Jerry can repairs

[Blueduce]

Hey Fellas,

I had a few questions about what options I have to fix a bad bottom seal on a metal Jerry can.

The can is otherwise in good condition. When I bought it the can did hold fuel without leaks. I thought it would be a good idea to clean out all the old diesel varnish and crud from the bottom of the can.

I simply used unleaded gas and let it soak for a few hours. During the second wash out the diesel varnish broke up and melted away. Now the bottom of the can leaked like a sieve. Go figure.

I do not have access to any kind of welder so my options are limited. I was considering JB Weld but wasn't sure if applying it to the outside would work. Plus it would look like crap.

I thought of applying the JB Weld to the bottom seam inside the can but am stumped on how to accomplish this. Would soldering the bottom seam work?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[aczlan]

Sounds like you need some kind of fuel tank sealer (such as: SPECIAL - Sealer & Prep-POR-15 Inc. ) to coat the inside of the can.

Aaron Z

 

[hndrsonj]

Cans are cheap, just replace it.

 

[wdbtchr]

I used Kreem from J.C.Whitney & Co. about 20 years ago and it's stood the test of time. I only had one leaking at the bottom seam. After I cleaned the can I put a little in the bottom and pressurized it by wrapping a rag around an air hose till it came out of the seam..

I've also used the POR 15 and it's definitely easier to use because you don't have to get all the rust out.

 

[Blueduce]

Sounds like you need some kind of fuel tank sealer (such as: SPECIAL - Sealer & Prep-POR-15 Inc. ) to coat the inside of the can.

Aaron Z

Great idea if I had several cans to reseal. That stuff looks like it would do the trick but I could almost buy two new cans for what they want for a quart of there tank sealer. Have you used it? I wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea to seal the tank on the deuce with it. My trucks tank doesn't leak now but, as an ounce of prevention. I read through the directions and they don't say how big of a tank a quart will coat or cover.

Thanks.

 

[leedawg]

If you do get access to a welder be very careful welding any sort of fuel container. Typically water is placed inside to fill most of the volume of the container where you are not working. Big explosions can happen just from remaining vapor or fuel in the container. Any way many never even think about this stuff hate to see anybody get hurt.

 

[Blueduce]

I used Kreem from J.C.Whitney & Co. about 20 years ago and it's stood the test of time. I only had one leaking at the bottom seam. After I cleaned the can I put a little in the bottom and pressurized it by wrapping a rag around an air hose till it came out of the seam..

I've also used the POR 15 and it's definitely easier to use because you don't have to get all the rust out.

Looks like J.C. Whitney no longer carries "Kreem" or any other fuel tank sealant. Do you have the info on the POR 15 you mentioned.

 

[aczlan]

Great idea if I had several cans to reseal. That stuff looks like it would do the trick but I could almost buy two new cans for what they want for a quart of there tank sealer. Have you used it? I wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea to seal the tank on the deuce with it. My trucks tank doesn't leak now but, as an ounce of prevention. I read through the directions and they don't say how big of a tank a quart will coat or cover.

The "Fuel System Restoration" page (Fuel System Restoration-POR-15 Inc.) said that the kit will seal a 25 gallon tank.
I have never personally used it, but I have heard good things about it from people who do tractor restorations.

Aaron Z

 

[Nonotagain]

Cans are cheap, just replace it.

Cans aren't cheap any longer. I've been on a Jerry can buying spree as of late.

Cans on a popular auction site are going for $35 avg. with another $20 freight.

Thanks to CARB, cheap Jerry cans are a thing of the past.

 

[WagonMaster]

Welder is a BAD IDEA on any kind of tank. Had a guy I work with tell me he had gotten an old fuel tank for the back of his truck. He needed a different opening on it so he filled it with water and let it sit for a few days. He drained the water and as soon as he put the fire to it he got a flare up. The guy who taught me to weld would not weld or cut on any kind of tank in his shop. This is a lesson I follow.

 

[WagonMaster]

Cans aren't cheap any longer. I've been on a Jerry can buying spree as of late.

