Can 'o' rings be resized?

[Spout]

In my search for the pesky petrol smell my bike is inflicted with I've taken the filler out to check overflow hoses.
There is an 'o' ring between tank and fller plate. This appears to be at least 10mm diameter too large, and I can't reseat the filler.
Is it possible to shrink the 'o' ring back to its proper size?
Or do I buy a new one?

Cheers...

 

[Possu]

Why not just go to a hardware store or bearing stockist & buy the right size o-ring?

Failing that let me have the dimensions, I have an assortment of o-rings, I may have size you need.

Steve

 

[Steve]

Is it possible to shrink the 'o' ring back to its proper size?
Or do I buy a new one?

Cheers...

Leave it in a warm place overnight, and it should shrink back to it's normal size.

 

[Greg Masters]

Coincidentally, I replaced the fuel filter in my bike yesterday and came up across exactly the same problem.

The way I got around it was to lubricate the O-ring with WD40 so that it would slide more easily into its location slot. Then drop the inner of the filler cap in place an shimmy it round with some inward pressure until the O-ring has seated. Then bolt down the outer filler cap. QED.

Alternatively, cut a short section out of the O-ring with a Stanley knife and glue back together with super-glue.

Greg

 

[~Stef~]

Yip like Greg said, you can chop out a section and super glue it back together, but there not that expensive to buy.

~Stef~

 

[Chris G]

In my search for the pesky petrol smell my bike is inflicted with I've taken the filler out to check overflow hoses.
There is an 'o' ring between tank and fller plate. This appears to be at least 10mm diameter too large, and I can't reseat the filler.
Is it possible to shrink the 'o' ring back to its proper size?
Or do I buy a new one?

Cheers...

Ah.. wasn't life easy when you had the 650.!

the O ring is not a standard type, it is made out of a material called Viton - these are suitable for contact with aggressive fluids such as petrol. the standard O rings that you will get at the hardware shop will swell up even more than the viton type, but also they will loose their elasticity and fail [ie petrol leak] the standard o ring is about £3 from the stealers, or if you leave the o ring in a warm place for a couple of days it should shrink back [ but only if the o ring is less than a couple of years old [ while youre at the dealers get half a dozen O ring for the fuel line Quick releases to stick in your tol kit]

 

[Spout]

8 hours drying out, (whilst I ran an errand to London in the box), and a thin smear of vaseline and the 'o' ring slithered into its recess.

Wise words chaps. Thanks.

I had considered cutting a bit out of the ring but I was wondering whether petrol would dissolve super glue? Obviously not, that's one for the memory banks.

Chris, I already carry round spare quick release 'o' rings . I'll let you look in my goody bag sometime.

Couldn't find any disconnected hoses, loose clamps or anything obviously astray. I tightened all the clamps and vaselined the access 'o' ring, and after a short run (and 28 litre fill up) there isn't the usual pong of petrol. The leak has been 'cured' before , so I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks again.......

 

[BiG DoM]

Rather than warm O rings to shrink I have always put them in the fridge for a while - seems to have worked for me. Have also done the snip and super glue trick on a couple, also with success.