Gas Cans

[Edbrazil]

I'm sure a lot of skiers use gas cans to haul fuel. A few of the lucky ones have gas tanks/pumps/etc.

Anyway, have you purchased a gas can lately?

I recently did; just a 2-gallon one for other things. But, with 1 1/2 Engineering degrees, I couldn't figure

out how to make the damn thing work. Some kind of fancy-looking nozzle with a spring in it. Had to go

back to the store to ask questions.

Turns out, you've got to "retract the foreskin" to make it work. And, that takes a good bit of force. What

a pain in the ass. Had to be designed by a committee going overboard on safety concerns or whatever.

And, it still doesn't work that well, like putting a bit of gas into your auto when you're nearly running dry.

Anybody out there bought one of these? Maybe the 5-gallon cans don't have that annoying feature.

[Horton]

the standard cans we can buy in California as totally useless. You simply can not pour out of them. We use siphon hoses or some guys get the motorcycle racing cans that are way better but a bit expensive.

[Wish]

Restrictions for new cans come from the EPA. ALL cans have them. Must be spill proof (hahahahaha!!), child safety equipped (how the hell do you get gas out?) and evaporation proof. They cost almost double what they used to and you end up spilling way more then it was ever designed to. Thank you EPA for another brilliant idea for the sake of our planet...idiots!!

[oldjeep]

You can get a second type that has a thumb trigger, works better than the type you described. Or you just buy the old style spouts on the internet.

[Wish]

At your own risk... but I would do this in a heart beat if I ever have to buy a new one.

.

[Wish]

Or:

 

Kit:ebay.com/itm/like/272070805442?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

[dchristman]

A shaker siphon is the way to go.

[Edbrazil]

If the EPA can screw up something so simple, what else are they doing to waste our

time and money? Thanks to @wish for the how-to video; will do that.

[fu_man]

@dchristman We have another inapprpriate name for it but I agree. Seems like I still spill some even with that.

[gregy]

That's funny Ed. I'm mechanical engineer and make a living figuring things out and fixing them. First time I got a hold of one of those can I broke it trying to use it. I felt pretty stupid at the time, maybe it wasn't justified.

[Broussard]

 

Here's a video showing you how to fix the older style gas can.

[Horton]

@Broussard for youtube you can just past the link. the site will convert it for you

[Waternut]

I modified all my cans years ago but then just bought some regular caps off ebay for a couple bucks. Now I use the jiggler hose (siphon). Those trigger spouts work really well for small things like weed eaters and blowers but that's about it.

 

The most interesting fact is the increasing number of people who have started using water cans for gas because they're basically the same as old gas cans with no restriction pouring and vent caps. Congratulations, you've engineered so much safety into something that you've forced people to do things more dangerously.

[oldjeep]

Jiggler for anything I'd empty a whole can into.

I think the trigger spouts are find for my mower and snowblower because of the quick shutoff, but for anything like my chainsaw and weedwacker where you can easily see the fuel level it is so much easier to just use an old style spout.

 

Had a couple spouts like ED posted at the lake place for snowmobiles and I threw them away because even after you just cut the ends off of them they pour slowly.

[BCM]

I use a fuel can similar to these. I picked them up at the local logging supply store. Most motorcycle shops sell them as well. They are a little pricey, but I am still using one that I purchased in 2002 as a motorcycle can. It has traveled over 20,000 miles in the pack of a pickup. Still works great. Finally replaced the fill hose last summer. They are super easy to secure for transport and if you put a ball valve in the hose it is really easy to stop flow when necessary.

 

My 47 Ford tractor has a fuel tank above the electrical components. I filled with one of the new red cans once, scared to death it was going to light on fire.

 

@oldjeep - I use these for my chainsaw and weed whacker. Much easier to pack into the brush. I keep one with fuel, one with bar oil, tied together with P-chord.

[Edbrazil]

Just tried the method in the How-To video. Simple to do, and it works. Yup, doesn't

pour all that fast, but good enough for me. Vise clamps down on the red part, but

should be just enough to keep it from sliding back, not to deform it. When you finish

cutting, and release the vise, the spring sproooings and sends things across the room,

so watch it.

[Than_Bogan]

Sooo reminiscent of the mandatory child-proof caps on arthritis medication. Guess what -- somebody with arthritis can't open those, so they leave the cap off entirely. Suddenly any toddler can chug them. Very dangerous situation created in the name of forcing safety!

 

But they did eventually fix that. Perhaps someday we'll return to gas cans that can actually be used to poor gas, instead of having to remove the nozzle entirely!

[oldjeep]

@BCM - 30oz of fuel for a chainsaw? How many of those do you carry? In a trail day I burn through a 2.5 gallon in my little 20" saw.

[John Brooks]

@Edbrazil I bought the EZ Pour Hi Flo spouts both online and in a couple of stores, which include a vent (drilled 1/2" hole on the cans with no vent in order to adapt). I've put these on 4 or 5 cans and they work well, don't spill and pour quick, I can empty a 5 gallon can in about 25 or 30 seconds with no spills.

