watch out for these used steel jerry cans...

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e9999

e9999

Gotta get out there...
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I have quite a few jerry cans at home, some plastic, some the steel NATO ones. I just love the latter. One of those timeless designs like the Mauser action... Well, anyway, they are great. Not a drop leaking, no smell, very sturdy, doesn't get any better than that. I got several from a surplus store (through one great guy here.) These were used. What they do is they spray the outside some and coat the inside with some paint, to make them look good but you can tell they were used.

Well, what I do with the cans is I rotate the gas so it doesn't get too old. As a matter of routine I always run the gas through a paper filter whenever I move gas from one can to another or put it in the truck or car tanks. Usually, I get a few tiny pieces of dirt. And again today after I emptied several cans. Until I got to the steel can I have on my rear bumper. That one gave me a lot of paint flakes on the filter. Evidently, the inside paint job is not the best and it's flaking off a bit.

So, watch out. Had I not rotated the gas on purpose, it would have stayed there in my bumper can and a can set up for expedition is of course most likely to be used when you are in the middle of the boonies, 100 miles from a road and running out of gas :).

So, it pays off to filter the gas out of (some) metal cans. Don't just dump the fuel in the tank or do not empty it completely. Better not have a nasty surprise in the middle of nowhere. I'm always carrying a funnel with a flexible long spout and a couple of paper filters in my emergency recovery box...

One of those things... :)
 
Thanks for the tip!

ive got a few of those cans as well.

gonna have to get a paper filter. what kind do you use? like a coffee filter?
 
Back when I was racing all the time I used paint filters from automotive paint suppliers. High octane race fuel should be clean right? Wrong, you would be amazed how much crap will come out of a new drum of fuel. The filters are cheap insurance for anything from fuel can.:wrench:
 
yes, I use coffee filters.
wide funnel.
I use 3 or 4 spring paper clips to hold the filter to the funnel.
 
Nice! pretty clever.

i like it
 
Yep, totally get what your saying. Had a paint flake travel through my super siphon on the last trip. It will most likely float in the tank or get stuck to the sock, but if not the filter will grab it. Good to keep an eye on them anyhow.

Also, putting out a campfire last weekend.. my water can poured orange. Rust inside for sure.
 
Hi All:

BTDT! :mad:

I have a pair of ex-British Army "jerry" cans that were built in the 1960s.

I had the "lining" on one of the cans flake-off real bad on one extended weekend 4x4 trip. Clogged the fuel filter badly. Clogged the replacement filter real bad also. Got to the point on the 150 mile trip home that I had to stop every 10 - 20 miles to remove the clogged fuel filter and blow-out the "paint chips" with compressed air.

Later in the drive home the filter stopped getting clogged and everything seem fine. Wrong! A few weeks later the same problem came up.

I ended up removing the fuel tank and pouring out all of the gas into a container. Lots of "paint chips" floating around. Poured the fuel back into the tank through a spigot that has a fine-mesh screen on its bottom. Sloshed the gas around inside the tank, then poured it back out - more paint chips. Did this routine several times until no more chips were coming out of the tank.

I took some brass, fine-mesh screening and it rolled-up, then inserted it into my WEDCO pour spout to capture any further lining material that comes out of those old jerry cans.

Regards,

Alan
 
ouch!
well, I guess I'm doing great compared to that...
coincidentally (or not), mine are all also brit cans...


(so, you don't have a sock in the tank any more?)


man, I'm stashing even more filters now for the next big trip....


Josie'sLandCruiser said:
Hi All:

BTDT! :mad:

I have a pair of ex-British Army "jerry" cans that were built in the 1960s.

I had the "lining" on one of the cans flake-off real bad on one extended weekend 4x4 trip. Clogged the fuel filter badly. Clogged the replacement filter real bad also. Got to the point on the 150 mile trip home that I had to stop every 10 - 20 miles to remove the clogged fuel filter and blow-out the "paint chips" with compressed air.

Later in the drive home the filter stopped getting clogged and everything seem fine. Wrong! A few weeks later the same problem came up.

I ended up removing the fuel tank and pouring out all of the gas into a container. Lots of "paint chips" floating around. Poured the fuel back into the tank through a spigot that has a fine-mesh screen on its bottom. Sloshed the gas around inside the tank, then poured it back out - more paint chips. Did this routine several times until no more chips were coming out of the tank.

I took some brass, fine-mesh screening and it rolled-up, then inserted it into my WEDCO pour spout to capture any further lining material that comes out of those old jerry cans.

Regards,

Alan
Click to expand...
 
Yep, have fine mesh filter in the spout, and I bought my used NATO jerry cans from a reputable dealer who sells them as is with no modifications. I also rotate my gas. No more than 3 months in the can, then it goes into the truck's tank to be used.

I wonder if the flaking was due to them not being properly cleaned out before painting inside?
 
stainless mesh is probably a better solution than piles of coffee filters. 1) it can be re-used 2) you don't have a highly flammable addition to your trash bag 3) if the cofee filters get wet for any reason, or just plain old, they are more likely to tear and add debris to your fuel
 
sandcruiser said:
stainless mesh is probably a better solution than piles of coffee filters. 1) it can be re-used 2) you don't have a highly flammable addition to your trash bag 3) if the cofee filters get wet for any reason, or just plain old, they are more likely to tear and add debris to your fuel
Click to expand...


indeed on 2) plus smell. 1) and 3): not really a problem IMHO.
Most folks can't get largish chunks of superfine screens very easily though. Unless they have it at homedepot or something...
But I'll say that my metal funnel has it and I saw some at HF that have a mesh screen for $5 or so.
 
I've never tried it, but what about the "gold" mesh coffee filters? Might work. Or fiberglass screen (for a window).
 
McMaster-Carr

Search for strainer grade wire cloth. Both brass and Stainless Steel would work fine.
 
Hi All:

I was able to purchase the fine-mesh brass screening from a local hardware store.

-Alan
 
OK, I'll look locally sometime. Gotta be real superfine, though.
 
TOTALLY AWESOME ....mind you i found a smoken deal on ebay for 5 cans for 60 bucks even though there in england ...but ill for sure see about picking up some of these if those dont work out
 
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