What to do with drained fuel from fuel filter?

[Big Rig]

I just changed my fuel filter for the first time. The dealer changed it for me the first time when I was in a hurry to get the truck ready for a trip. After paying an outrageous price I vowed I wasn't going that route again.

I found a post by Ryan on how to change it. Things went well except I didn't know that the filter has to be wiggled out because it is in there very tight. I kept turning & turning the cap thinking it was not loose yet, but all I had to do was start wiggling it side to side while pulling it up. Then I had a hard time finding the old O-ring at the top of the threads. Once those things were figured out it was a piece of cake.

The only question I have now is what to do with the fuel I drained before taking the filter out. Don't want to reuse it because the container I drained it into wasn't too clean. Might be moisture in there also even though I can't see any. Any environmentally sound suggestions???



Big Rig

 

[klenger]

If you change your own oil, you could just dump it in with the old drain oil.

 

[phloop]

Have any weeds that need killing? :-laf

 

[ohnoitsyu]

Have any weeds that need killing? :-laf

Keep in mind that if you do this in a garden other things won't grow either. I like to kill the weeds in the concrete cracks, and if I don't need to do that, I'd mix it with my used motor oil.

 

[Bug Out]

Before Enviro-nuts were in place......I used to>>>>>

Dump all of my used oil in the far back corner of the yard where i lived. I also used to put dog poop there . The oil killed the poop smell and no flies.



The strange thing was Bamboo started to grow there and went absolutely WILD! I could not kill the bamboo no matter what I did.



So, before you dump ur oil in the backyard, BEWARE!!!!! LOL





PS: That was back in the early 80's. I'm doing it proper now...

 

[nickleinonen]

dump it back in the tank... best place to put drained fuel. . worst idea is to pour it back into the filter canister. .

 

[rbattelle]

dump it back in the tank... best place to put drained fuel. . worst idea is to pour it back into the filter canister. .

There's nothing technically wrong with doing this, but if you're like me something just doesn't seem "right" about it. :-laf Kind of like drinking your own urine. I mean, sure it's supposed to be sterile... but it's still urine. Yuck. :-laf :-laf :-laf



-Ryan

 

[radar doctor]

Gentlemen: I Dont Want To Be A Kill Joy Here, But I Want You To Think A Bit... i Live In Kansas And Right Now We Are Fighting With Other States Over Water Rights. Someday We Will Find It Hard To Feed The Population And Be Able To Drink The Water... if You Have Children ... or Are Going To Have Some Day... give Them A Chance To Drink Clean Water. . Its Up To Us To Do The Right Thing... think About How Many Vehicles There Are On The Road Millions Of Them... And If Everyone Of Them Dumped There Fuel And Oil On The Ground?? Do You Want Your Children Around To See You Grow Old??? Deposit It In A Safe Way... please Doc...

 

[PWelsh]

I pour mine in with my BBQ starting fluid I use to start wood fires when I'm camping. Works fine.

 

[Big Rig]

Well I see a couple good suggestions, putting in the oil re-cycle can or using it to help start the campfire. I had thought about doing both but I was not sure how volitile the fuel would be when used to start a campfire. I would hope it would burn like the oil we had in an oil stove used to heat our house when I was a kid.

Like I said, my container was dirty so I didn't want to dump it back in the tank & the last thing I would do would be to dump it on the ground. I read in the paper about how little oil it takes from someone dumping it on the ground to pollute millons of gallons of groundwater. Good groundwater is getting harder to find all the time.

Thanks for the input. I won't have to deal with this for another 15,000 miles unless the new low sulphur fuel causes me to change the filter a little earlier.



Big Rig

 

[Nate]

Diesel isn't very volatile compared to gas, and gas isn't that bad to start a fire. If you don't have a waste oil barrel to pour it in, you could always use it to clean parts, or your hands.



Or go down to Napa, Shucks, etc and have them pour it in their waste oil tank. I was told that if a place sells oil, they also must be able to dipose of it.



Next time just use a clean container. On my truck, the bottom of the housing comes off to change the filter, so I just empty most of the diesel back in the tank, and the bottom I dump for waste since there's usually little rocks that sank.

 

[JHardwick]

yup, the universe has more power to detemine the fate of planet earth, but pouring that cup of diesel on a fence row is detrimental ... ... ...

 

[HGreen]

I pour all my petroleum based waste (motor oil, gear oil, hydraulic oil, brake fluid, diesel, gasoline, parts cleaner, etc) into my oil drain can and recycle it at our waste transfer site. No questions, no answers. Works for me. Never does it go on the ground. I once had a spill in the gravel drive when taking apart a blown engine, the next time it rained I found dying grass down hill from the spill. Had to dig up the path and replace the dirt to get grass to grow again. Tell me a little doesn't go far and I will make a lier out of you.

 

[blacksheep4x4]

Why are you draining it in the first place? I just pull the filter and leave the fuel in the canister. To clean the sensor just use a long cotton swab. Then slowly put the new filter back in the canister.

 

[DJennings]

Why are you draining it in the first place? I just pull the filter and leave the fuel in the canister. To clean the sensor just use a long cotton swab. Then slowly put the new filter back in the canister.

Because not all the fuel in the filter housing has been filtered. If you don't drain it, you risk injector contamination fouling etc.



I agree w/ radar doctor. The simplest thing to do is drain it into a clean container, then pour it back in the tank. There is ~12oz of fuel in that canister. I have an extension I made that I attach to the drain hose. Then I just slide the extension hose into a 20 oz pop bottle. Once I'm done, I pour that in the tank

 

[klenger]

How do you get the fuel out of the canister?

 

[rbattelle]

How do you get the fuel out of the canister?

It'll drain if you leave the valve open.



-Ryan

 

[klenger]

That must be the valve with the yellow do-hicky that I never mess with.

 

[Nate]

I just drain enough out that when I drop the filter canister it doesn't make a big mess. Pull the filter out then dump the rest of the diesel out of the canister. Clean it out with some brake clean, put a new filter and put in back in the truck.



I think after 01? they changed the filter housing?

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

That must be the valve with the yellow do-hicky that I never mess with.

You are correct!