Burning Your Used Oil

[sdalton]

There was a thread started by illflem a while back regarding the burning of used oil. Well, I got a hold of 3 gallons of used non-synthetic. I poured two gallons into my 60 gallon aux. tank and one gallon into my main tank then filled up. No smoke, no noticable loss in power, idle is good, and it was free. How many others have done this? What is the most oil you can safely add without decreasing power, and increasing smoke???

 

[illflem]

Cummins says up to 5% is fine, about 1. 75 gallons per tank. Watch your fuel filter if you don't filter the oil before dumping in your tank though.

 

[Tim1]

burning used moror oil

Why are you fellas running used motor through your fuel system? Surely it can't be to save 2. 00 a gallon on fuel, is it? Seems a little destructive to add all that dirt to the sensitive fuel system. I'll problaly get flamed for this, but I don't understand why. Tim

 

[sdalton]

The main filter is about due for a change. I have an inline filter for the aux tank. I let the oil settle before pouring, not pouring the entire amount. I figure a little more lub. for the system couldnt hurt.

 

[illflem]

Tim1, I won't flame you, I also won't dump waste oil in my tank. Although it won't hurt anything any benefit is minor. Doubt if more frequent filter changes will ever balance out the free fuel.

The oilmate system for burning waste oil is a whole different story, check it out here- https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=70611

 

[Mtngoat]

Being clueless about this, my question is: Doesn't the dirty oil or can't the used oil create deposits in the tank or clog up the fuel filter?? Just curious. .



Robin

 

[RustyJC]

Although I'll yield to Cummins' recommendations on this, I personally don't care to have the additive package in the used motor oil creating ash and deposits (quantified in the lube oil specs as sulfated ash percentage) in my engine.



Edit: For reference, from what I can find, Delo 400 15W-40 has a sulfated ash level of 1. 34%.



JM2CW



Rusty

 

[Pit Bull]

If Cummins does not recommend you add diesel fuel additive to your fuel, I guess I really can't see the logic of adding used lube oil? If you caused any problem it would negate any financial advantage you might of gotten out of using your used oil. The $$$ don't work for me I guess you could call this high risk low reward.

 

[illflem]

I think part of the reason Cummins even says anything about adding waste oil is because they also sell the Centinel System that slowly adds waste oil to the fuel while replenishing with new. A very high percentage of OTR truckers use this system because it saves a considerable amount on labor for oil changes, waste disposal costs and downtime. They don't claim any other benefits from it. The savings still doesn't pencil out till you're putting on 100k+ miles per year.

 

[RustyJC]

Bill,



Large 2-cycle integral engine/compressors (methane fueled, spark ignited) have used a similar system for over 60 years. In addition to the pressurized lube oil system feeding main & rod journals, turbos, etc. , these engines have a separate lubricator system that injects oil through feed points in each power cylinder. Also, many of these units draw compressor lube oil that's injected through a compressor lubricator system from the engine crankcase. Therefore, the make-up oil is always "sweetening" the oil left in the crankcase, and oil changes are often measured in years of operation.



The key difference, however, is that most of these engines are running on ashless gas engine oils that have sulfated ash levels well below 0. 1% to keep deposit buildups at a minimum (for comparison, Chevron Gas Engine Oil 541 15W-40 has an advertised sulfated ash level of - nil). High ash oils will lead to port carboning and plugging in just a few months.



Rusty

 

[Dennis Garrett]

I get rid of used liquid cooking oil here at home the same way. I filter it through a paper towel, and put it in drinking water bottles. I add one every tiime I fill up, either in the Dodge, or the old 81 VW Rabbit. I think they run better with a little peanut oil anyway, and It gives me a way to get rid of the stuff. I've used up to 1/2 gal to a tankfull on the Dodge. Get a cup of diesel fuel, and pour in a table spoon of vegetable oil, mix it up a little & take a look, mixes completely. (Crisco just won't work, so forget it, it's got to be a liquid!)

 

[Pit Bull]

Originally posted by Dennis Garrett

I get rid of used liquid cooking oil here at home the same way. I filter it through a paper towel, and put it in drinking water bottles. I add one every tiime I fill up, either in the Dodge, or the old 81 VW Rabbit. I think they run better with a little peanut oil anyway, and It gives me a way to get rid of the stuff. I've used up to 1/2 gal to a tankfull on the Dodge. Get a cup of diesel fuel, and pour in a table spoon of vegetable oil, mix it up a little & take a look, mixes completely. (Crisco just won't work, so forget it, it's got to be a liquid!)

Dennis it looks like your eating way to many fried foods :-laf

 

[Mtngoat]

He had to get hooked on something after his truck was stolen!! Nothing like fried foods to make you feel better. !

He got it back a week later)!



Robin

 

[Dennis Garrett]

Yeah, I know, I'm trying to quit. But if I can dump it in the truck when I'm done, that makes it OK! Might see if I have any hair oil left over from the 50's & get rid of that too.

 

[WDaniels]

Ok here is one for you guru's. What about the metals in the used oil. Chromium, aluminum, at times cadmeium and a host of other stuff like silica. After a couple of hundred thousand miles, wouldn't these deposits build up in the combustion chamber? On the pistons and rings?

WD

 

[Midnite]

WD, those metals are measured in parts per million in typical used oil--basically in quantities *far* too small to do anything except be measured by lab test equipment. Of course if you're talking small flakes or something, then those would normally be removed by either allowing them to settle out of the oil, or by filtering it prior to dumping it in your tank. If you burn used oil in your engine and you don't allow the crud to settle out, or adequately filter it in some way, then you're just asking for trouble.



In my opinion if you have good #2 diesel fuel, there's little benefit from burning the used oil. There's probably even less if you have a P7100 pump. I do it in the winter because up here in Anchorage they go to a #1/#2 blend fairly early in the fall, and much of the winter is straight #1 (which has very little lubricity). Even then, I only add about one or two quarts per 30 gallon tank.



If you give it time, settling will eventually get much more of the crud out of the used oil (yes, even soot) vs. filtering. I have yet to have a fuel filter get plugged, or even look remotely funky despite the gloom and doom others have posted here (even when I was burning almost a gallon per tank). Of course I'm sure my 1st gen's VE pump is two seconds away from a dramatic, fiery explosion, along with my injectors too, all due to burning used oil.



Mike