Gas cap won't open on 5th gen

I am putting my 98 back together after fixing stuck starter valves now my gas cap won't open with the key.Has anyone had this happen?Also where do I set the starter valves to get it up and running? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The gas cap I can't help with, although I understand graphite powder is the stuff to use, and in a pinch pencil lead will do the trick, rubbed on the key.Make sure you push down on the tank as you turn the key to help the locking tabs retract.

The manual helpfully says to count the number of turns to fully seated for each SV before pulling them apart. Hope you did that...There is no "initial set point".

You need vacuum gauges hooked up to do a synch, to the four tubes that live on the stubs on the airbox sides, the engine should be warm and idling at 1200rpm.  If your bike is a CA model then those four tubes fit onto the 5 way joint.

SV #1 is fixed, step one is to synch the other three to that, then (and this is 5th gen specific) #3 should be dropped by 20mm Hg from #1, and #4 should be dropped by 10mm Hg from #1 (so 1 and 2 stay the same). I gues you know the SV adjusters are the screws on the right side of the throttle body, you can reach them with a 7mm spanner with the tank raised.

Thanks I will try the graphite if that doesn't work I guess I have to drill it out.I didn't conut the turns when I took it apart so I will have to experiment until i get the gauges to syn them correctly. Thanks

My 6th gen cap wasn't opening very easily - felt gummed up, so I sprayed the mechanism (not the lock cylinder) with WD40 which freed it up.  Before drilling, can you remove the cap from the tank and maybe free up the mech? 

I got it open with a screw driver but no drilling i tried taking the bolts out first but didn't help any so I will carry a shorty until I get a new cap.I got it running without guages but syñc stàrter vàlves ASAP,

My 6 Gen did the same thing when I got it (used with 346 miles) but I had taken it to the dealer for its 600 mile service and they took care of it. Not sure what they did but hasn't been a problem since. From what the service manager told me, it was a common problem.

9 hours ago, 11jalrge

I got it open with a screw driver but no drilling i tried taking the bolts out first but didn't help any so I will carry a shorty until I get a new cap.I got it running without guages but syñc stàrter vàlves ASAP,

I am unclear if you unbolted this and then bolted it back in? In that case I am wondering if it can be loosened then re-aligned.

Otherwise for the typical problem what Cogswell and Duc2V4 said. You want to clean this cap as you may be able to stop the sticking by doing so. Open it and cover the tank so that no remnants of the cleaning process get into the nice fresh gas. I took some 0000 steel wool and cleaned the gunk around the part that goes into the tank. Avoid scratching the rubber gasket. Hold the entire mechanism with two hands from above and use your fingers underneath to squeeze it and move the spring loaded part in and out to loosen it up. 

Lubricants are a temporary solution to dirty or corroded parts. If the part is dirty you will find you must lubricate it every several months. The cleaning is the key. Mine does not require any lubrication.

If you completely cleaned the reachable areas and it is still sticky, I would recommend Lok-Shot. It is a synthetic lubricant. It will not combine with air and leave any sort of residue like most solvent-based lubricants. Somehow they engineered it to travel along a surface. So if you spray it on the mechanism underneath, it will crawl to the upper portion that you cannot reach by hand. It is similar to electronics cleaner in that it goes everywhere, so cover everything even far away such as the seat and dash when using it. Spray it around the mechanism, then again work the mechanism with your hands. Your local locksmith may be using Lok-Shot so you would not have to purchase it.

I did try taking the bolts out but it still would not let go so i bolted it back on then used a screwdriver to turn the lock cylinder that would not budge with the key.Now i use a stubby straight blade and it works fine.I will clean it so it continues to work until i order a new one.thanks for the help

You can strip it apart and put it through an ultrasonic bath if you have one.  Did mine over Christmas with my Dad.  It works an absolute treat now.  There's a video on YouTube showing how to remove it.

When I did mine it was full of corrosion.

Lightly oil the lock afterwards