Old gas cans...am I going to kill myself?

[bargainhuntingking]

I just filled up these 3 old cans. They don’t have the modern vented spout that leaks all over the place. I got an EZ pour spout for one, and I put fresh gaskets on the two Gerry cans. The gerry cans don’t leak, and are unvented. Is there any problem storing this set up in the garage? Will I burn my house down?

I like the old Gerry cans and have 3 more that I’m planning to de-rust, clean up and use. Pros/ cons using them and traveling with them? I plan to get EZ pour spouts for them too. Is this a bad idea?

 

[malibu101]

Just saying what I hope you already know----
Carrying flammable liquid inside of a vehicle is not the best idea. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Storage-
Obviously don't wan't liquid leaks. If fumes are released- light distillates are evaporating from the fuel.
I like when I hear a metal can expanding/contracting on temperature, it's sealed well.

On traveling at all-I would secure them somehow. A quick maneuver could cause a bad, flammable mess.

 

[DanarchyCustoms]

I bought a 5 gal gas can at WM last year and the thing isn't vented. The stupid thing expands and contracts with the weather so sometimes you don't get 5 gallons in it (it creates a vacuum and then it holds that shape in the winter time) or it looks like a fat kid on cake in the summer. The modern flow valve isn't so bad after you take all the ******** off of it.

My personal favorite for gas cans are these. I carry the 1 Gallons around for my chainsaw, super convenient to fill anything.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...VCY7ICh2jfQHGEAQYASABEgJh8fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[mike93lx]

I bought a 5 gal gas can at WM last year and the thing isn't vented. The stupid thing expands and contracts with the weather so sometimes you don't get 5 gallons in it (it creates a vacuum and then it holds that shape in the winter time) or it looks like a fat kid on cake in the summer. The modern flow valve isn't so bad after you take all the ******** off of it.

My personal favorite for gas cans are these. I carry the 1 Gallons around for my chainsaw, super convenient to fill anything.

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...VCY7ICh2jfQHGEAQYASABEgJh8fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Gas cans should be sealed. The vent is only for pouring

 

[Kaizen]

Don’t think I’d chance it in the garage. Maybe a shed with no ignition sources. Gas in a sealed container in 95 degree heat makes a lot of pressure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LeeG]

I have 6 Jerry cans just like that. I store them for 6 months at a time, in an well sealed, but unconditioned shed in Arizona. It gets to over 120 in there in the summer. Never had the slightest smell of gas.

 

[nadogail]

I would rather carry dynamite than a full can of gas, but we have to go with what we are given to work with. Give me strong metal cans well restrained and a careful driver.

 

[Marctrees]

Leave headspace for air volume to better allow for hot expansion / cold contraction.

Marc

 

[SGKent]

generally most fire marshals only want to see a max of 5 gallons stored in a garage except in a car. Do you have a storage shed away from the house you can put them in? Be sure to add some Stabil if you will be storing them for an extended period.

 

[mike93lx]

I never keep any gas in my garage besides what is in my car.

All gas is in a shed, no exceptions

 

[CarmelitaYoung]

I bought a 3 gal gas can at WM last year and the thing isn't vented.

 

[jeep63]

I have two metal jerry cans like that and have used them for over 20 years. I found plastic spout adapters for pouring that work great. store them in my shed most times.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[mike93lx]

I bought a 3 gal gas can at WM last year and the thing isn't vented.

No new cans are. Venting is done in the spout while pouring

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I keep a couple plastic cans in the garage and usually a 1 gallon can for the chainsaw under the tonneau cover of my truck. They all seem pretty well sealed as the one in the truck can get bloated then shrink due to a wider temperature swing. In the garage I can smell if something's fuming and in addition to the cans, there's also a push mower, riding mower, go-kart, edger, weedeater, pressure washer and a few chainsaws (no room for cars) so any one of them could be stinking up the place. My only concern is the combustible air intake for the NG tankless waterheater is in the garage. That guarantees at least an occasional air change but if saturated with fumes could make the exhaust out the side of the house look like a Saturn 5 first stage booster.

