Save Motor Oil With a Modified Gallon Jug

by leemck in Workshop > Cars

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Save Motor Oil With a Modified Gallon Jug

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Collect the oil that clings to a quart plastic motor oil container.

When you open and pour a quart of motor oil, about 1/2 % clings to the container.

It is a mess to fiddle with the empty oil containers and try and drain the little bit of oil that remains.

This Instructable shows a way to catch that oil that uses an empty jug a home mechanic already has. A well placed snip to the neck of the jug makes it hold the empty plastic oil containers steady and straight for a leisurely drain.

The pictures show a rinsed out popular green degreaser jug. Another common container is an empty windshield washer fluid jug. Don't use any container that might be mistaken for a food container.

Snip With Sidecutters, Label the Oil Collection Jug.

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The label is for safety and control.

If the label specifies only one grade of oil then you can put the oil to use later.

Do not use a food container to hold motor oil.

Keep the container away from kids.

The electrician's side cutter in photo makes a 1/2" notch in the neck of the jug.

Some Parts of the Automobile System I Can't Change Yet.

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I had a lab balance available to weigh oil containers.
Some recent measurements:

Weight of a full quart bottle of 10w30 synthetic motor oil 848.50 g.
Weight of empty quart bottle                                                     51.09 g.
Net weight of oil                                                                        797.41 g.

Test: Pour motor oil out of bottle for 1 minute. Weight of empty bottle 51.32 g
         Attach empty plastic oil bottle to drain jug for 45 minutes.            47.09 g
         Approximate weight of oil recovered                                                   4.23 g

Oil recovery ratio, 4.23 g / 797.41 g = .0053  ~ 1/2 %