Gas cap - quick answer needed

[martho]

Like so many others, I have now put my gas cap on the bottom of the lake. Luckily it is only in about 4' of water. I spent some time feeling with my hands, but it is a muddy seaweed hell where it fell.

Can someone quickly go out to their boat and put a magnet next to the gas cap and see if it hits? If so, I made a large, 4 x 6" magnet pad to sweep across the bottom of the lake and find it.

My boat is on the lift at the lake and before I run up there, just looking to make sure the chrome gas caps will attract a magnet. Might sound like a dumb questions, but I think it is a bit smarter than waving the magnet all over the place when what I think is a metal attracting cap really isn't.

Thanks for the help - going up there about 7pm Central time.

BTW - I have already lived the I told you so part of this so no comments like that needed. I have already purchased some extension chain.

Edited August 27, 2012 by martho

[jeff savastano]

will not stick. just lost ours a few weeks ago. i put an extension on the new chain. we lost ours 2 summers ago, on our lift also. we were able to retrieve after waiting a few days when the lake was calm. water settled and we could see to the bottom. wasn't so lucky the second time.

[srab]

I also lost my gas cap in about 4 feet of water, but with weeds and mud, it took me over an hour to finally find it! I tried

a magnet, BTW. No help.

My boat was moored at a day dock, so I knew exactly where to start looking. I threw on a snorkel and mask, but with

the mud and weeds, they were of little use. I just had to start directly below where the cap fell and work circumferentially,

feeling with my hands as I went. I thought I'd be done in 5 minutes. I was wrong.

[Kiwionsnow]

sounds like a rake of the garden variety might be the correct weapon for this. I found my dock chains this way once.

[martho]

Well, it's only in 4' of water, but after an hour of searching on my hands/knees in seaweed hell, I haven't located it. I had no idea that area of the lake was so disgusting. Thanks for the replies and keeping me from looking like a dope with a magnet.

[scfdfireman]

how about probing with a small diameter metal rod like a piece of rebar? When you hit something solid just push the rebar into the mud to mark it.... A more expensive approch would be to use a metal detector as most of the head units are waterproof and work well under water.

[dhcomp]

Cap is stainless, and like everyone said, non magnetic.

Tip: A normal orange Gatorade cap is the PERFECT side to plug the hole , wiht some duct tape over the top of it. Just don't drop it down too far.

Yes, its ghetto, but most of our boats have 2 fills, so you can use the other until a cap can be purchased.

[Sliderfiii]

on this subject ....apparently they don't make the black plastic cap used on the 99 Sportster and their is no substitute available without changing out the neck as well.

I haven't lost mine yet but wondered if I added a longer chain to it with a heavy lead fishing weight to avoid it dropping into the water ....would the gas or vapours effect the lead weight in anyway ....don't want the lead breaking down into the tank?