Fuel Tank Lock Ring Removal Tool
 

NAPA AUTO PARTS

Anyone know where I can pick up a tool similar to this in the GTA? Or is anyone willing to lend it to me? Canadian Tire, Princess Auto, and Napa in Mississauga does not carry it. Half my knuckles are bloody and I'm very frustrated as I won't be able to drive my car until next week or whenever the tool comes in (I haven't ordered it yet).

Hammer and flat head screw driver method? Usually requires 2 people though to avoid breaking tabs.

Another option may be to visit a Mazda dealer and ask to borrow one. Explain the situation, and see what happens. They will likely require a credit card number or something to that effect as a form of deposit incase you take off with their tool but its worth a shot. Each technician in the shop should have one.

I've tried hammering on it with a screw driver for a couple hours, ended up breaking 3 tabs. Was constantly spraying WD40 in the surrounding area, and into the little holes. I also bought a strap wrench hoping it would help, but it didn't.

Thanks for the idea, I'm going to try the Mazda dealer tomorrow, and if they decline, get a second person to help. If that all fails, I'm probably going to pay to get it done, rather than wait a week for the tool to arrive.

I have a tool that grabs 2 prongs (one on each side), It's so tight that it isnt strong enough. I tried several times but eventually one tab broke. IT really needs the 4 prong holder that's specified in the mazda service manual in my opinion. Some other people have had success with hammer and chisel, but I haven't.

Heres another tool I found:


The top commenter was kind enough to let us know he bought it for his RX8 and had success with it. I would rather buy a tool than pay someone to do it, but I don't want to be out of a car for the week. I guess the car would be okay for shorter drives, but I'd rather not risk my car dying on the highway again :/

For that cap... I think I have it posted in more detail someplace under "changing a freaking fuel pump at the track"

But,

Spray penetrating oil through the little holes (I used PB BLASTER).

Attache a set of vice grips to the sheet metal between the pump and the side of the car. This is your fulcrum. Take a tire iron (or the larges flat blade screwdriver you can find, set it against the visegrips, hold the visegrips in one hand, the screw driver or tire iron in the other, and apply steady pressure. Apply gently, let off, apply again. If someone can tap the cap regularly while you are applying pressure, even better. With this method, you will actually deform the ring and tank lip a tiny bit, that will let the oil get places is could not get before, and suddenly it will start moving. You do not need to exert enough force to break a tab, you will apply enough to shift the cap and tank a bit. Swearing helped a lot.

Good luck.

Thanks for the advice Steve, Footman and 04Green. I couldn't get the bastard off, so I ended up ordering the tool from MAC. It was a little awkward to use, but very sturdy and got the job done fairly easily.

The fuel pump may or may not have been okay, but the fuel sock was absolutely disgusting. Heres a couple pictures.

Before:

http://i44.tinypic.com/4qjypu.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/21o30qo.jpg

After:

http://i40.tinypic.com/2q823vp.jpg

^ think you need to find new gas stations to fill up at :)

What gas have you been using?

Also is your tool from MAC a dual prong or quad-prong?

I have the exact tool above LTI 940 and I could NOT get it to come out...

I almost always fill up at Shell, unless I'm desperate and need to fill up elsewhere. Also this is probably the first time its ever been cleaned after 185k km :/ No wonder I've been having issues.

I got the L63000 from MAC, and its dual prong. MacTool 2013 Catalog3

I didn't get the FP940 because it looked like it wasn't deep enough, and it looks like the middle of the fuel pump assembly might obstruct it. The L63000 however is a bit too tall, so I had some trouble at first. I tightened down one side, lined it up, and then hit the other side with a rubber mallet before tightening it to get it as close as possible. It kept slipping off, and I couldn't get enough leverage, so I used a long breaker bar, and held down the side that was popping up with my hand. After some struggling it finally started to move. The breaker bar helped ALOT, there was no way this thing was coming off without a proper tool. Hope this helps somewhat Footman :)

I'm having another issue now, lol... after I filled up, gas is bubbling out of the little holes, and coming out of the bottom of the ring facing the trunk. I tightened this thing down as hard as I possibly could, and I'm pretty sure I threaded it on properly. I really should've cleaned the ring before I put it back on, I was just too eager to get it back together and running. So I probably have to take it off again, blah...

Very odd that your fuel filter is so clogged. Have you been running premix regularly? If so, what brand of oil?

I've been running AMSOIL Interceptor as premix.

AMsoil INteceptor meets API TC only though, you need JASO FC/FD certification for low-ash content...

Try Amsoil Sabre Pro