Temporary Lawn Mower Gas Cap: How To Successfully Make One

A temporary lawn mower gas cap is important if you’ve lost the original. Buying a replacement gas cap can be a great idea only if you don’t need to use the lawn mower immediately.

It is actually quite simple, as homeowners tend to ask, “I lost my gas cap what can I use?” enough to anticipate their needs; given that this seems to happen a lot, we’ve collected all their ideas to make everything easier for you.

Read this article to know how to make yours in the simplest steps.

How to Make a Temporary Gas Cap for Your Mower

To make a temporary gas cap for your mower first understand the purpose of the task, and identify the different materials to use. Then, select the best material at hand, and try to seal a cap that’s the same size, or cover the opening.

– Understand the Purpose of the Task

You’ll have to remember that the keyword we’re using is “temporary.” This means looking for materials that can work for the time being but will not be used as a long-term solution. Usually, the materials can be made from various household items lying around.

– Identify the Different Materials to Use

You might have a suitable material in your household that can be used as a temporary gas cap replacement. Aluminum foil is a great material that is usually found in most household kitchens. While you’re at it, look for rubber bands as well.

Another possible replacement for your mower gas cap is a plastic cap that’s similar in size to the mower’s missing cap. You might have to look a bit harder and collect several as you go.

At the same time, you may need to look for a duct tape roll, rubber bands, or even thread seal tape to do the work tightly. Thread seal tapes are known by other names, such as PTFE tape, plumber’s tape, or Teflon tape.

Plastic bags can also be used as temporary caps for your mower’s gas tank. Look for ones that are thick and will not possibly react with gasoline. Most plastic bags work well with gasoline. However, you need to be cautious as some can break down easily upon contact with gasoline.

Large corks can also work, provided that they securely plug the mower’s fuel tank. Conversely, corks that are smaller than the hole of the tank will not work, unless, of course, you have a small gas opening.

If you have caps from other gas-powered tools, then they can work as long as the caps are similar in size. If you think that the caps from other tools are just slightly larger, they can still work.

In your search for a suitable cap for your gas, you might be tempted to use rags to stuff and plug the hole. While it may stop gasoline from spilling, the rag can also absorb the gasoline inside the fuel tank.

This can cause gasoline to start dripping on the mower deck, but, aside from this, gasoline can also leave a trail on your flooring and grass, which is something you should avoid because it can damage your lawn grass.

– Select the Materials You Have on Hand

Now that you know what materials you should look for and what to avoid, you can begin selecting the ones that best suit your task. If you have more than one option to choose from, you can bring them with you as you go back to your push mower.

Try to manage the task of covering the gas filling area as much as you can, with the material that you have. You may try to check what you have that can be a temporary fix, such as a covering it with a material and then tightening it with some thin rope because you don’t want to seal it with plastic bands that can snatch it off.

– Try to Seal A Cap That’s the Same Size

If you found plastic caps around your house roughly the same size as the missing gas cap, then check if they fit. If the caps are a bit loose, wrap some thread seal tape around the threaded gas tank opening.

The thread seal tape will help make the cap fit better over the tank opening. If you want to secure it even more, wrap some of the thread seal tapes over the plastic caps. Alternatively, you can use duct tape over the plastic caps as well, as long as the tape is well secured, you will be fine when using it.

Assuming that you have found a cork large enough to keep the gasoline inside the fuel tank and prevent it from spilling, then use it as a replacement. Otherwise, if the cork is too small, it can’t work as an effective replacement material.

You can easily borrow caps from other gas-powered tools as long as they fit well over the gas tank cap opening. If the borrowed caps are slightly larger, use thread seal tapes to secure the caps.

To doubly ensure the borrowed cap is prevented from coming loose, loop it with more thread seal tape. As an alternative, you can use duct tape to secure the fuel cap.

– Cover the Opening

Plastic bags cut down to size to fit the gasoline tank opening can work in a pinch. Similar to using aluminum foil, cover the fuel tank cap opening with an appropriately sized plastic bag.

You can use more pieces if you feel that one may not be enough. You’ll need to remember that some plastic materials can react negatively when in contact with gasoline. When using plastic bags as coverings, try to be as secure as you can until you buy the correct cap that will cover the gas port, immediately.

If you selected aluminum as your material of choice, tear off a piece large enough to cover the cap. Mold it over the opening of the tank, and make sure that the fit is perfect. Make sure that you have enough material to cover the whole opening area, and the surrounding, because this is going to be the temporary seal.

Secure the cover with some rubber bands, or some rope, as you should do it tightly, so no gar would spill around. These will prevent the aluminum cover from coming off and spilling gasoline all over your floor and grass.

Once you have covered your mower’s gasoline tank with a temporary solution, you can now buy the correct one as soon as you can. While the options are stop-gap measures, nothing beats using the one manufactured specifically for your mower, such as the Craftsman lawn mower gas cap.

Conclusion

The solutions we have covered are easy, convenient, and readily available. Before we wrap things up, here are a few reminders about using temporary gasoline caps:

• Remind yourself that all the mentioned solutions are temporary and not meant to be used as permanent replacements.
• Buy the correct replacement cap of the gas for your lawn mower as soon as possible.
• Use the mower cautiously to avoid spilling gasoline from the gas tank, even when tightly secured.
• Don’t mow your lawn with a full tank, since the temporary fuel cap can still come off.
• Use temporary gasoline caps only when you need to use the mower immediately.

All of these temporary solutions can make your mowing experience easier, even if you lose the covering for the gas. Even with all our ideas, remember that nothing is better than the original mower part. Have you tried using our expert solutions?