spring's compressed.  So I did that, still quite the juggling act, had a small nail in one side and as I was pulling it out I lowered the latch so the holes lined up and was sliding the pin in from the other side.... and ZING.... yeah, the spring took off across the garage and landed in the worst possible place I could imagine it landing in, a total black hole for small parts.  UGGGGGGH!!!  Kind of funny actually.  I really should have anticipated this. Anyway, I could spend the rest of my life looking for that spring but will dedicate about an hour to it and unless a miracle happens will have to order a new one, if in fact they are even available.

Try using a magnet to find the spring.
Steve

Last I saw of it, it was heading towards a place that had two big boxes full of junk and about a million nooks and crannies outside the boxes. I just spent an hour looking and I don't think I could find it if my life depended on it.  So I guess I have to either find a replacement or make one. 

 

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationYou will trip over it as your walking back into the garage after picking up the new one from the mail box. Happens all the time to me. 

Appears to be a separate part.  www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/51053...94080b52969d3847fdf8

You will trip over it as your walking back into the garage after picking up the new one from the mail box. Happens all the time to me. 

Never a truer word spoken......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That little bugger can go sproiiiiing anywhere. 
Steve

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configuration

wrote:

You will trip over it as your walking back into the garage after picking up the new one from the mail box. Happens all the time to me. 

Appears to be a separate part.  www.partzilla.com/product/kawasaki/51053...94080b52969d3847fdf8


 

Yeah probably will but thanks for the part number. Ebay had one for 4 bucks.  Wasn't worth 4 bucks tearing the garage apart looking for it. 

As does happen, I was in the same situation. Lost mine, threw a pen spring in it, then sure enough once it was remounted and working, found the original one. Funny thing is, the pen spring worked better than the original one! So I still have the original spring sitting stashed away. 

I could use some help with this guys if you would be so kind.

Before I start driving these pins in above my freshly painted tank I need to know where each one goes. I'll post a pic of what came with the cap,It came with three pins shown below, #1 is a roll pin, #2 is a solid pin just a tad shorter than the roll pin and #3 is a shorter pin that is knurled on one end and serrated on the other end.

It's my thinking that #1 is used to mount the cap to the tank and #3 is for the other end of the cap for the latch to grab if so is the #2 pin just supplied to help drive the pins in place?

 

The below might be helpful Moose (Alan Milyard shows how)
Kawasaki Z1 Super Six - Tank and Panels - YouTube

Thanks Wookie, Unfortunately that's for the locking cap that needs only one pin the cap I have is a repop Z1 cap with no lock just a latch.