Posted: 9/2/2007 5:03:23 PM EDT
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Ok yesterday I tried to rotate my fuel that I keep in my MFCs (stabilized by the way). I could not for the life of me get the lids off. Today I reapproached the problem using my 'plumbers' Vice Grips. It has a large curved jaw for dealing with pipes. Opening it up all the way I was able to get a grip on the cap and get them open. After filling up my Jeep I inspected the cap. On one I had the 'inner' ring partially broken, it looks like the black gasket expanded a bit. Another one had the inner ring completely broken off (it was in the bottom of the can swishing around). WTF? Did the seals expand and cause the problem of the locked up caps and damage to these inner rings (which seem to be 2ndary seals). Should I get new caps - or will these still work fine? Thanks. |
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I posted this several times a while ago, but I will again. When ever you have these cans, make sure you have a STRAP WRENCH and learn how to use it or you may never get the lids off. Also, a small amount of wheel bearing grease or anti-seize on the gasket and threads goes a long way to keeping it from locking up again. The other thing you need to do is to not fill them all the way up. Leave room in them, and then when you want to tighten the cap do it like this. Loosen the cap up, and then sit down on the ground with the can between your legs and squeeze out all or as much of the extra air in the can as you able to. Then tighten the cap while squeezing the can with your legs. Now when the can expands, it will expand out to its normal size and still fit into a MFC carrier. Once they balloon out, they will never fit in a carrier again or at least fit like they should. |
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IIRC the diesel MFC's come with the incorrect gaskets for use with gasoline and they will swell. all of mine have the middle piece to hold the gasket missing and its not a problem. they also dont get hard to open, im assuming becuase the middle piece is missing and the gaskets can swell. someone sells the correct (viton?) gaskets. there is a thread about this in the archives i posted in should be easy to find. |
Yes, MFC have the wrong gasket for unleaded fuel storage and the gaskets swell up over time preventing the easy removal of the cap. Viton gaskets are the correct gasket for unleaded fuels but good luck finding them...I've been trying for weeks and the best I found was quote from iso-group for 45 of them for $22ea...1000 bucks minimum purchase. I emailed Scepter and they were less than helpful. Tried 3 different email addresses from their web site and all they would do was forward my email to a vendor in San Antonio (about 4 hours away). Vendor didn't respond. When I called them they basically told me 'tough shit' we don't do special orders for Scepter products. The best fuel cans but with out the viton gaskets you will probably have issues. |
Here's what I use for fuel storage. It's self venting, compact, and stable. It's a type 1 container. The only drawback is filling it up. I have to use a clamp to hold open the lid. There are one for diesel and kerosene. This particular container I purchased from Graingers. Graingers unfortunately deals with companies that has accounts with them. Lucky for me.
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| Here ya go - Viton gaskets $9.99 per - www.quadratec.com/products/12202_002.htm |
I have a pair of these too. There are a few other drawbacks. The screen in the opening is permanent. If you ever wanted to siphon out gas, you'd have a problem. The shitty funnel made for the can tends to leak around the neck when pouring gas. This especially happens if you lean the sprout against your car filler. The self venting feature is the best. |
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try this search and make your own gaskets, it isn't rocket science...... www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=viton+gasket+material&spell=1 |
Too broad a statement (in red). It's true for surplus military MFC's (e.g. Major's) or for MFC's bought strictly for diesel. Lot's of MFC's already come with the viton gasket so, as a blanket statement, yours is incorrect. Try Generator Joe's for gaskets, last time I looked they had the gaskets plus other spare parts on their web site (generatorjoe.net, IRC). Good luck. Merlin |
Well yeah fine - MILITARY fuel cans from the MILITARY have the wrong gasket for unleaded. You can buy new MFC from civilian vendors but then I would figure anybody buying a new MFC from a vendor would go ahead and purchase the one rated for unleaded and not diesel if unleaded was their intended application. Generator Joe's is almost all out of the MFC game - they quit selling spare parts awhile ago and even now the few remaining MFC in inventory are marked "CLOSE OUT SALE - CALL IN YOUR ORDER WHILE SUPPLIES LAST" There have been many threads on this subject in the past several months - there just isnt a good source for spare parts anymore. Pour spouts and cans are easy enough but spare gaskets and straps have all but gone away. In the past folks have had good luck and response from the manufacturer but my experience lately has been less than responsive. |
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You mean Jerry Can PDF? ETA - Davidson's is out of the MFC business as well |
I knew about the screen already. We have several at work. The funnel leaking I learned first hand when I filled up my truck. What I did after that is a funnel within a funnel method. Solved the leak problem. Eventually I'll make a flammable liquid box since the cost is pretty high. I'm also going to incorporate a flammable liquid cabinet fire extinguisher just in case. The hospital I use to work for had several of them in the cabinets. |
It's an off-white color, not solid black like the diesel. It's a good thing I was paying attention to the posts here last fall and stocked up on the viton gaskets and red straps...  IIRC I gave links and info several times how and where to buy the gaskets.
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No need to get pissy. I think the ratio around here is about 50/50 on surplus vs. new bought MFC's - and it's an assumption that *most* people buying new would buy the ones with the Viton, but I think it's probably highly likely given how much we discuss it here. Sorry to hear about Gen Joes also getting out of the MFC and MFC parts business. Wonder why people are dropping Scepter? But there's still hope: you can make your own gaskets, see the link above and Brigade Quartermasters still sells MFCs and their spouts. Don't know about spare parts, might call and find out. Lack of spare parts makes ordering surplus MFCs from Major's a greater risk than it already is given their poor quality lately. Your only recourse in the case of a useless MFC is to see if Major's will replace it. Merlin |
And note the mistake in this statement, page 5, fifth para., first sentence: "According to Scepter, the gasket material is different for diesel vs. gas; however the diesel gaskets, which is viton, are compatible with either fuel from a materials standpoint." This statement is untrue: diesel gaskets are rubber and are not (long-term) compatible with unleaded gasoline. Viton is compatible with both. As stated earlier in this thread, the surplus MFCs and diesel on MFC's have the rubber gasket; what you want for gasoline is the Viton. When I wrote this, I was using information I recieved from Scepter, which was subsequently lost in a PC crash and rebuild and I foolishly depended on my memory for the information. |
i made a PDF drawing a while back: losdos.dyndns.org:8080/public/mfc/mfc-gasket.pdf ar-jedi  |