Pet Peeve, Gas cans. Let's fix it!

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Kevin in Ohio

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If you are like me, I can not stand the new safety gas cans. From making it take 3 times longer than it should because you wait for the gurgle, to needing 3 hands to operate the safety valve, it gets old VERY fast. I can honestly say that I have spilled more with the safety equipped cans than I EVER did with the old ones. Typical government required irony once again. Address a problem and make it worse.

Here is a way to restore your sanity, save the environment and gain the time wasted holding a gas can for no good reason waiting for it to empty.

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Here is the culprit. This is a Briggs and Stratton branded can but others can be done in a similar manner.

The green safety is a pain to use. You have to twist and push down at the same time and it has to go.

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Take the threaded collar off first as you would if you were putting the filler neck into the can for transport.

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Then pull the 2 halves apart. You can push down and open the flapper valve and pry the keeper apart but it's easier to just pull. It is made with plastic pins that are tapered for a locking system on the shaft on the top part. I've done this on all the ones I have with no issues. After apart, slide the green collar off. You can cut it off with a knife too without taking apart but it is tough plastic. I've found pulling it apart is easier.

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Then just align it again and push in. It'll snap back into the locked position. Now we have a one hand closing valve. The valves can be handy and "can" save spilling. It just doesn't need the 3 hand feature when trying to hold a can.

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Now to fix the venting. First, make sure the can is empty and dry. You can stick an air hose in there and let it blow at a low pressure to insure that if you wish. I saw where some use a valve core but some of those won't hold up to fuel over time. They are also a little hard to install as you have to fish a wire through to pull it in. I've found these are WAY easier to use. You can get them from several Ebay suppliers and I'll attach a link to the style I got. Don't know the seller but $5.00 shipped to your door is fine by me!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-black-Fu...823172?hash=item417c82d4c4:g:OmAAAOxyVaBS9Q~e

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For these you need to drill a .500 inch hole. I'm using a drill press but a hand drill can also be used. One tip is to make sure you avoid drill in a seam or thicker area of the can. Notice I'm off to the side some here as the center is where it was joined to together. Being too thick or irregular in thickness can cause leak issues. Another tip is to make sure to hold down on the tank well. Once you break through, the can wants to walk up the drill and thread itself. Holding it down tight and going slow will prevent that. that is why I like the drill press. Going slow also will bring most all the shavings out and prevent them from going inside the can. Doing it the way I suggest will basically allow you to have no shavings to get out of the can. I do still blow some air through and look to make sure.

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This is what you are looking for. A nice clean hole with no burrs. If you have burrs, trim them out and try to prevent them from falling in.

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Close up with no clean up.
 
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The first couple of these I did I'd chamfer the hole. I have found though that is not needed. Just stick it in the hole and push down. Sometimes a flat plat of something will help but fingers work okay for me.

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Snapped on place and ready to go.

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With the cap on you can let it gurgle if you wish. I leave it open and slowly roll the can so it can pull air in with no spilling. It allows you to empty a can a lot faster and your not wasting time waiting on it while babysitting the can. More time to do something productive!

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All done and ready to use. After doing one you'll find it is really quick to do. takes less than 5 minutes when you get the routine down and as I said, I spill less, and less vapors to the atmosphere now than I did before which was "supposed" to be the goal.
 
I always take off the spouts, cover the hole in the thread-on cap with a piece of round plastic with a electrical tape gasket. Then I just use a funnel to pour. I only use 2 gallon cans for saw gas so the 5 gallon are always being poured into equipment tanks. I put a wood type lag screw into the can that is removed for venting. I never thought to look for replacement vent caps. Thanks
 
All the hardware stores around here, Ace, etc sell non-epa replacement flexible can spouts with extensions and caps, with two different replaceable threaded collars for the two major can mfg'rs, gaskets, and vent hole setup. I think I paid about $6 for each. I took my vent hole setup on a couple of new blue 5-gal kerosene cans to about .490 if I remember correctly with a piloted reamer, snapped the vent in, and ran a small bead of aircraft/fuel tank capable sealant around it. As far as all my 2.5-10 gal gas cans, (think I've got about 10 altogether) all are pre-epa so no worries with those.
 
