Extracting energy from our used motor oil

[Big Dave]

It depends on whether you want to look at it from a micro or macro standpoint.

From a macro standpoint, you are more energy efficient taking it to the auto parts store for re-refining. Motor oil lasts through many re-refining processes. All they really do is clean the oil and replenish the additive package. Re-refining saves a lot of the energy needed to refine a quart of engine lube oil.

From a micro standpoint running through your diesel is the best idea. Generally, a mix 20 parts diesel to 1 part motor oil runs fine and doesn?t smoke. You do need to filter used motor oil as it picks up metallic particles from the engine and these can be murder on injectors.

The really cheap-Charlie approach is to install a bypass filter and use a good-quality synthetic oil. Since for my truck an oil change is a 14-quart affair I?d go broke changing oil every 5,000 miles. With a bypass filter setup and good-quality synthetic (I use Amsoil but others may be just as good) I go two years (50,000 miles) on an oil change. Actually the analysis shows the oil is still good but I lose my nerve at 50,000 miles. Twice a year I change filters (about a quart and a half each) and to some extent my rather loose diesel changes a couple of quarts a year on its own (leakage) so when I change oil there is only maybe 50% of the original oil still in it. Still, even with the price of the synthetic oil it is much cheaper than changing 14 quarts of oil every 5,000 miles.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

It depends on whether you want to look at it from a micro or macro standpoint.

From a macro standpoint, you are more energy efficient taking it to the auto parts store for re-refining. Motor oil lasts through many re-refining processes. All they really do is clean the oil and replenish the additive package. Re-refining saves a lot of the energy needed to refine a quart of engine lube oil.

From a micro standpoint running through your diesel is the best idea. Generally, a mix 20 parts diesel to 1 part motor oil runs fine and doesn?t smoke. You do need to filter used motor oil as it picks up metallic particles from the engine and these can be murder on injectors.

The really cheap-Charlie approach is to install a bypass filter and use a good-quality synthetic oil. Since for my truck an oil change is a 14-quart affair I?d go broke changing oil every 5,000 miles. With a bypass filter setup and good-quality synthetic (I use Amsoil but others may be just as good) I go two years (50,000 miles) on an oil change. Actually the analysis shows the oil is still good but I lose my nerve at 50,000 miles. Twice a year I change filters (about a quart and a half each) and to some extent my rather loose diesel changes a couple of quarts a year on its own (leakage) so when I change oil there is only maybe 50% of the original oil still in it. Still, even with the price of the synthetic oil it is much cheaper than changing 14 quarts of oil every 5,000 miles.

I think you might need to clean your rose-colored glasses.

The parts store simply hands it off to an intermediary who does the most economical thing with the oil. The vast majority is burned for heat. Let me post this pie chart once again:

http://www.purdue.edu/envirosoft/hou...e/motoroil.htm

The parts store doesn't have some sort of special channel that is an exception to the above statistics, unless you know something I don't.

Pardon my abrasiveness, I need to replace my personality filter.

[GasSavers_SD26]

There's got to be more current data than something seventeen years ago, right?

I think conservation opportunities, in addition to various requirements, would change those numbers.

Even some off the shelf oil is recycled, used oil. And, because of the recycling of synthetic and group three oils into the mix, the used oils are pretty good.

[theholycow]

I have to agree with OfficeLinebacker. Unless there's legal requirement to do otherwise, you can be sure that most businesses accepting used oil are getting rid of it the cheapest way they can.

IMO, burning waste motor oil for heat is no worse than burning fresh dinosaur juice, and it lets new motor oil be made without recycled material.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

I've been hoarding my used oil, I'm planning on making a "Babbington burner" to use it for shop heat... and other purposes. Sometimes though when I'm not far from oil change time and broke, if the crankcase needs topping off, I'll take one of the cleaner bottles that's been settling for 6 months and use a quart off the top. Figure it's better to do that than run out of oil, also with 6 months settling time, the top 2 quarts is usually pretty clean looking.

[OfficeLinebacker]

Interesting...topping up with used oil...

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Well I wouldn't call it ideal, but well settled oil that has had all the water and sediments settle out can't be too bad... compared to running your oil low...

Edit: oh btw, when I'm running the Escort again with 0W30 walmart synth, if Marvin hasn't got his "new" motor by the time I've done a change on the Escort (15,000 km on that stuff) then what I might do it leave that to settle and add a quart at a time with marvins changes. With the rebuilt motor though I'll go to 0W30 in both of them.