[BCM]

@oldjeep - I may pack a few. I may also stage a can nearby. I don't like having a leaky plastic tank around. The MSR bottles seal tight and pour clean and you can leave them in your pack while you work. I also use them as a backup fuel source on my dirt bike.

[Edbrazil]

In a related post, I've seen people who fasten a large-large funnel to a post at their dock,

& hook it up with a few feet of flexible clear tubing at the exit end. Can doesn't need a

pour spout, and if the tubing is inserted into the boat's gas tank entry, it goes quickly and

spill-free. Don't think I've ever seen a fill directly from a gas can the 'normal' way without

some spillage, however minor. Especially for boats with the gas tank cap located on a

slant.

[baja]

I use Eagle Gas Cans. They are metal and cannot leak or tip over so no fumes. Pry out the brass mesh spark arrestor so you can use a 3/4 inch jiggler siphon hose and you've got 5 gallons in the tank in about a minute. Lowes carries them in So Cal for about $45 but Amazon has them for $35. About 15 bucks more than the crappy ones that leak. Mine's 5 years old and gets carried in the back of an SUV 3 times a week and never any fumes. Worth it.

 

 

[bogboy]

@Edbrazil, this has worked for me. Hope this helps.

 

[Waternut]

The guy at the ski lake I go to does something like @bogboy except he used 3" pvc about 4 feet long so we almost empty the 5 gallon can before it fills up. I've debated one of those myself but realistically, I'd have to lower the boat into the water for this to work at my dock and I don't want to do that plus it's no faster than my jiggler hose.

[Edbrazil]

Those one-way jigglers are neat things. Got one when in NH when I needed to add some

kero to my outside fuel tank when I was nearly running dry and didn't have the buck$ to

pay the oil company for a fill. Heard that they also have been called a "Georgia credit

card", as in a device to steal gas from someone else's car.

[6balls]

Google VP racing fuel containers. Vented, 6 gallons, screened, pour fast. I've got two of them.

[Kelvin]

Funny, the place around here that sells the VP racing cans has a large sign on the display "Not for fuel". I guess its a liability thing. I have 4 of them and along with the large PVC Gas bong, I get along fine.

[lpskier]

VP jugs are for racing fuel only. Fortunately, slalom skiing is close enough to racing for me. H2OProShop.com has them in stock.

[lpskier]

If you already have cans and don't want to toss them out, get one of these:

 

http://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200639248_200639248?hotline=false

 

 

[Marco]

We use something similar to this. Ours is a Gas Caddy and holds 11 gallons. It works good for us. We have a 500 gallon tank about 500' from the dock, and we just put this in the back of our 6x6 and zip over and fill it up. If you are traveling farther to get gas, you would need a pick up to haul it with. The upside is you don't have to hold a heavy gas can while fueling, as this one gravity feeds while sitting on the dock (boat must be down in the water). Downside is it is a little heavy to get out of the vehicle when full, but really not that big of a deal.

 

[swc5150]

We have a gas caddy for the boat as well, and it works awesome. For my leaf and snow blower, we have the double-dumb@$$ spring design. Try to apply enough pressure to the spring when filling a leaf blower sucks.

[dchristman]

@lpskier have you actually used one of those 1" diameter siphons? From what I read unleaded fuel nozzles should be no bigger than .85".... bigger would certainly be better if it works!

[SM]

It probably takes a minute using this size hose. Unfortunately newer boats can't take them.

 

[6balls]

The VP jugs are only for racing fuel? That's why they can get away with being vented. They won't explode or anything if you put standard fuel in them and dump them in your boat. Works great.

I do use a jiggler with them, however, when I want 100LL in the airplane wing without making a mess.

[m_pags]

The VP 7.5 Gallon jugs (fluid transfer system) with the Flo Fast pump and cart works great for me. The pump works in both directions and will empty one jug in about a minute. The cart is also nice since I park about 300' from the end of my dock. It is alittle tough to get the full jugs into the cart but saves my back from carring them.

 

[lpskier]

The "big" juggler works great in the 04 MC and 12 Centurian we use at LaPoint's and current year 200's. I believe it will work in current year Malibus. On my 07 196, I neck down the hose with a PVC pipe fitting to sneak by the "restrictor thingy" in the filler, used I presume to ensure I don't put deissel in my boat or some such nonsense.

[GAJ0004]

I have a mid size sedan, so I can only carry 5or6 5 gallon cans. I use a jiggler pump. I am able to siphon two cans into my boat at the same time.

[Brewski]

I use VP They ROCK~! http://www.vpracingfuels.com/containers.

[adkh2oskier]

@6balls & @lpskier Have been using 3 VP jugs for 20 yrs, local ATV repair shop sells them, they work great.

[Jdubs]

Visit your local dirt bike shop. Those guys somehow cornered the market on gas cans that don't suck. However, expect to pay a premium, but I can tell you have had mine for about 12 years and they still run strong.

 

[lpskier]

I mentioned it before: H2OProShop.com will deliver your new VP racing fuel jug to your door. Contact Darrin and support a BOS sponsor.

[robscholl-OF]

You can order right from VP. I have 6 of them, love them. OF

[Horton]

@robscholl-OF :(

 

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