Fumes from a Scepter Can

[cbradley]

I store my gas cans in the truck when I am using them to avoid placing the weight up high on the roof. For some reason, one of my Scepter gas cans isn't creating a tight seal. Without fail, when getting into the car after a couple hours, there is a strong smell of gasoline in the car. I have inspected the can and cannot see anything wrong with it. The gasket in the cap is not damaged and looks identical to to another one that does not have a problem. I have tried putting lithium grease on the gasket in hopes that it would create a better seal, but that has not worked either. Any thoughts? If I end up needing to replace the gasket in the cap, does anyone know where I can get one? As far as I know, Scpeter does not sell to civilians in the US any longer. Any help would be much appreciated.

BTW, I wasn't sure which forum to post this under. Gas cans are sort of recovery equipment, I suppose. If it should have gone somewhere else, can one of the moderators move it please?

Thanks.

 

[Cabrito]

I switched from the Scepters to the Wedco Nato type for several reasons. The fumes was one of them. No matter how tight I would crank down the tops I could still smell fumes. Then they would get so tight I could not get the tops off without considerable effort. My cans were purchased new with the red straps on the lids
I also wanted smaller cans to put on the roof and pack inside my Land Cruiser so I got the smaller 10L Wedco cans.
I think that others have had success with the Scepters so I'm sure they will chime in with some suggestions.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Did you purchase your cans brand new? Do they have a red strap on them? Has a strap or gasket been replaced?

One common scenario with surplus or used cans is the wrong gasket material for the seal, rubber is meant for diesel, viton for the gasoline. Using gas with the rubber has proven to crack the flange (causing leaks/odor) or seeping past the seal (causing leaks/odor).

Wish I had a better answer for you on the parts, I ordered a grundle of caps, flanges, gaskets and spouts just to satisfy my personal needs, the rest were offered up here on ExPo and went really quick. If you've got any friends or family in Canada they might be able to help.

 

[jbs]

I have the same problem with one of my cans. Both of mine were purchased new; one leaks, one does not. No visible differences in the lids/threads/gaskets. I called Scepter last year and they offered to look at it if I shipped it to them. The round trip would have cost more than a new can (at the time), so I didn't take them up on it.

I think Teotwaki has a source for replacement Viton gaskets. PM him.

 

[bmonday]

I don't mean to be a Flanders here, but carrying fuel inside a vehicle is a Really Bad Idea(tm), especially when you consider that the fumes are the "explodey" part of gasoline...

There, I've done my good deed for the day!

BMonday

 

[spencyg]

I don't mean to be a Flanders here, but carrying fuel inside a vehicle is a Really Bad Idea(tm), especially when you consider that the fumes are the "explodey" part of gasoline...

There, I've done my good deed for the day!

BMonday

I'm glad I'm not the only one with this thought running through my head. Gasoline should really never be carried anywhere near living biology (you, me, the dog, etc)

Keep it outside.

Spence

 

[cbradley]

I appreciate the advice regarding keeping the gas cans out of the car. If I continue to have fume issues, I will definitely be rethinking keeping them inside. There are a couple of reasons that I have been keeping them inside thus far. The first is that I really don't have a good alternative. Not having a steel bumper in the rear, I cannot place them anywhere but on the roof. The fully loaded cans are heavy and impact the center of gravity, which has already been raised by the suspension lift.

I have tried to pattern my loading off the recommendations that Tom Sheppard gives in his Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide. In terms of the gas cans, I am able to get them such that, as the heaviest items I am carrying (along with the water cans), they are between the axles. From the illustrations, it looks like Tom carries 4 or 5 of them in his rig. My guess is that his gaskets are pretty close to immaculate.

If I can't resolve the fume issue, I am going to have to make an alternative compromise though. I am going to try to source replacements and see how that goes.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I have tried to pattern my loading off the recommendations that Tom Sheppard gives in his Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide. In terms of the gas cans, I am able to get them such that, as the heaviest items I am carrying (along with the water cans), they are between the axles. From the illustrations, it looks like Tom carries 4 or 5 of them in his rig. My guess is that his gaskets are pretty close to immaculate.