 

[Jakemedic]

And who says the government can’t screw up anything? Those new gas cans are horrible! If I can find an old metal one at a garage sale that is clean, I’m buying it. I will take my chances without all the new safety features.

 

[mike93lx]

And who says the government can’t screw up anything? Those new gas cans are horrible! If I can find an old metal one at a garage sale that is clean, I’m buying it. I will take my chances without all the new safety features.

If you don't like the new nozzles, you can easily replace them with new spouts and add a vent. It's how all of my cans are setup

 

[CraigStu]

I recently realized I had one of these I wasn't using.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/contico-pro-tuff-bin
So put it outside behind the garage and two 5 gal plastic cans fit it fine. Hopefully I will get a shed built this summer so they can go there.

 

[johninct]

Don't overfill and you should be fine.

 

[jeep63]

If you don't like the new nozzles, you can easily replace them with new spouts and add a vent. It's how all of my cans are setup

Yep, I purposely do not buy new gas cans because of this. I keep all my old "cans" . I mostly use the metal gerry cans to purchase and transport fuel. the EZ Spouts are great for these and work perfectly as long as you do not over tighten the plastic threads.

 

[Falcon67]

I buy new 5 gallon plastic cans then put in a tire valve + cap for the vent and use the EZ Pour spout. I store as much as 20 gallons at a time. They get a little rotund with the heat in the shed, but no problems.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

I ordered caps and spouts from eBay sellers. Caps seal off the can, spouts are the old style.
Store in an old shed I have that has lots of ventilation and gravel "floor".

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

 

[mike93lx]

I buy new 5 gallon plastic cans then put in a tire valve + cap for the vent and use the EZ Pour spout. I store as much as 20 gallons at a time. They get a little rotund with the heat in the shed, but no problems.

Curious, why tire valves instead of the ez pour vents?

 

[Lassen Forge]

I had the US style jeep cans, but they developed leaks at the seams, so I went to plastic cans, which leaked at the spout and vent and eventually acted like it was contaminating gas, so I went to the old school "german jerry" cans... so far those have held up the best, tho the ones from China like to rust at the handle...

Guess they saved the good leaded paint for toys...

 

[bargainhuntingking]

Good reassuring posts from you all! Thank you!



I'm not planning to transport them in my car like that, that was just for a brief fill up at my local gas station a few blocks away. If I'm road-tripping and absolutely need to transport one, I'll mount one outside, Jeep style. In fact, I should get an old beater Jeep just to show off the patina of the Jerry Cans. For some reason, I thought they were spelled "GERry" as in GERman.



I live in the PacNW so temp fluctuations aren't extreme, and the fact that folks in Arizona are storing cans in their sheds in 120F heat with no problem is re-assuring.



I totally get NOT storing gas in the garage (my house is above the garage), thus risk isn't trivial. I really should make an outbuilding away from my main structure for storing flammables.

There is something re-assuring about having a supply of extra gas on hand, as risky as it in practice. I'll rotate through it as needed so it doesn't destabilize.

 

[rburke65]

Just saying what I hope you already know----
Carrying flammable liquid inside of a vehicle is not the best idea. But you gotta do what you gotta do.

Storage-
Obviously don't wan't liquid leaks. If fumes are released- light distillates are evaporating from the fuel.
I like when I hear a metal can expanding/contracting on temperature, it's sealed well.

On traveling at all-I would secure them somehow. A quick maneuver could cause a bad, flammable mess.

So how do you get your gas home?

 

[mike93lx]

So how do you get your gas home?

I use a hitch mount carrier or my trailer

 

[pmiranda]

For some reason, I thought they were spelled "GERry" as in GERman.

Some people spell their name Gerry. In any case "Gerry" and "Jerry" were used to refer to Germans in WWII, so it's all good

 

[rlwhitetr3b]

I use a hitch mount carrier or my trailer

There isn't a perfect solution...

I hope you do not get rear ended with it on the hitch mount carrier.

 

[pmiranda]

It's gasoline, not nitroglycerin

 

[mike93lx]

There isn't a perfect solution...

I hope you do not get rear ended with it on the hitch mount carrier.

Me too. I also hope that I don't get struck by lightning.

