For the love of simple gas cans...

[begreen]

EEEkkk! You ain't kidding.

Now you see why I had to work really hard at keeping a chit-eating grin off my face when I picked it up for $5. Also got a large Weber with accessories for $20. Looked like it had been used about 2-3 times.

 

[Ashful]

WOW you would NOT be able to fill that can around here if they saw you! Blue is for Kerosene. All my cans look like that or even older. Still have a couple round red ones.

That's the regulation here, as well, but I've never seen anyone enforce it. Usually, when I'm filling my red can with diesel or kero, there's three guys waiting in line behind me to fill their red cans with the same. Only difference is that my can works, and theirs are POS lightweight cans with CARB nozzles.

I did buy a blue can to replace the red a few months ago (the instigation for this thread), but it had a compliant nozzle, and I couldn't pour it onto brush or into my jet heater without getting kero all over my hands. That's when I switched back to the old red can.

 

[nate379]

I'm not sure what can you are referring to, but I've never been hassled with filling up whatever can at the pumps. I have used old windshield wash jugs for gas when all my cans had diesel or race gas in them.

WOW you would NOT be able to fill that can around here if they saw you! Blue is for Kerosene. All my cans look like that or even older. Still have a couple round red ones.

 

[Thistle]

Agreed, try emptying a full 5 gallon container into the vertical side gas filler on a car or truck. Take my word, it's a gigantic, tiring, PITA with the new spouts. I have a 70's vintage, metal Eagle gas can that I scrounge parts for because it just works. And lucky me I just got one of these 5 gal cans last weekend at a yard sale for $5, barely used and not a scratch on it.

View attachment 72731

Every contractor I've worked for in 25+ yrs has used those cans,practically indestructible. & well worth the investment. 1 1/4 or 2 gallons for mixed gas for cut off saws/chain saws, 5 gallon for straight gas for most everything else,yellow 5 gallon cans for diesel for most skidsteer loaders & other heavy equipment.

 

[velvetfoot]

I got 5 Eagle cans from the local hardware store, which doesn't sell them anymore. The model that I have doesn't have the flexible spout but a funnel that fits over the spout. It also is handy when filling the tank.

 

[Danno77]

I'm not sure what can you are referring to, but I've never been hassled with filling up whatever can at the pumps. I have used old windshield wash jugs for gas when all my cans had diesel or race gas in them.

I thought it was federal, but maybe it's state laws. Most pumps have a "unlawful to dispense fuel into unapproved containers" sign posted on or near them,

 

[onetracker]

as has been said here already, the poorly designed or over-engineered gas cans i've bought in the last few years frustrate me to no end. i do have a couple of old ones as in joful's first photo. they work fine to fill the lawn tractor but harder to control when filling a saw..

i do love the 'no-spill' nozzle. i'll be picking up another 1 or 2 of them and throwing out the other pieces of crap. you wouldn't think that it's difficult to design a gas can that works.

 

[nate379]

Probably, but it's hard to read that stuff when pumping gas at the same time that I'm on the cell phone and have a smoke in my mouth. Can only do SO many things at once and and all.

I thought it was federal, but maybe it's state laws. Most pumps have a "unlawful to dispense fuel into unapproved containers" sign posted on or near them,

The one I use for my saw is a 1.5 gal I think and it has a hard spout and a vent. I lost the cap to the spout some years back so I just whittled down a stick to shove in there.

 

[MasterMech]

Wanna get mad at the new style cans? Try pouring 15 or 20 gallons of fuel into boat tanks. 30 minutes of listening to the tinkle of fuel being poured only to hear it stop to take another breath?

And the no spills - I think they are good cans, but they are designed wrong to get to the boat tanks that are below deck level. I just want my old, vented, pour spout cans back. I spill FAR more fuel NOW than I ever did with the old design. I am back to a big funnel and screwing the lids off.

Now Jagsy, I know you can handle this mod....

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[firefighterjake]

. . . . I lost the cap to the spout some years back so I just whittled down a stick to shove in there.

Must be a "Maine" thing . . . (I know, I know . . . technically you're an Alaskan now . . . but you grew up in The County) . . . I have one gas can that is also missing it's spout . . . but I found a piece of plastic that fit perfectly . . . I did cap the end by melting it (not while in the gas can) and folding the end over.

 

[firefighterjake]

I thought it was federal, but maybe it's state laws. Most pumps have a "unlawful to dispense fuel into unapproved containers" sign posted on or near them,

They have those same signs here . . . but I have yet to see any one enforcing those laws. I often fill up my chainsaw gas into an old an old 1-gallon windshield washer fluid jug.

