I bought a gallon of fuel in a can and want to transfer it into a gallon plastic bottle,the bottle i have is one that had windshield washer fluid in it,i washed it out with a little soap then rinsed with clear water,it has dried for 2 days to make sure all the moisture is out of it,would it be safe to use as a fuel bottle ?.This other guy told me once a can is opened it wont seal back and part of the fuel evaporates.
is there a special plastic bottle i need instead of the one i have ?.
All answers appreciated as long as there helpful.
Thanks

The company I work for makes the can your talking about (rectangular paint thinner type with screw on cap?)
It should seal just as well as a bottle
I could get into the science of osmosis and plastic but it really isn't a big deal
I'm sure both are fine.
The can shouldn't be used for longer then a year after it's opened but I doubt your fuel will last that long anyway.

PS
I use a plastic bottle
It what my fuel comes in.

I'm sure you'll be fine with the WW Fluid bottle.

Also, in my opinion, you'd have to wait a good long time for enough fuel to evaporate that it would make a difference. I had 3/4 gallon of fuel sitting around for 9 months recently (through the hottest months of the year). When I finally used it again it was perfectly fine.

FWIW, usually transfer my fuel to a plastic bottle, but only beacuse I like to eyeball how much fuel is left so I know if I should bring an extra gallon to the field with me.

Actually the downside to plastic bottles, is that if you leave it on cement for long term storage, you will loose nitro content at a pretty fast rate. Just remember to store it on a wood shelf, or carpet or anything other than cement. Metal cans of course don't suffer this fate.

Yea you should be dandy. Lots of WW use ethanol as an antifreeze. So your methanol aircraft fuel will be dandy. Just check to see that the gasket on the lid is ok.

Mark Shuman

Please elaborate, I've always stored my fuel on a cement floor, in a plastic bottle, and I have a gallon that's over a year old. (I buy by the case) I have never had a problem with this.
Could this be a myth, like "don't store your car battery on a cement floor, or it will discharge"? (it's not the cement floor that discharges the battery, it's the moisture across the teminals, and the long term "storage" that drains them.) Not arguing, just curious.

Jetts

Well, I guess it's not just plastic, but any containter. I guess it has more to do with temperature, and cement acts like a large heatsink or oven depending on which time of the year.

For more info on fuel: http://www.rcnitro.com/rn/articles/nitro_fuel.asp

The article seems to have some good facts and information combined with some myth, speculation and absolute nonsense. Don't believe everything you read - even if it is on a well-prepared website.

Ross

Well said, I'm going to second that.
The part about the engine knowing when you change fuel, and not liking it is a crock. As well as the part about using a blankie to keep it warm when storing it in the cold basement. I had a half of a gallon left over, and forgot it was under the steps in my swampy cold dark basement for two years, guess what? I ran it through one of my planes last summer with no problems. I have run more different fuels through my trusty Irvine than I can count, and it never got mad at me, or blew up. Just a case of someone getting paid to "know stuff" and write about it.


Jetts

I can beat that, I have a gallon thats been in my basement for close to 10 years and I still use it to bench run engines......Rog,
oh and it sits on a concrete floor,,never heard of that one before

There is no way that cement will cause plastic to draw nitro or any other liquid out of a bottle.

I have about 1/3 gallon of Red Max 5% nitro fuel in a plastic jug which I sat on the concrete basement floor next to an exposed west concrete wall in Illinois sometime in the early 80's. It is been sitting in a cardboard box in my insulated shop here in Texas for 5 years. I run an engine on the bench with it every once in a while. Seem to run OK.

Jim

No wonder i always thought WildCat Fuel wasn't as good as PowerMaster or any other brand... the guy that owns the company is clueless.

Methanol has less energy per gallon than Gasoline. (didn't have to go far in the article to find a MAJOR error.)

FHHuber

You are right. In fact gasoline has around twice the energy (per Kg) of methanol. Lots of crap about "purity" of nitromethane not to mention the whole issue of fuel storage etc. Although the article did have some good information about fuels, it was a tough go to separate the gems from the junk.

Heat of combustion [kJ/kg]
19,930 Methanol
43,030 Gasoline

Ross