Jerry Can storage, sludge, not so great!

[Ben Hutchings]

I’ve been using a metal Jerry Can for a while, topping up the car (that’s been static for a while now) as needed. Today I was running the engine for a bit and ran out of fuel, so put a couple of litres in the tank. As I finished filling and retrieved the spout I noticed some flakes in the filler tube. There was only a small amount left in the can, so I upended it into a jam jar: 

This was a totally clean jam jar! The stuff at the bottom is a brown creamy sludge that disperses and settles/separates very quickly when agitated. Further inspection shows the inside of the Jerry can is a mess!

Interestingly the car cut out and wouldn’t restart about a minute after this. I wonder if the two are related! 😂 - new Filter King element on order and a long overdue thorough investigation of the fuel system will commence shortly.

Anyhow figured with many of you taking emergency cans on RBRR with you, it might be a good time time check the fuel inside is ok. 

[RobPearce]

Is it a steel Jerry can? That looks like watery rust - one of the big problems of ethanol fuel if left to stand for a while. I don't intend to carry a big steel Jerry can - just a one gallon plastic one, which won't suffer that problem.

Edited September 23, 2021 by RobPearce

[Ben Hutchings]

5 minutes ago, RobPearce said:

Is it a steel Jerry can? That looks like watery rust

Yep, it's had E5 in it for quite a long time. My mistake, and obvious if I'd thought about it more, but you know how it is when you think "I bought this fuel just a little while ago" and realise it's February! 😂

I would have done the same last year too, probably the one before that, so over time the water has wrecked the can, and bits of it have been dumped into the tank. You should see the state of the filter!