# gas, brass, and living from stored fuel



## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Okay... I've wanted to do this for a long time, I had all the pieces in place and have neglected making it a habit. 

The Goal: 

Fill the truck with gas from cans, never letting the truck go below... 1/2 tank? 3/4 would be better I agree, but I have a very short commute, so if I were going to take an extended trip, I'd accommodate accordingly.


The tools:

I have 13 old school style Jerry Cans, and 3 round style gas cans, and I think 4 or 5 Blitz plastic gas cans (read as: the ones you can get at lowes and wally world)

I have a jiggler siphon valve with about 5 feet of see through hose.

I have an old school jerry can nozzle
I *had* a new school jerry can replacement nozzle which promptly broke the 2nd time i used it... $18 piece of junk 

So... I'm wondering what the long term affects will be on the brass jiggler valve siphon. If I should consider some kind of cleaning schedule, but if gas doesn't clean it by using it for that way, what would???

And I'm thinking that I need to get a spool of replacement tubing, I'm sure that wont cost too much, maybe buy a 10 foot length every new years, or every birthday, that way there's a reminder to refresh it. would suck to try to use that and then find out... ohhhh so sorry, the gasoline thats been passed through it already has caused it to dry out. now you needed it? sux 2 b u!!!!

I think if I can make this a habit, I've always got about 4 tanks of gas ready to go, boom!!! as opposed to all the people who just "assume" that there's gas in the tanks at the gas station, that there's electricity to power the pumps and that the money that they have to spend is valid currency! thats THREE points of failure right there. I'm really really really liking the thought of having and rotating my own gasoline supply. 

So back to my question, is there any negative from passing gasoline through the jiggler valve siphon? Do I need to consider some kind of cleaning solution?

I used it tonight to put about 7 gallons out of 2 of the cans filled some time ago into the truck. They're going to be refilled tomorrow and I'll have to think up a better idea for storage and marking purchase dates, however, if I'm successful in adapting this as a living practice, it wont matter, I'll be doing it all the time and they'll be rotated frequently. the simplest and best solution may be FIFO and keep all of the cans in a line in the garage.


As a long term goal, I have other things I want to buy between here and then, I can see me going to 50 or 55 gal blue or metal barrels to supply gas. The weight is a huge concern, but the bulk storage would be absolutely awesome if I can get that into the mix. 


Thoughts, suggestions, ???


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I can't help you buuuuuuut...

You always have great ideas and plans!


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Thank you, I really appreciate that! 


I want things I do to be practical. I want them to be useful and achievable. lofty goals that are pie in the sky from either cost or resource availability do NOTHING for me! 

I want tangible results! 

:beercheer:


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Air brake tubing (Synflex) works very well on my vacuum tank , so it would probably be good for you syphon system, it won't degrade nearly as fast as rubber hose. Old automotive propane tanks would be the best solution for long term fuel storage, Linctex has a thread about how to do it.


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## farright (Mar 25, 2010)

i think the brass should be fine if it is brass not just brass color. Fifo should work i think you would be better off with a old propane tank for storage they are stronger than 55 gal drums but you could also consider a 275gal oil tank and manual pump and have it filled when half full that way there is always 125gal or so aval that is what i do i want to do the propane tank for long term some day when $$$ allow.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

stay away form the blue plastic barrels they eventually degrade with fuel or oil in em. And the metal drum ONLY if you can keep it a constant temp or it will suck and swell until it relatively quickly forms leaks. As mentined the Propane tanks and Linctex's methodology would be your best bet. or even without his method is you are going to keep it rotated out. But really use the propane tnaks and his methods and just rotate it every five years if you are worried. All sounds good as you describe it now as long as you can spare that space and its safe where its at.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> stay away form the blue plastic barrels they eventually degrade with fuel or oil in em. And the metal drum ONLY if you can keep it a constant temp or it will suck and swell until it relatively quickly forms leaks. As mentined the Propane tanks and Linctex's methodology would be your best bet. or even without his method is you are going to keep it rotated out. But really use the propane tnaks and his methods and just rotate it every five years if you are worried. All sounds good as you describe it now as long as you can spare that space and its safe where its at.


I'm in SoCal, so the constant temp is a question?

I dont get HUGE swings.. it can take WEEKS to move 3 degrees, and then all of a sudden we get the Santa Ana's and we're in fire hazard and it's dry, windy and bad news if the fires start.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Y a know I never been to so cal so I don't really know. But direct sun would be a issue for temp swing. and I really dont know how big the swing has to be to cause significant fatigue on the metal. I just know for sure a Missouri Summer was enough to cause leakage  Of course mine was made worse by not being completely full yet so the excess head space exacerbated the problem.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Linctex had a good idea on using huge propane tanks for gas and filling the empty air space with propane to keep it sealed. I would probly blow myself up trying to do it but if you're crafty it sounds like a good idea. I'm not crafty so I can only enjoy from a safe distance!!


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Plastic is permeable so metal cans will keep the fuel better. I know a number of people that have 500 gallon tanks of gasoline. I have one of the siphons in stainless. Anything is better than copper or brass as they change the chemistry of the fuel. This is not a problem normally but if you are going to store your fuel for an extended period the small things might matter.

I used to run heating oil through clear plastic tubing. After a few months the tubing would get hard and I would have to replace it. If memory serves I would buy fifty or a hundred feet at a time. I'd reach over, cut off five or six feet and be off and running


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

It's always good to exercise and test and I applaud that.
But this is a very unpleasant and cumbersome test that will have you arriving at work smelling if gasoline.

And even though its a chore gravity acting on liquid is pretty reliable so once you made sure your valves/spigots etc work fine I see no need to keep doing it as an exercise in preparedness


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

BlueZ said:


> I see no need to keep doing it as an exercise in preparedness


I agree, unless it is a rotation schedule exercise.

One other benefit of the propane tank method is the fuel is stored under pressure. You can fill your vehicle in the same fashion that you fill at the station


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

From my experience:

I've never had a problem with a brass shaker. They also make them with a plastic shaker and again, no problems. Hoses on mine are original and after several years they're still good.

If you're going to go with a hand-crank barrel pump that goes in a 55-gallon drum, be aware that most aren't made for gas. If not made for gas, they fail after about a year.

For keeping track of fuel in 5-gallon cans, I use those little (approx. 3x5") manila colored cards that have a hole in one end with a red grommet and a string and attach to the can's handle. Using a pen, I just make a new entry with a date, octane and anything special like any additives added.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

ZoomZoom said:


> If you're going to go with a hand-crank barrel pump that goes in a 55-gallon drum, be aware that most aren't made for gas. If not made for gas, they fail after about a year.


The rubber seal around the crank shaft fails first. The pump will still work, but it will weep from the shaft while using it. If you could replace the rubber seal with better material, you would have a better unit. Also, flushing the pump with oily diesel after using it with gas helps tremendously in getting that seal to stay alive.


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