He uses Wedco/NATO cans.

 

[cbradley]

He uses Wedco/NATO cans.

That is true, I hadn't thought it would make a difference. Do you think the fume problem is a Scepter issue as opposed to a flawed gasket issue? Maybe I am using the wrong type of can? I was under the impression that the Scepter design was an improvement over the older design.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

That is true, I hadn't thought it would make a difference. Do you think the fume problem is a Scepter issue as opposed to a flawed gasket issue? Maybe I am using the wrong type of can? I was under the impression that the Scepter design was an improvement over the older design.

I hate to pull the 'not mine' card but honestly I've had no issues with leaking with mine, and against even my own advice I store them inside the rig or trailer on occasion

 

[Overland Hadley]

That is true, I hadn't thought it would make a difference. Do you think the fume problem is a Scepter issue as opposed to a flawed gasket issue? Maybe I am using the wrong type of can? I was under the impression that the Scepter design was an improvement over the older design.

Some people swear by Scepter, some people swear by Wedco.

Personally I use Wedcos, they hold an air tight seal under high pressure. (At least the old style holds a seal under pressure, not sure about the new CARB ones.)

 

[off-roader]

I also use 'Nato' cans because of this and have absolutely '0' reservations about storing them in the passenger compartment when it comes to concerns about possible fumes. I regularly carry 2 cans in cab versus in the back or roof. Plus they were only $30 or so at the local surplus stores (when they still sold them in CA).

When I researched this way back when the Scepter's were highly touted but are $$$$ and I was never sure about them possibly leaking fumes so I opted for the Nato's which are proven leak proof.

The old Blizzard cans I have on the other hand have simply become 'ornamental red metal cans' and serve absolutely '0' functionality when it comes to carrying gas on a trip. I might use on a rack behind the rear mounted spare as a tailgater prevention device. LOL

I'll have to reread what the purpose of the CARB rules were regarding gas cans. It seems to me it couldn't be to reduce gas emissions simply because the new setups still leak gas vapors.

 

[Cabrito]

There are a couple of reasons that I have been keeping them inside thus far. The first is that I really don't have a good alternative. Not having a steel bumper in the rear, I cannot place them anywhere but on the roof. The fully loaded cans are heavy and impact the center of gravity, which has already been raised by the suspension lift.

If I can't resolve the fume issue, I am going to have to make an alternative compromise though. I am going to try to source replacements and see how that goes.

I was having these same issues, and they were part of my reasons for switching to the Wedco / Nato style cans.

For my Scepter test I left one in the Land Cruiser for a week without going into the vehicle and when I opened the door there were definitely fumes no doubt about it. Right then and there I new I had to come up with some other option. I got a hitch mounted carrier for them but that is not going to work for a lot of off road stuff.
I also did not want those big cans on the roof.
I ended up getting four of the smaller 10 Liter Wedco's and started by testing them inside the car. I left them in the Land Cruiser for a week without entering the vehicle just like I had with the Scepters and there were no fumes at all.
The smaller size are nice because I can pack them in and around other gear quite nicely. What I have ended up doing is putting two on the roof and two inside. With the smaller cans on the roof I can disperse the weight a little and they have a shorter height. Although it's probably the same if you had your Nato cans on their backs.
Another thing about the smaller cans is that they are easier to heft up onto the roof and generally easier to handle since I am a smaller human.

Here is a pic of them on the roof -

 

[cbradley]

I'll need to look further into this issue. Perhaps I need to switch cans. Nice rig btw.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I'll need to look further into this issue. Perhaps I need to switch cans. Nice rig btw.

Bummer to hear that. I almost wonder if there were some different runs of Scepter MFC's that had problems? A bad batch of plastic or some mold issues?? So many have had trouble free experiences but there are enough that have had issues that its obviously a real problem. I seem to remember an ExPo member that sent them back to Scepter and got two new identical MFC's back and never had another leak problem?? Anyone remember that?