Mounted Gas Cans

[motorpsycho]

wow...

I use a one gallon tank. It gives me 120 mile range. I carry a small spare bottle of oil. In an emergency I can fill the tank and mix it by shaking.

before I had the tank I would carry aluminum water bottles on my rack. My wife expressed concern about an explosion if I got rear-ended. I think that would be the least of my worries

gasoline will not explode on impact unless there is a spark or a source of ignition. (it has to be a spark or a flame, heat will not ignite gasoline)
it takes a lot of friction on aluminum to make it spark. take a peice of aluminum and grind on it...see how many sparks you get.
you can literally put a lit cigarette into a can of gas, and the gas will not ignite. the cigarette will go out.
it's not like in the movies where they show a lit cigarette starting gas on fire. or when they show a guy shoot a cars gas tank and the car explodes. it does not work that way in real life.

 

[motorpsycho]

This is a small part of the Federal law for gas tanks.

Construction of liquid fuel tanks—

Joints. Joints of a fuel tank body must be closed by arc-, gas-, seam-, or spot-welding, by brazing, by silver soldering, or by techniques which provide heat resistance and mechanical securement at least equal to those specifically named. Joints must not be closed solely by crimping or by soldering with a lead-based or other soft solder.

Fittings. The fuel tank body must have flanges or spuds suitable for the installation of all fittings.

Threads. The threads of all fittings must be Dryseal American Standard Taper Pipe Thread or Dryseal SAE Short Taper Pipe Thread, specified in Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J476, as contained in the 1971 edition of the “SAE Handbook”, except that straight (non-tapered) threads may be used on fittings having integral flanges and using gaskets for sealing. At least four full threads must be in engagement in each fitting.

that is the federal law, but trust me, there are a ton of gas tanks out there that aren't even close to following that law.
does anyone really think that a cop is going to inspect their gas tank to see if it is in the requirements of this law?
there is no real way to tell just by looking at a gas tank. the tank would have to be de constructed to make sure it's actually legal. I highly doubt anyone would go that far.
The law is a great guildeline tho for someone who is building a gas tank.

 

[RedBaronX]

gasoline will not explode on impact unless there is a spark or a source of ignition. (it has to be a spark or a flame, heat will not ignite gasoline)

<<SNIP>>

you can literally put a lit cigarette into a can of gas, and the gas will not ignite. the cigarette will go out.

a mechanic once told me that windshield washer fluid was actually more volatile than gasoline. Maybe not more EXPLOSIVE (when actually ignited) but more flammable...

 

[Fulltimer]

This thread wasn't meant to be about gas tanks. I started it because people were talking about carrying EXTRA gas in glass wine bottles and anything else that would hold a liquid. Just a FYI.

Terry

 

[motorpsycho]

tha's ok terry, but people will do whatever they want to do. sometimes people don't think the way they should, and in some cases, if carrying extra gas in a glass bottle sounds like a good idea to them, then i say let them do it.

 

[Stan4d]

but Terry has a very valid point.....does anyone want to attract attention to themselves by storing fuel in a nonapproved container. Check out the stickers on the pumps nest time you get gas.

 

[motorpsycho]

yes he does have a very valid point, and yes...i have read the labels on gas pumps before.
but what i am saying is that if someone is dumb enough to transport gas in an unapproved container, then let them do it.
it will be them who gets fined for doing it...IF they get caught.
I know a lot of police officers and not one of them has EVER caught anyone doing this. (because i discussed this with them in the past when we i saw a guy pumping gas into an antifreeze jug).
it's up to the gas station attendant to catch the person and tell them that they are not supposed to use anything but an approved container.
what's a gas station attendant going to do IF they see someone doing this? more than likely, they will look the other way
half the time the attedant is stuck inside the gas station, behind a counter that faces away from the window, and with "pay at the pump" these days, the person doesn't even have to walk into the gas station to pay for the gas he just pumped into an unapproved container.
all i'm saying is that this happens more than everyone thinks it does, and nothing is ever done about it.
so, why bother questioning what some people do?
nothing will ever be done about it, and people in general will keep right on doing whatever they want.

 

[plinko]

And I know people who used milk jugs to get gas.Thing Is they were out a little bit longer than Intended and the gas ate or melted through the milk jug onto their vehicle's floorboards and carpets.In short.If you got a brain.Just use a pre approved container.

 

[motorpsycho]

And I know people who used milk jugs to get gas.Thing Is they were out a little bit longer than Intended and the gas ate or melted through the milk jug onto their vehicle's floorboards and carpets.In short.If you got a brain.Just use a pre approved container.

now that's funny !

 

[plinko]

now that's funny !

I thought so too.2 redneck people I knew tried It and he was pretty stupid to begin with.Gas will warp or melt things like styrofoam or recycled milk jug plastic.I knew he was P.O.ed about the gas that got Into his floorboards and carpet.I wonder If he got a buzz from the fumes? Some people think that all plastic Is the same yet there are different properties to each.I may not be too bright.But I will stick to using an approved gas can meant for the job.Gas also builds pressure from storage and gas cans are made to relieve pressure from long term storage.Me and my pops warned them about this before they did It.