Using Oil Jugs For Gas : No Opinions - Only Experience.

[DuctTapedGoat]

Hopefully the title will keep the riff raff out of this, but I doubt it.

To start, for the record : I am aware that oil containers are in HDPE 2 plastic. This is what milk jugs/laundry detergent containers/plastic gas cans are using. Milk jugs are too thin and most people only have experience in storing gas in them - but milk jugs are thin and get micro holes all the time - the dried milk seals them though like slime. I have heard 50/50 on laundry detergent bottles that they pollute the gas, but I think they weren't properly cleaned and treated first.

I want to store a couple of quart oil containers on the back of my bike for emergency gas/traveling gas. If it holds up, I might add 2 quarts to the sides of my luggage rack, vent them, petcock them, and keep them for additional tanks (cheap cheap full gallon tank). Has anyone stored gas/oil mix in emptied oil containers for a long period of time?

I really don't want to hear any "Don't do it/It's illegal/I wouldn't/I heard from my cousin's sister's fiance's father/Sounds like a bad idea/etc etc", because that's not bringing anything to the table except bunking things up. After searching both forums and google I found that's what happens to every one of these gas in oil bottle questions.


I'm going to leave a sealed oil jug (no vent) in a large metal dish and watch it over the course of a few weeks just to see for myself, but I'd like to get some experiences other people have had while I go through this test.

 

[wileydavis]

DTG: I've stored gasoline in 1qt oil jugs and while I had no problem with the plastic breaking down (I only needed to store the gas for 3 days) I did have trouble when the bottle got warm. The bottle puffed up and deformed in a way that was worrying.

After that I switched to 1L soda bottles. These are designed to be pressurized (don't use water bottles, only bottles that had carbonated beverages in them). So even though I still need to release the pressure from time to time in a soda bottle, at least it doesn't radically change shape when it pressurizes.

 

[adam valentine]

yes soda bottle plastic are micro woven Polly to withstand high pressure, i have not stored gas in them but i have stared diesel for lighting my wood stove in a 3 liter bottle for years now, but not in the summer heat just during winter i would say do an experiment with a 1 liter soda bottle filled up in a safe place in direct sun and you let us know

 

[NunyaBidness]

Yes I have used oil bottles and Dr. Pepper bottles. I never used them for long periods of time because the little piece of plastic inside the top would become malformed and the bottle would leak gas. When I took that deformed piece of plastic out of the bottle cap the bottle still leaked.

While the bottles were fine for short periods, 1 day, and longer and they started to leak. I would find another way to store gas for longer periods of time.

 

[adam valentine]

I think you would be better off useing those fancy aluminum bottles them city folk are drinking out of now a days

 

[mapbike]

I haven't used the plastic bottles for storing gas lately.

I took a Berrymans B-12 Gas Treatment tin can and drilled a hole in the lid so I could put a small piece of fuel line like used on a weed wacker or chainsaw through the hole and then I sealed around it with silicone.

I went on a 50mile round trip and figured I'd need a bit of extra gas to get back since I only had a 2L fuel tank on the bike, the B-12 can worked great but only holds 1 pint 16oz, in the future I will be making up some 16.9oz fuel containers from some energy drink cans I have collected, they are made from a very heavy gauge Alum. and have real good lids on them, I plan to drill the lids and install vent tubing in them like I did the B-12 can, I plan to make a rack that will hold 6 of the cans, this will give me around 3/4 of a gal. of reserve fuel onboard my bike that can be carried in a small space and safely.

pic of can included

Peace

PS: if you use plastic containers always make a vent line or you could get into big trouble if it burst form the pressure...........! very important to vent those fumes bro.

 

[mapbike]

I got me one of those the other day at Dollar General Store, I'm concerned about if the lid will take the fuel or not though, I may take it off and put it in a bowl of gas for a few days just to see how it act in it....

I think you would be better off useing those fancy aluminum bottles them city folk are drinking out of now a days

 

[Goat Herder]

I have been using the Aluminum bottles too with my Morini. No prob's at all so far.

 

[mapbike]

Are you talking about the energy drink bottles or the larger alum. bottles that we can buy at the store to put whatever in?

the refillable carry on bottles are the ones that have the lids I want to test to see if they're fuel resistant or not.

do you have experience with them Goat Herder?

I have been using the Aluminum bottles too with my Morini. No prob's at all so far.

 

[spad4me]

While filling out the complaint form after one of my motorized bicycles was stolen.
The officer noticed I was using HDPE containers to store gasoline oil mix on my other builds.

He said Use only approved fuel containers or I would get a ticket and my bike impounded.

This is the only time I have ever been warned on the legality of what I build.
I just carry the oil now and buy the fuel as needed.

Good luck on making your own laws.

