Improvising a lawnmower gas cap

[NYLefty]

I've somehow lost the cap to the gas tank on my Sears Craftsman push
lawnmower. I found a container cap that fits, but if I use that on
the gas tank the mower quits soon after I start it.

I assume that I should bore a hole in the replacement cap to let some
air in, .but I'm not sure how big the hole should be. Should it be as
small as possible to avoid gas splashing out? Could it be too small?

And I'm out in the country and weeks go by before I'm anywhere near a
lawnmower dealer, but should I eventually get a "real" gas tank cap to
replace my improvised one?

Thanks.

Lefty

[Bob F]

Keep your eyes open for someont throwing away a mower and grap the cap? Or just
buy one at any hardware store?

You could drill a very small hole in the cap, and make a cap washer for it with
a tiny hole in that too. You could cut the washer out of a clorox jug or similar
plastic. That should eliminat any spillage.

[NYLefty]

On Jun 17, 11:48 pm, "Bob F" <bobnos...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Keep your eyes open for someont throwing away a mower and grap the cap? Or just
> buy one at any hardware store?

Are all lawnmower gas caps the same size? I was assuming that they're
different sizes and that I'd have to get a replacement from Sears --
or at least another lawnmower dealer.

[Bob F]

I think there are a few very common caps, so they shouldn't be too hard to
duplicate.

[mm]

On Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:41:05 -0700 (PDT), NYLefty <nyl...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Very small is good enough. It's for air, which is even better than a
mouse at squeezing through small spaces. 1/16". myabe even smaller.
Or start very small and see if it works. If you still have the same
problem, make it a bit bigger. Maybe it won't splash out. Try it
and see. If it does, you can do what BobF says.

[Andy]

On Jun 18, 3:13 am, mm <NOPSAMmm2...@bigfoot.com> wrote:

>
> Very small is good enough. It's for air, which is even better than a
> mouse at squeezing through small spaces. 1/16". myabe even smaller.
> Or start very small and see if it works. If you still have the same
> problem, make it a bit bigger. Maybe it won't splash out. Try it
> and see. If it does, you can do what BobF says.

Andy adds:
Very good advice, in my opinion. Remember NY, you don't have
to get it perfect the first time, and "too small" doesn't hurt
anything........ It's not like you were drilling for oil in
the Gulp of Texaco :>))))))

Andy in Eureka, Texas

[Connor Moore]

Hello,

I am suggesting you a simple idea to improve your gaps.

Keep your eyes open for someont throwing away a mower and grap the cap? Or
just buy one at any hardware store?

thanks!

_______
[url=http://www.woodworkweb.com/ Free-Woodwork -Plans Free Woodworking Plan
[/url]

[Jon Danniken]

> NYLefty wrote:
>> I've somehow lost the cap to the gas tank on my Sears Craftsman push
>> lawnmower. I found a container cap that fits, but if I use that on
>> the gas tank the mower quits soon after I start it.
>>
>> I assume that I should bore a hole in the replacement cap to let some
>> air in, .but I'm not sure how big the hole should be. Should it be as
>> small as possible to avoid gas splashing out? Could it be too small?
>>
>> And I'm out in the country and weeks go by before I'm anywhere near a
>> lawnmower dealer, but should I eventually get a "real" gas tank cap
>> to replace my improvised one?

Find out who made the motor, and contact them (or one of their
representatives) for parts.

Jon

[LSMFT]

NYLefty wrote:

Just a hole will make it leak and splash out. You need an insert under
the cap also with a side hole (not in line with the cap hole) to prevent
splash out and let what splashes into the first hole to drain back in
the tank. A 1/16 or 1/32 hole is adaquate.
--

If I wasn't me I wouldn't like me either.
Signature file not found

[Shaun Eli]

Evaporating gasoline can be a fire hazard. If you found the correct
replacement cap on the internet you'd have it in just a few days.

[Shaun]

On 6/18/10 8:55 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
> I think you're in good hands on this one- fix what you've got,
> scrounge a cap or try a hardware store. . . .
>
> NYLefty<nyl...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> -snip-

>>
>> And I'm out in the country and weeks go by before I'm anywhere near a
>> lawnmower dealer,
>

> I'm in the burbs and within a 1/2 hour of a 1/2 dozen dealers-- but
> I'd probably get a gas cap online. T'aint worth the time or effort
> to get in the car and drive when I can order it before my afternoon
> nap& often have it before lunch the next day.

>snip<

>
> Jim

...as long as you don't mind adding $20+ to your cost for priority
overnight shipping!!

[mkir...@rochester.rr.com]

On Jun 17, 9:41 pm, NYLefty <nyle...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've somehow lost the cap to the gas tank on my Sears Craftsman push
> lawnmower.