 

[Ashful]

Now Jagsy, I know you can handle this mod....

"If you don't know what bailing wire is, you prolly don't need to be doin' this."

Great video!

I'm guessing you saw this one too?

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[Jags]

Now Jagsy, I know you can handle this mod....

Gonna haveta be moddin' me some gas cans.

 

[Danno77]

I've been using a small laundry detergent bottle for the B&C oil. I wonder if I could use a slightly bigger one (not the really big ones) for gas?

I had been using an aluminum can that had premix in it from the store (mine says 40:1) so it came prelabeled for me! Only problem is that on a long day it's not enough fuel!

 

[nate379]

I probably would have just bought a new can if they still sold the GOOD cans from "back in the day". I'd rather whittle a stick and make due vs dealing with those EPA cans that pour gas everywhere but in the fuel tank!

Must be a "Maine" thing . . . (I know, I know . . . technically you're an Alaskan now . . . but you grew up in The County) . . . I have one gas can that is also missing it's spout . . . but I found a piece of plastic that fit perfectly . . . I did cap the end by melting it (not while in the gas can) and folding the end over.

 

[ROVERT]

"If you don't know what bailing wire is, you prolly don't need to be doin' this."

Great video!

I'm guessing you saw this one too?

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I'm not sure about having to sneak around with the metal cans at the pumps. I'm pretty sure the signs read something like, "It is illegal to dispense fuel into any container that is not metal OR approved by the fire marshal."... in PA at least.

I also don't believe that color coding is a fed law. It may vary by state. If there's any law about it here in PA, I've certainly never seen it enforced or posted at the pumps.

 

[Jags]

Tire valve stems - purchased.

 

[adjuster11]

After spilling a half gallon of gas on my first attempt with a newfangled spout, we did a little research and found these. Website is ezpourspout dot com - eliminate the spaces. I bought a half dozen, I think they ran roughly $11 bucks a pop.

My problem wasn't with the can's, it was with the spouts, and the ones I had required 3 hands. One to hold 5 gallons of gas, one to hold the nozzle open/closed, and one to guide the spout into whatever you were fueling.

The one I've tried leaked just a bit, I tightened it hand tight, no leaks, but it's not nearly as bullet proof as the old Gott gas cans were, before the junk that Blitz now puts out.

Your mileage may vary. Mfr openly admits they may be outlawed eventually if too many people buy them from California, etc.

I can tell you I spilled WAY MORE fuel with the newfangled ones, than the old spouts. I don't own any of the company, they are in Missouri, but I wish I did.

 

[Jags]

I bought a half dozen, I think they ran roughly $11 bucks a pop.

Replacing the pour spout is good but only 50% of the solution. The new style cans don't have a vent, so you are gonna get "glug,glug,glug".

Mastermechs post with the video can fix that.
Executive summary: 1/2" drill bit, replacement valve stem, yank needle valve out and then pull the valve stem through the 1/2" hole you drilled in the can (at the typical position of a vent)

 

[adjuster11]

It comes with a nipple and a cap for the backside/top of the jug. I didn't install it on mine. Looks like probably a half inch drill bit, then a little cap for it. Not so sure it's "spillproof" when they go sliding around in the back of your F150 though.

Replacing the pour spout is good but only 50% of the solution. The new style cans don't have a vent, so you are gonna get "glug,glug,glug".

Mastermechs post with the video can fix that.
Executive summary: 1/2" drill bit, replacement valve stem, yank needle valve out and then pull the valve stem through the 1/2" hole you drilled in the can (at the typical position of a vent)

 

[Jags]

Tear one of them suckers open. I wanna see the pieces. (pretty please?? )

 

[adjuster11]

Here you go. Far as I can tell, the two yellow caps are the same. The black, and yellow collar look the same but they may have a little different thread/pitch. The little drill in cap, just snaps into it self, but I never put it in. I just let her glug.

 

[Jags]

Thanks for the pic. Very interdasted.

 

[nate379]

What I did on my cans that didn't have a vent is just screwed in a good sized self tapping screw, maybe 3/16" or so in size. Run it in and out a few times with the drill and it'll be easy enough to take out with your fingers after.

 

[KarlP]

When the US went to the 1.6 gallon flush standard, the technology wasn't there yet. Northern US homeowners got fed up and bought their toilets in Canada. The technology eventually caught up and you can now buy 1.6 gallon flush toilets that don't need two flushes and a plunger with a 1.6 gallon toilet.

Scepter makes some nice gas cans up in Canada. Almost as nice as those mid-90s Chilton cans. You can also buy spouts/vents that will replace many of the US legal cans from there.