Fwends, Womans, Countwymen, wend me your ears - and your Scepter MFC

Ok, I got my water Jerry cans today from the link on the other thread. I got home and saw them and remembered reading this thread a bit while I was at work. So, I decided to come post some more pics for you. I don't know if it will help in this thread or not, for the 'debate' you guys are having.

Here are the pics. I bought my 2 fuel scepters on a vacation trip in Canada. Then I bought the water cans last week from the link in the other thread.

So, here are the pics of the bottom of the fuel can and the water can.
 
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rayra

Expedition Leader
'Nice cans' "O.O"

Thanks for the pictures. Just the sort of thing I was looking for. These really are the best. We abused them to no end, in the Marines. In broiling heat and freezing cold. Used them flat on the ground, filled, as step stools while doing vehicle maintenance, seen them dropped scattered on the highway. The only time I've ever seen them leak is when they are over-tightened and their lids cracked, or when the cap/mouth sealing edges get chewed up by tools or grit. Treat them well and with a modicum of care and they'll last a very long time. No matter what you put in them. ;)
 

mobiledynamics

New member
Off topic or On Topic....

How sealed is the cap system on the MWC ?
Can you incorporate a gasket or is there one already....on the main cap, if not those vent/spot ?
 
MWC Not sealed by anything but threads, no gasket and not the best cap design to incorporate a gasket either. Possibly a thin o ring, plus the extra smaller pour spout would need to possibly install an o ring there too. The air bleeder also isnt sealed well no gasket. So there's 3 possible places a MWC could leak from. Water clearly isnt going to let off vapours like gasoline does. That being said would be more reasons not to use it for anything but water or your childs favourite juice. They seal water when the caps tight but vapours ?
I looked into and researched many years ago about using a black scepter mwc for a diesel and or gas container BUT quickly abandoned the idea as the caps are not the same and the mfc threads are different plus the possibility of someone drinking it as its marked 'water'. More research on the subject only led me to many more reasons its a bad idea most of which ive mentioned in several post and several scepter mfc/mwc threads on exp port.
Fortunately for me a few years later someone else thought a black mfc would be cool.
 

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cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
My beef with using MWC's for fuel beyond the issues already states (cap, markings, sealing, etc) is the complete lack of a vent system. The MFC has a vent that runs back and down along the interior of the can, thus breathing when inverted and dumping fuel. Without that, you'd be "gulping" air and perhaps drizzling fuel out of the MWC's small vent cap while trying to dump. There is something to draining 5 gallons into a rig without spilling a drop in a minute or two, rather than glug, glug, glug, glug, glug. Worth the premium to me. Shop around, they can still be found on the cheap through surplus outlets, bootleggers and smugglers :D

I liked them enough to buy a pallet load
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(None are for sale, fwiw)
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters

rayra

Expedition Leader
The MWC issues have been solved before, using viton o-rings. The cap closure is totally different from an MFC, the MWC cap to jug fit is a v-groove / wedge sort of thing. Need a big ring there. And a smaller ring on the spout cap. And best delete the vent altogether. New / undamaged MWCs seal quite well. DONT OVERTIGHTEN.

As for 'glug', well standing around holding 40-lbs of gas is for suckers. Get a 'Super Siphon' and 6' of 1/2"ID clear PVC hose. Takes a couple movements to get the flow started, and off you go to do something else for 4mins+

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Better to use an MFC if you can find one, afford one. They were once (still are?) type approved. And see the other topic about $15 Scepter 'civilian' cans', if you can find them near you. Only about 60% as thick-walled as an MFC, but same roto-mold process and still a good bit thicker than the other 'civilian' gas jugs. Better than the $45 crimp seam metal cans at Harbor Freight (Midway? Midland? US brand).

I state only that it is possible to use an MWC, but better to use something meant and 'approved' for use as a gas can. That's a choice for the individual.
 

mobiledynamics

New member
Off topic but Kurt, I think I have it solved. In theory at least.

The OE cap has holes that align to the hole in the threaded portion of the MFC for the vent
I'm going to try a test next time which is to crank the DIY nozzle on but back it off, a hair to allow the vent hole to be exposed.
 
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cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Off topic but Kurt, I think I have it solved. In theory at least.

The OE cap has holes that align to the hole in the threaded portion of the MFC for the vent
I'm going to try a test next time which is to crank the DIY nozzle on but back it off, a hair to allow the vent hole to be exposed.

Spot on. Snug cap to the closest vent. You'll get a quick drip but after the vent opens up it will drain the can quickly.
 

cruisertoy

Explorer
Several years ago when the LCI cans were even cheaper than they are now I did some experimentation with using them for fuel. Here is what i posted back in 2010.

"i've got both the Scepter and the LCI cans and they are very close. Finish on the LCI cans isn't as nice as the Scepter, but they seem to be the same thickness plastic (based on wt.). My scepter has an oring on the air breather knob where the LCI didn't. It cost me a whole quarter each to retrofit some viton orings on to the 7 LCI cans I have. In the end the LCI cans have performed just as well as the Scepter water cans. I also posted the following in another thread comparing the LCI water cans to Scepter fuel cans.

"I explored this pretty indepthly a year or two ago. MY goal was to use the buylci.com water cans for fuel. They are very very close to the Scepter water cans. I ended up deciding not to do it. I researched out the military spec for the scepter fuel cans and recreated the testing on the LCI cans. Not using the same MFC spout... wasn't a big deal as i was going to use a super siphon. Putting viton orings on the vent and hose bib was simple and sucessful.

The problem came on the main lid seal. As Kurt said, the water can only has a 1/8" lip instead or the 5/8" flat ribbed seal surface. The water can uses a traditional "wedge" to seal within the cap. You see this being used on regular old gas cans from home depot. One of the reasons you don't want to use regular old cans is because this seal does not work when bouncing around and when the can changes temp. I attempted to install a large viton oring into this sealing area with very little success. I'd have to look up the military spec, but the can had to hold liquid under a certian pressure for a certian amount of time. I could not get it to meet either requirement. I could take it to about half the pressure required but could never get it to hold it for the time needed.

I was not too worried about the material or the plastic thickness. The LCI cans are made out of a single material, High Density Poly Ethylene(HDPE). From my discussions with LCI and tearing apart a can, there was no lining. The water cans are also a little thinner walled than the fuel cans. This also was not too much of a concern for me as the regular cans from Home depot are much thinner than the water cans. When doing the pressure test (I did it succcessfully on a Scepter MFC) the LCI can did swell more than the MFC, but not by much. I was only looking to use them for fuel storage in my garage so the heat and bouncing wasn't a big deal. I still opted to not use them at this point. Could you use them for emergencies, yes. They might be better than a regular plastic gas can, but probably not worth the risk. "
 

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