Just stuff an old t-shirt into the hole and let it dangle over the
side. When the t-shirt is good and soaked with gas, light up a smoke.

[Stormin Mormon]

Variety of different sizes. I'd try punching a hole with a hammer and
small nail, probably end up with a smaller hole than a twist drill.

Yes, size matters. For lawn mowers, too.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

"NYLefty" <nyl...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:e505c086-2e92-4208...@5g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...

[NYLefty]

On Jun 18, 10:37 am, Shaun <sh...@sheep2.net> wrote:
> On 6/18/10 8:55 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
>
> > I think you're in good hands on this one- fix what you've got,
> > scrounge a cap or try a hardware store. . . .

I went into the nearest small town today and was surprised to find a
cap that fits at the hardware store there.....thanks to those who
suggested doing this. I'd been thinking that there wouldn't be much
of a demand for such caps and that I've have to get one from Sears or
a lawnmower dealer.

[Smitty Two]

In article <hvgput$d0o$1...@news.eternal-september.org>,
"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Variety of different sizes. I'd try punching a hole with a hammer and
> small nail, probably end up with a smaller hole than a twist drill.

Yer normal set of drills goes down to #60, which is 0.040." That should
be small enough without resorting to nails or breaking out the 61-80
drill index.

[James H.]

On Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:09:32 -0400, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

> there have been enough folks down this path before to make
> it profitable for someone to carry replacements.<g>

My Craftsman 917.388853 6.5 HP 21" push mower (Consumer Reports Best Buy in
2005) came with this "fancy" gas cap that supposedly "preserved the gas".

After a couple of seasons, the fancy gas-preserving cap couldn't preserve
itself, and it broke into pieces. I just put a gas-can cap on. It fit. But
the engine kept quitting after a while. So I loosened it up when I was
cutting the lawn.

I'm curious WHAT is the difference between a gas-can cap and a lawn mower
gasoline tank cap? (The threads are the same.)

[hal...@aol.com]

> After a couple of seasons, the fancy gas-preserving cap couldn't preserve
> itself, and it broke into pieces. I just put a gas-can cap on. It fit. But
> the engine kept quitting after a while. So I loosened it up when I was
> cutting the lawn.
>
> I'm curious WHAT is the difference between a gas-can cap and a lawn mower
> gasoline tank cap? (The threads are the same.)

gas can caps are non vented designed to seal and not let vapors in or
out........

mower caps are vented so as gasoline is used air can enter the tank,
otherwise the engine will quit after awhile stareved for fuel.

how do i know this? many many years ago my mowers vent cap
malfunctioned and quit venting.

engine would run for awhile then quit. i would check gasoline level
put back cap mower would run again for awhile then quit.....

what the heck? thats when i learned about gasoline cap venting:)

[me]

Gas caps *should* provide a complete seal. Mowers, particularly the modern carb compliant ones, as well as other small equipment, have a cap that has a negative pressure valve in the top.

This means that as the pump draws fuel it creates a vacuum in the tank that opens that valve to let air in, but the valve closes so no gas fumes escape when there is no suction, when the engine isn't running - till it wears out, then you will see the rubber falling apart and smell gas fumes if it's left sitting in a non-ventilated area. In other cases it just gums up and plastic parts stick shut or open and it can be cleaned out, but usually there's some rubber that went bad unless your gas was terribly dirty.

You could certainly make a TINY hole in a gas can cap, plug that hole while it's not running and unplug the hole while it is, though you might still end up with a little gas splashing out when the tank is full.

[bob haller]

many gasoline can caps and engine caps are identical except for the vent.

i lost my gasoline engine cap and needed to get the grass cut, so i removed the gas can washer and left the lid a tiny bit loose.

its a good emergency patch

[Ralph Mowery]

"bob haller" <hal...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:c5e8a026-7383-4e10...@googlegroups.com...

>> how do i know this? many many years ago my mowers vent cap
>> malfunctioned and quit venting.
>>
>> engine would run for awhile then quit. i would check gasoline level
>> put back cap mower would run again for awhile then quit.....
>>
>> what the heck? thats when i learned about gasoline cap venting:)
>
> many gasoline can caps and engine caps are identical except for the vent.
>
> i lost my gasoline engine cap and needed to get the grass cut, so i
> removed the gas can washer and left the lid a tiny bit loose.
>
> its a good emergency patch

Fellow at work had a mower that would run for a short time and quit. Told
him to checkthe vent hole.
Next day he admitted he had mixed up the gas can and the engines gas caps.

[Dawn]

That’s hysterical! I needed a good laugh since I just lost my cap and ordered a new one. Be here tomorrow but I want to mow RIGHT NOW! Guess I’ll stick a rag in it. And light a smoke…

--
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