Question on fueling up.

Bucolic · Unread post by **Bucolic** » November 4th, 2016, 1:08 am

Is the gas filler large enough to safely pour gas into the tank from a jerry can without using a fill spout? Just wondering, all the gas that I've put in my jeep has been from a gas pump at the gas station.

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » November 4th, 2016, 5:20 am

I wonder if that is a serious question. But in case it actually is, yes, of course. Why do you think the opening is as wide as it is?

Unread post by **rickf** » November 4th, 2016, 9:04 am

You may splash a little and towards the end of the can it gets tricky. Remember, in the military they did not pay for the gas and did not care how much ended up on the ground.

Bucolic · Unread post by **Bucolic** » November 5th, 2016, 12:25 am

Horst wrote:I wonder if that is a serious question. But in case it actually is, yes, of course. Why do you think the opening is as wide as it is?

Yes, it was a serious question. I carry a filler spout but I was curious if gas could be added safely without it. Rick answered my question, and as I expected, there may be some spillage but it doesn't sound like it would be un-safe.
Thanks Rick.

Unread post by **rickf** » November 5th, 2016, 1:03 pm

Any time you have an opening that large into a gas tank it is unsafe, just being open. Unlike in the movies, if your gas nozzle catches on fire at the gas station it is NOT going to get down into the tank because there is such a small opening there is not enough air in the tank to support combustion. That is why it is safe to have an electric pump in a tank of gas. Now, with an opening as big as ours if you have a fire then it will very quickly cause a draft that will circulate air into the tank and it is all over from there. So no matter whether you use the spout of not be careful. Remember that holding a can means the can is NOT grounded and there is always the chance of a static electricity spark. That is more than enough to light the vapors at the tank entrance.

Horst · Unread post by **Horst** » November 5th, 2016, 1:14 pm

good point Rick. Always have the jerry can touch the fuel tank opening before starting to lift it so that fuel will flow.

Unread post by **rickf** » November 5th, 2016, 1:27 pm

I usually make body contact with some part of my body before putting the fuel nozzle in also. That way any static is discharged beforehand. When I owned a gas station I had a few fires due to static, They only got bad when someone panicked and pulled out the nozzle with it running. That usually cost them their car. The rest of them I could put out with a rag or a puff from the extinguisher.

SturmTyger380 · Unread post by **SturmTyger380** » November 6th, 2016, 11:54 am

Once during a dry winter I took the big plastic kerosene cans up to the station to fill them. While pumping the fuel the static discharges were cracking like crazy. Good thing it was not gasoline.

Unread post by **rickf** » November 6th, 2016, 1:00 pm

That is why you always set a can on the ground and never fill them in the bed of the truck. There are You Tube videos of cans going up in flames that way. And do not kid yourself, Kerosene vapor will light with a spark if you hit the right ratio.