Auger Gas Cap Tip

[protrapper]

Seems like I always am replacing the gas cap on my Strikemaster Auger. Well here is a tip I got. Instead of un-screwing the breather cap to let the air in. Which always ruins the small gasket, just lightly open the gas cap itself to let air in. And once you have done this once you will be good to go drill.

Those Caps for the Strikemasters need to be better made. I must go through 3 a year. I noticed on my buddy's new Jiffy they are alot more heavy duty.

Just my 10 cents. My 2 cents is free.

Good Fishin,

Trapper

[Azenmstr]

Hey protrapper, you should call Strikemaster. If I am not mistaken they redesigned their gas caps this year because they got a lot of complaints about them. I think they were selling them at the ice show.

A ZEN MASTER

[upnorth]

They want you to pay to replace a defective part? You'd think that to keep a good name they would at least give to you at a substantial discount.

[iffwalleyes]

It is tough to give a discount when the things only cost like 7 bucks. The old caps weren't defective anyhow. I had one of them on my Jiffy and after the first day the little rubber washer was gone so what all you have to do is tighten the breather screw tighter and it won't leak. I had mine like that for a couple years no big deal.

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Grip it and Rip it

IFFWalleyes
I Fish For Walleyes
iffwalleyes@yahoo.com

[clam up]

I checked out the new caps on their HSOforum. Looks like they want $12.95 for that thing. A little to much for me (but wait until it really starts leaking). I suppose it may be cheaper in a store somewhere.

[Chris Haley]

You don't need a torque wrench to tighten those breather caps. Just lightly tighten and they will last.

[Jarrod32]

I got one of the new gas caps for my Strikemaster...it is much better than the original gas cap. The old one would leak after the gasket was destroyed (which was inevitable). The new one appears to be much better...time will tell if it was worth the $ to 'upgrade'.

[92python]

Does anyone know of any stores that have the new caps?

[Twitter]

I used have the same problem when I used a strikemaster. Rather than replacing the entire gas cap I routinely changed the small rubber O-ring that always went bad.
Chris Haley's right........yu don't need to tighten them TOO TIGHT. Once the set screw makes contact with the rubber O-ring only finger tighten it and they'll last a lot longer and won't wear out. I found rubber O-rings at a local hardware store.

[Rick]

StrikeMasters gas caps were not defective.

Eskimo Augers came out with them standard on their augers and Strikemaster is trying to keep pace.

[woodman]

Glad about the post. I just broke my gasket on my Eskimo yesterday. I am heading into Bemidji to see if I can find the gasket instead of purchasing a new cap.

Great idea about loosening the cap and not the screw.

Woodman

[upnorth]

I'm sorry, I fail to see the difference between only being poorly designed and ruining washers, and being defective. I always figured if something didn't work as planned and was ruining other parts it would be defective. But as always that is only my opinion

[protrapper]

I totally agree upnorth. When I own 2 strikemaster augers at over 600 bucks. I think the gas cap should at least be a quality part. The thing bend, crack, leak, and dent so easy. Really bad when there on a snowmobile, atv, or in the back of my truck. When it don't last it's defective to me.

Good Fishin,

Trapper

[big_fish_guy]

the caps aren't defective, just poorly designed. I talked to a guy at the ice show from the strikemasters booth. Turns out he was an engineer or something there. Turns out, the newly design cap is basically the old one with a plastic outer shell. This is to try and prevent the vent screw part from breaking.(the problem I had with mine) Other then that, it's the same cap, look underneath, you'll see the same metal cap. I talked to the guy about a new design, we musta liked what I had to say… he sent me a new replacement cap for my auger.

[icehousebob]

The O ring on my Strikemaster broke about the second time out. I replaced it with a washer that I made out of rubber-coated fabric that we use as gasket material in our boiler room.[it helps being a boiler engineer] The things are indistructable. Once I set up, it took me about ten seconds to make one, so I punched out a whole bunch and hand them out when I'm on the lake. If you see a gray-bearded guy with an Eskimo Quickflip II in the western suburbs, who answers to the name of icehousebob, ask for a washer. I always carry a bunch in my tacklebox. I've been trying to figure a distribution system that wouldn't cost me a bunch of time or money, haven't figured it out yet.

[92python]

I have been through several caps on my old Lazer Mag. Those flimsy caps are always bending up on me then they leak unless the auger is always laying with the gas cap facing up. On my old Lazer, at least the thing stands upright with the cap facing up. The new Lazers have a different handle system and if you lay them down the way I do with the gas cap up, they will fall over. I tow my otter sled and all my gear behind an ATV and the caps only last a short time before they are bent and leaking again. I looked on the Strikemaster site and they want about 20 bucks for the new style cap including shipping.

With this tip about just loosening the cap a little to make it run well instead of loosening the valve, I am wondering if I shouldn't try finding another type of cap, preferrably something like you find on a plastic gas tank with no valve on the top, and just loosen the cap.

Has anyone tried this?

[protrapper]

I looked at the new caps on Strikemasters web site. They are $12.95 a piece. Over $20.00 with shipping. Shipping was $6.85. Now that is a ripoff. Plus I need a couple.Now where over $40.00. I haven't seen a store carry them yet either.. A little over priced I would say.

[luckyc]

Those gas caps are made by Tuecumsh and are available at most small engine dealers, so it's really not a strikemaster problem, but they are trying to get a solution to the problem. If you are unable to find them at your local small engine repair shop, you can get them at D-Rock Center in New Brighton, Mn, in the north metro. I have found that putting a cap with no vent for transporting my auger in the truck and on the 4wheeler and then putting on the vented cap at the lake works better and just lightly tighten when you lay it down.

[Guest]

if anybody is looking for the new Jiffy caps... Fleet Farm in Lakeville has 'em for $7.95. Didn't see any Strikemaster ones.

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-FNC

"get on the natch"

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Ok, I got a strikemaster laser mag, had it for many years and have never opened up the breather on the gas cap... Doesn't leak in any position.

It starts & runs fine everytime!

What am I missing...? Why all the issues...?

Thanks & good luck... Tim

[Schwanny]

I had the same problem with my gas cap. The rubber O-ring did not last, in fact it only lasted about 2 weeks after I bought the auger. A buddy of mine told me to cut a small piece of leather off an old tennis shoe and use this instead of the rubber. Two years later it is still on there and it does not leak.

[kslipsinker]

Gander Mountain has the new Strikemaster caps for $10.00.

[tomfromblaine]

ace hardware has the little o-rings that work great .39 each.

[Ed Carlson]

Keep in mind guys, not all O-Rings are chemical and/or fuel friendly.

Some will slowly disintegrate and cause you even more complications down the line. Be sure to ask if the O-Ring is rated for fuel use.

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson

Backwater Guiding
"ED on the RED"
backwtr1@msn.com
><,sUMo,>

[92python]

I bought a plastic vented 1 1/2 inch gas cap at the hardware store for $2.50. Seems to work fine. The vent is a small hole on the top of the cap. I turned the auger over for minute to try to make it leak but it didn't.

My problem was as much with the top vent that you un-screw getting bent up and leaking as it was the o-ring going bad.