your last sentence summed it up..........uncle sugar trying to protect us from ourselves.....

I have one of the plastic 5-gallon gas jugs like you are talking about that I keep in the bed of my truck.

My gas gauge doesn't read right so I keep 5-gallons on hand --just incase there isn't as much fuel in the tank as I thought there was.

My gas jug has the same irritating arrangement as yours. It's hard to hold 40 lbs of fuel up while it trickles into the tank at a snails pace.

You're only in your 50's though. You haven't been around long enough to know how to be safe or how to protect yourself from yourself. You should take solice in the fact that your nanny state is looking out for your best interests.

1st it was r12 freon from Mex.  Now empty gas cans,,,  
 

bulletbirdman wrote:

I think it depends on what state you live in. In Mississippi its still the old style ( plastic) spout with an air bleed, last job I did in California used a can that had more gizmo's than an f-18 mostly to prevent as you say vapor or fuel or anything else from escaping and polluting our pristine enviroment.

 Looks like I need one from Mississippi.  I guess I can pick one or two up on the way back from the bash.

The war time "Jerry" cans were the best, they would dump the entire contents in seconds. I think there is a plastic replica made by someone but cant remember where I saw it.

i recently picked up a couple of these new in the box for $15 at a antique/salvage store. i figure i'll save them for when my old style plastic  jugs give out.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/EAGLE-Type-I-Safety-Can-2W313?Pid=search

before too long, 5 gal cans will classify you as a terrorist, we'll all have to use 1 gal jugs & refill them alot!

http://www.roverparts.com/Parts/GJC20.cfm

I don't kow if all states are the same, but in PA I think blue cans are for kerosene. This way you don't mix kerosene and gas.

I go to many estate sales and there's always several at each sale and many time they're the old metal cans.   I better start buying them now.

Greg Z

I had to fight with a small 1-2 gal can I bought at a gas station when I ran out of gas recently. I'll have to see if the extra old spigot I've got fits it? How about one of those jerry cans mentioned from an army/navy store?
Jon

I tried using the old spout from my old can.  It fit perfect and did not leak!  Only problem there is NO VENT on the can so the gas won't come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Same problem with the new spouts.  One has a separate channel for the air to go back in, but if you have it tipped up to get the gas in the mower, the fuel level covers the vent as well, and then the gas won't come out.  I read somewhere that EPA is behind all this, and that it is now illegal for a gas can to have a VENT on it!

Solution...  Luckily my John Deere has a very large fuel fill cap.  I will try just removing the whole spout and pour from the big opening.

Maybe I should just drive it the .4 miles to the Shell station and fill it up like the car.

OK, I figured out how to get a vent in the can so the gas will pour out.  A threaded metal valve stem for mag wheels will work.  Don't use the rubber gasket just in case fuel will deteriorate it.  Theoretically, it will never touch fuel, though so there should be no worry of leakage.  Plus it is on the top, above the max fill line.

Drill a hole in the can opposite the filler neck, making the hole a snug fit on the threads of the valve stem.  Use a coathanger wire stuck through the small hole in the can, routed out the larger fill hole.  Attach the valve stem to the coathanger wire by bending the end of the wire like a hook.  Pull the wire and valve stem through the small hole and snug down the nut.  Use a valve stem cap (metal preferred, just in case) to seal it.  Just remove the cap like you would with a normal vented can when pouring fuel.

TA-DA !

Of course, I am sure this violates several new federal regulations that ban having vents on gasoline containers, so I would NEVER recommend that anyone do this.  Now that all the mattress tags in the USA have been removed, those policers of such policies will need something new to look out for.

Now, where's my 3/8" drill bit?