Cans on a popular auction site are going for $35 avg. with another $20 freight.

Thanks to CARB, cheap Jerry cans are a thing of the past.

What do you think about the plastic "Jerry" cans?

 

[hndrsonj]

Cans aren't cheap any longer. I've been on a Jerry can buying spree as of late.

Cans on a popular auction site are going for $35 avg. with another $20 freight.

Thanks to CARB, cheap Jerry cans are a thing of the past.

Just look on your local Craigslist, they are usually $10-30 and pop up often. Heck, NOS ones are less than $50 from Saturn.

 

[Blueduce]

Cans aren't cheap any longer. I've been on a Jerry can buying spree as of late.

Cans on a popular auction site are going for $35 avg. with another $20 freight.

Thanks to CARB, cheap Jerry cans are a thing of the past.

Amen. I found this one along with two others at an army / Navy store just outside NAS/JRB Ft. Worth for $ 25.00 each. I bought all three and left my number in case he get's any more in around that price

 

[Blueduce]

What do you think about the plastic "Jerry" cans?

My experience is. Plastic cans are hard to find and even harder to find in good condition with all there parts, caps and such. Not to mention that I don't think the plastic cans are rated for fuel. When I was in the Army we used metal for fuel and plastic for water. Now there are Vietnam era metal cans that are designed for water. They have that hinged lid rather than the screw type.

 

[WagonMaster]

My experience is. Plastic cans are hard to find and even harder to find in good condition with all there parts, caps and such. Not to mention that I don't think the plastic cans are rated for fuel. When I was in the Army we used metal for fuel and plastic for water. Now there are Vietnam era metal cans that are designed for water. They have that hinged lid rather than the screw type.

I work for a CO. that does GOV. contract work. We ordered about 80 of those cans, half water, half diesel. Was thinking of asking if they could get more from their supplier, but would probably have to order a lot.

 

[Wildchild467]

I have some that are rusty on the bottom and completely dry. They have not had fuel in them for years and years. My plan is to get some small pea sized gravel from the side of the road and toss that in there and shake it around. I'll then remove the stones and vacuum it out to see how it looks on the bottom. Dad and i have cleaned a lot of tanks by doing that and i just need to give it a try with the couple jerry cans i have. It would break my heart to scrap them. Like others have said, there are less and less of these cans everyday. Although, my girlfriends mom bought me one at a garage sale and the thing is MINT inside! The outside does not have any big dents and also looks good. she bought it for $1! Good Score!

 

[Blueduce]

I've seen metal cans go for anywhere from $20 for a used kinda banged up one to upwards of $50 for the cleaner newer ones. I've seen the plastic ones go for as much as $60 to $80 on eBay. A good average should be $25-$30 for metal and $30+ for plastic. If your buying used cans that would be a good selling price. However, If you have found a source to buy NEW cans at a decent price. Let's say under $25-$30 a can. You could comfortably sell those cans here and on several other MV sites for a 50% mark up and I'm confident they would fly off the shelves. If you had 30 to 50 cans I would be surprised if they lasted more than a week or so.

 

[hndrsonj]

$30 with a 50% markup is $45 a can. As I said earlier Saturn Surplus has 200 NOS ones for $49 and that was 5 min of looking.

 

[hndrsonj]

Check out the Midwest Military web page under october 2011 trip. Wherever that is, there's thousands of jerry cans.

 

[Blueduce]

$30 with a 50% markup is $45 a can. As I said earlier Saturn Surplus has 200 NOS ones for $49 and that was 5 min of looking.

Please accept my heartfelt apology for not listening to your first posting on this thread. What was I thinking? Please excuse my compliancy and ignorance for not doing “5 minutes of research” before I replied to WagonMasters question. If your intent was to make me feel like a complete Idiot you succeeded. I will from hence forward endeavor not to reply to any SS member without doing all applicable research. God knows I do not wish to be chastised on my own thread ever again.
I graciously thank you for pointing out my errors and shortcomings.