 

[Goat Herder]

I have been using the larger alum. bottles that we can buy at the store to put whatever in. One older bottle that I got from a garage sale the rubber Oring got funny on . The rest work great. I just replaced the O ring.

 

[Elmo]

I used a 2 stroke oil bottle to keep an extra quart of premix in when I had a two stroke bike. I had it on the bike for about 6 months and it swelled up so i just relieved the pressure and put the cap back on. when it would cool off it looked kind of funny but never leaked. I put it in the shed that gets plenty hot and forgot about it. Came across it the other day and still no leaks after a year.

 

[Nashville Kat]

Yeah- they're making reclosable 16 ounce aluminum beerr can now-maybe they'll have a 24 oz soon- and you can get something like that at a Dollar store-

If you had a cycling jersey or jacket with pockets in the back- you could take one or two along and just throw the can out when you were done- if you drink that much beer!

 

[mapbike]

Good deal thats good to hear.

Yeah I had wondered about the seals on the bottles and had thought I might just replace them with a seal that I know will tolerate the fuel.

Thanks GH

and everyone else that has rang in here on this fuel bottle stuff.

since I last posted earlier I have just got back from a 16+ mile round trip to go pay my water bill in a little town not far from me, I been having some carb issues and they got a bit worse so after my late lunch I'll be replacing the carb an that bike, the slide has been sticking in it for a while and I cant figure out why so I'm just gonna take the main jet out of it and put it in one of my other NT carbs and be done with that little sucker, I think I paid $8 for it off ebay from an individual that said it was like new, it was advertised as the SPEED carb. but wasnt when I got it, it's just a plain old NT it had the square red filter box on it, I've never had it working just right from the get go, just never has mtered right for some reason, so it goes in the parts bin now..... and then I'm gonna tinker with my soon to be reserve fuel cans.....

I have been using the larger alum. bottles that we can buy at the store to put whatever in. One older bottle that I got from a garage sale the rubber Oring got funny on . The rest work great. I just replaced the O ring.

 

[mapbike]

Did you say beerrrrrrrrr cannnnnns?

thats exactly how I say it when I've opened one to many of them.... which actually I never do, I only drink one or two at the most but I just thought I would aggravate you a bit...

Peace

Yeah- they're making reclosable 16 ounce aluminum beerr can now-maybe they'll have a 24 oz soon- and you can get something like that at a Dollar store-

If you had a cycling jersey or jacket with pockets in the back- you could take one or two along and just throw the can out when you were done- if you drink that much beer!

 

[rohmell]

I have been using a plastic quart container that originally held Valvoline 10W-40 motor oil for about two years now, no problems.

 

[mapbike]

Made these up this after noon from the heavy alum. venom energy drink bottles.

I drilled a small hole in the lids and then got the small fuel line and then took a red plastic tube off of an empty can of spray carb cleaner and then cut it into 1/2" pieces and the n insert it into the fuel tubing, it is a snug fit and will help prevent the tubing from kinking where it come through the lid, I then put high temp silicone aroun the tubing and then pulled it down into position with only 1/4" - 3/8" long on inside of lid, I used Gorilla tape to secure the tubing down to the lid and then painted the bottles with some glossy high heat engine paint and wa....la.....!

I now have a way to carry an extra 3/4 of a gal. of premix fuel on my bike when I get my little carry on fuel box built.

I may actually go to the auto parts house and get a can of the spray truck bed liner and give the can a good coat of that, it will make them very durable then and they wont get scatched up either.

I saved about 25-30 of these bottles thinking I might have a good use for them in the future and here it is.....

Peace

 

[2door]

Made these up this after noon from the heavy alum. venom energy drink bottles.

I drilled a small hole in the lids and then got the small fuel line and then took a red plastic tube off of an empty can of spray carb cleaner and then cut it into 1/2" pieces and the n insert it into the fuel tubing, it is a snug fit and will help prevent the tubing from kinking where it come through the lid, I then put high temp silicone aroun the tubing and then pulled it down into position with only 1/4" - 3/8" long on inside of lid, I used Gorilla tape to secure the tubing down to the lid and then painted the bottles with some glossy high heat engine paint and wa....la.....!

I now have a way to carry an extra 3/4 of a gal. of premix fuel on my bike when I get my little carry on fuel box built.

I may actually go to the auto parts house and get a can of the spray truck bed liner and give the can a good coat of that, it will make them very durable then and they wont get scatched up either.

I saved about 25-30 of these bottles thinking I might have a good use for them in the future and here it is.....

Peace

You'll never get through airport security with those and the ATF might overreact if they saw them in your garage
Tom

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

We've been using the same plastic oil bottle to carry spare gas for almost 1 year without any problems!

 

[mapbike]

Thats fuel line not fuses coming out of the top of those cans......lol!

But they do look kinda cool and dangerous huh!

You'll never get through airport security with those and the ATF might overreact if they saw them in your garage
Tom