All the hardware stores around here, Ace, etc sell non-epa replacement flexible can spouts with extensions and caps, with two different replaceable threaded collars for the two major can mfg'rs, gaskets, and vent hole setup. I think I paid about $6 for each. I took my vent hole setup on a couple of new blue 5-gal kerosene cans to about .490 if I remember correctly with a piloted reamer, snapped the vent in, and ran a small bead of aircraft/fuel tank capable sealant around it. As far as all my 2.5-10 gal gas cans, (think I've got about 10 altogether) are all pre-epa so no worries with those.


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Like this? Doesn't work on most of mine.

I tried to find replacement spouts for some of my old ones and none of them fit. I have more than 3 different thread sizes on the different ones I have. I asked at the local farm store if they had somewhere to order from and the kid said "most people" just buy the whole new can as it's cheaper. With the tone of saying I was an idiot for not doing that. Funny how they want to save the environment by keeping landfills full of stuff you can't get replacement parts for when you're willing to keep using it.
 
I use the flexible replacement spouts also. I also use a tire valve as the vent. Just have to fish it thru the can with a piece of wire then attach a valve tool on the tire valve pull it thru the 1/2" hole drilled for the vent hole.

Works great.

There's a youtube video showing how to do this

 
I use a tire valve as the vent. Just have to fish it thru the can with a piece of wire then attach a valve tool on the tire valve pull it thru the 1/2" hole drilled for the vent hole.

Works great.

There's a youtube video showing how to do this



How well does the rubber hold up to fuel? I think I'll pass as .50 each and ease of install is worth it to me. Plus they don't stick up.
 
How well does the rubber hold up to fuel? I think I'll pass as .50 each and ease of install is worth it to me. Plus they don't stick up.

Ive only had them in about 8 months but so far so good. It wasnt hard at all really to install them. Yes the do stick out but not above the handle much so thats not an issue for me. I could never stop the plastic ones that come in the kit to stop leaking so the ruuber valves work much better in that respect.
 
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Like this? Doesn't work on most of mine.

I tried to find replacement spouts for some of my old ones and none of them fit. I have more than 3 different thread sizes on the different ones I have. I asked at the local farm store if they had somewhere to order from and the kid said "most people" just buy the whole new can as it's cheaper. With the tone of saying I was an idiot for not doing that. Funny how they want to save the environment by keeping landfills full of stuff you can't get replacement parts for when you're willing to keep using it.
Not quite like the replacement kits here Kevin. I'll get a pic of the bags they came in after work today with mfg'rs name and all. I saved the bags in the shop because they had the other parts, etc in them that were not needed for my specific brand kerosene cans in case someone else could use them.
 
I've posted it before but jump on the bay and look up vp racing cans. For the same money you get a better can all the way around. No safety features and a huge fill and pour hole/spout.
 
@Kevin in Ohio...here's a pic of the replacement spout kit. Made by EZ-POUR. This one is the HI-FLO Replacement Spout and Vent Kit. The yellow threaded cap pictured on the 5-gal kerosene can fits Midwest, Blitz, and Wedco cans. The black threaded cap to the left of the can is used with the 8" flexible spout for Rubbermaid, Gott and Essence, and Briggs cans. Beside the black threaded cap is an 8" flex extension that threads onto the existing flex, then the yellow end cap can be tethered to it if you need the extension. Both the 8" flex and the extension have 7/8" pour openings. I think I paid $6 or so apiece for them a couple of winters ago IIRC. One thing I did do when I installed the vent on the rear top, I moved the piloted/reamed hole 1" to the right of the jug seam for a better flush contact fit. I reamed the hole to .490 if I'm not mistaken and popped it in/sealed it at the very bottom with a light bead of sealant...probably didn't need the bead of sealant to be honest with you, since I slightly undersized the hole.

Hope this helps ya. If you can use these but can't find them, shoot me a PM, I'll pick them up locally and can send them to ya.
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You can't beat these. I've used all the rest - long spout, short spout, vented, unvented, flexible, and a lot of the new crappy anti-spill garbage that has come out the last 15 years, not to mention the old metal cans and the military-style ones with the metal spouts. These are simply the absolute best. I have a few of each size, plus enough other old cans (converted as the videos show) to store about 60 gallons.
 
God I hate the new cans. My girlfriend bought 3 so she could take advantage of some free fuel at a grocery store she had earned. Tried to fuel up her car with the no bass akwards no spill spouts and spilled more gas than I have in the last 20 years. Bloody bureaucrats and stupid laws.


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