 

[John in OH]

If you don't like the new nozzles, you can easily replace them with new spouts and add a vent. It's how all of my cans are setup

Yeah, that's what I've also done to all my gas cans. I despise the new "environmentally" correct cans. It's pretty obvious the folks that designed these new cans never had to use them. Might be OK to fill a half-gallon lawn mower tank, but trying to fill a 35 gal tractor tank 7 feet off the ground is a real pain.

You can buy new "simple" spouts and small vents to add to any plastic gas can. Never tried it on metal cans. Biggest problem is finding new spouts that will fit properly on the retrofitted cans .... threads often don't match or gaskets don't seal properly.

Another route is to buy the "old" style cans whenever you can find them at yard sales.

 

[Showkey]

This is the GJ..........so most have multiple cars, motorcycles, tractors, mowers, chain saws, weed wackers , rototiller, snowblowers, generators, ATV, snowmobiles, RVs and storage cans of gas, oil, thinners, acetone and propane .......so that might mean there could easily be 100 gallons of gas in the “shop”.

Oh.....live in storm area they might have 15-25 gallons of generator gas along with the normal shop gas.

 

[malibu101]

So how do you get your gas home?

I am lucky enough to have a pickup truck and I strap down the load. Carrying inside the passenger compartment is not the best, but when it's all you got just do it wisely.

I also sometimes pickup welding gases and acetylene too.

 

[brownbagg]

the can was design to be gas cans, so unless they have not been modified or damage, they are fine, remember the people put alot of thought into designing those cans, and are properly smarter than some of us.

they are fine

 

[bargainhuntingking]

You can buy new "simple" spouts and small vents to add to any plastic gas can. Never tried it on metal cans. Biggest problem is finding new spouts that will fit properly on the retrofitted cans .... threads often don't match or gaskets don't seal properly.

Another route is to buy the "old" style cans whenever you can find them at yard sales.

I’ve found that EZ Pour has a variety of spouts and adapters that have worked fine with no leaks on my old metal cans (like the ones pictured in the first post). They always include decent gaskets as well, which can be a weak point with some spouts/caps.

I find it hard to resist buying the old metal cans for $3-5 at the Restore, etc. They are more durable, heavier duty, have that old school look, etc.

 

[jam0o0]

NATO cans are what i like. they have spouts that work available. no threads to leak. replaceable gaskets. vent built into the can when pouring. steel tank. they are pricey but i refuse to buy the new 'better' cans that are slow and leak and fall over when they are full. in hurricane areas i like to keep 50 gallons of gas and diesel available during the season. in the winter i just fill the cars and trucks from those cans to rotate it.

 

[Busted Knucles]

the can was design to be gas cans, so unless they have not been modified or damage, they are fine, remember the people put alot of thought into designing those cans, and are properly smarter than some of us.

they are fine

The team of engineers who designed them did a great job.
They only forgot the final design step.
Get a hacksaw, cut the tube in half, remove the guts and add a hose and vent.

 

[mike93lx]

the can was design to be gas cans, so unless they have not been modified or damage, they are fine, remember the people put alot of thought into designing those cans, and are properly smarter than some of us.

they are fine

God forbid we offend the engineers that dedicated their time and energy to improve gas cans.

If only that was the truth and it wasn't just about meeting government regulations instead of making a good product

 

[Sevenhills1952]

We have a few of these from Summit or Jegs when we drag raced. They're not expensive, don't leak and with a big funnel fill a mower or tractor in 2 minutes.

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

 

[fourjeepin]

NATO cans are what i like. they have spouts that work available. no threads to leak. replaceable gaskets. vent built into the can when pouring. steel tank. they are pricey but i refuse to buy the new 'better' cans that are slow and leak and fall over when they are full. in hurricane areas i like to keep 50 gallons of gas and diesel available during the season. in the winter i just fill the cars and trucks from those cans to rotate it.

+1. I was in a off-road competition 20 years ago that required us to bring fuel for the entire event and ended up with several NATO cans and one of the round Gerry cans. After the event, I trashed the Gerry can due to constant leaks. I still have the NATO cans. They shrink and swell a bit due to heat and or pressure but you can store them on their sides. They will not leak.