The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Small Portable Gas Tank

I find a need to have a small, safe, portable gas supply that is easy to hook up. I often run across vehicles with old stinky gas in their tanks and would like to be able to hear and engine run with fresh gas.
Is anyone aware of an existing product or has anyone modified something like a regular gas can or fuel tank from a lawnmower for this purpose?
Thanks, Jim

Boat gas tanks work well for this purpose. They are easily sealed and have provisions for fuel hose.

Plus many come with a priming bulb.

Ditto on the boat tank. I have used them in demolition derbies, very safe.

Thanks for the replies! Boat tanks are being considered and will probably end up as my choice. I was thinking about a smaller tank, if possible, a gallon or less is fine for my needs. I got to thinking about this the last time I used my Honda generator. It has a nifty cap that is sealed when the generator is not in use and vented, by turning the fitting on the top of the cap, when it is. Maybe a modified generator or lawnmower tank would work.

I use an old Toro push mower tank...holds about one gallon. It's small enough to hang from the hood to gravity feed the carburetor.

Mike B

Thanks Mike! That sounds like what I need. And I do happen to have an old mower that was on its way to a recycler. Guess he'll get it without the tank.

Some boat tanks have a screw on cap that includes the hand primer pump, might be able to use the tank cap/pump with any old tank.

Ed

No mods, no special tank, safe, inexpensive, easy to hook up:
I use a new style, red, plastic, 2-3 gallon gas container. 3-4 foot of fuel hose. Attach to pump inlet, stick other end down in the not full container. Mini glue clamp holds hose at right depth. It's that easy. Lawn mower tank too small. Don't want a metal one. Don't like hanging gas over me or motor. The plastic one sits on the ground. Any motor's fuel pump will suck gas up in 10 seconds. Take it for a short ride if you need to, with the container in a milk crate on passenger floor, hose thru a hole in firewall. Use the spout that comes with container to pour unused gas back into your own truck. Once you buy the truck and get it home, you will eventually need to go get gas for it. Guess what you use for that. You will need to re-hose truck in places. Guess what you use for that.

For an old vehicle with questionable fuel tank and fuel pump.
I use a one gallon pump up weed sprayer.
Make sure the gas tank is disconnected from the fuel pump and then clamp in the pump sprayer directly to the carb.
Do Not Pump the sprayer very much!
It may blow gas past the needle valve, flood the engine and leak gas out on the exhaust manifold.

Also have a heavy rag and fire extinguisher, just in case something does not go as planned.

Don

We use a 10# Freon bottle that has been converted to a pressure tank. Have a 0-10# regulator on wall to cover anything with a carburetor and a 0-165# (compressor limit) regulator to cover most fuel injection units. With this set up we have almost infinite pressure settings to dial in what works best and then use that info to buy a pump/regulator. Learned the hard way about going by what the repair manuals say. IIRC 4 cam Ford engines were supposed to be at 27#'s idle and 44#'s WOT but instead need 61#'s to properly atomize the fuel mixture. Probably too exotic for a home shop but if Don used one of those 2-3#, been around forever, pot metal fuel regulators on his weed sprayer it might work pretty good. Darn sure does away with rusty tank/fuel line/rotting hoses.

Great ideas everyone! You guys make Stovebolt the best! Thanks, Jim