[Vwdiesel] Burning Used Crankcase Oil

Patrick Dolan pmdolan at sasktel.net
Wed Jul 11 21:31:06 EDT 2007 

There isn't actually a lot of wear metals in used lube oil (except, of course, from a failing engine) since at least the circulating particulates are caught in the filter and not much acually wears out, but the additive package is usually heavy in zinc compounds.  Take a look at an ICP metal scan of used oil (should be on many websites) for a complete picture

----- Original Message -----
From: The President <quantum-man at hotmail.co.uk>
Date: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 7:25 pm
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Burning Used Crankcase Oil

> 
> Patrick what kind of shitty metal compounds might one find in used 
> engine 
> lube. That's my main concern. The odd pint of waste veggy is more 
> preferable 
> for my tastes. Spray old lube onto the underneath of the car. 
> Perhaps drop a 
> few candles in it too.
> Regards
> Mark
> 
> >From: Patrick Dolan <pmdolan at sasktel.net>
> >To: Tony and Lillie <tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net>
> >CC: vwdiesel at vwfans.com, Keith Family <familykeith at vtrocket.com>
> >Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Burning Used Crankcase Oil
> >Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:43:33 -0600
> >
> >I am truly amazed at how many people consider burning used lube 
> oil as an 
> >environmentally viable exercise.  There is a mature base oil re-
> refining 
> >industry in both Canada and the USA, and any diversion of 
> resources from 
> >that system entails considerable waste of a resource that is very 
> difficult 
> >and expensive to make (base oil).  But, what the heck - it's in 
> Mother 
> >Earth news - or some other publication that probably thinks 
> burning wood is 
> >somehow "green" as well, so why mess with urban myths.
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Tony and Lillie <tonyandlillie1 at earthlink.net>
> >Date: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 6:18 pm
> >Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Burning Used Crankcase Oil
> >
> > > This has thus far been a very interesting thread. I've run as much
> > > as 1/2
> > > waste oil to diesel in a VW diesel, as much as 1/3 in the current
> > > Jetta.
> > > I've not had a significant problem with plugging filters. I
> > > replaced the one
> > > on the current car when I got it, and have not changed it since.
> > >
> > > Now, as for cold weather, this is not recommended. The car starts
> > > a bit
> > > harder at high (70+ amb) temps, I can only imagine when it's cold
> > > outside.
> > > However, if you do long commutes, the cold start/drivability
> > > issues aren't
> > > significant. I do mostly short stints, but still, the trade-offs
> > > are worth
> > > it. Mostly, it's easier to put it in my tank than leave it sitting
> > > around
> > > only for me to spill it-BTDT!!
> > >
> > > I don't notice much of a difference in smell/smoke. There is a
> > > slight smell
> > > of burnt oil in the exhaust (duh) but not bad. Milage really
> > > hasn't changed
> > > dramatically, maybe down 5% or so.
> > >
> > > Anyhow, just my $.02 on the subject,
> > > Tony Hoffman
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Keith Family" <familykeith at vtrocket.com>
> > > To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
> > > Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2007 12:35 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] Burning Crankcase Oil (Val Christian)
> > >
> > >
> > > >I have burned waste crankcase oil in the 1980 Rabbit Diesel I
> > > > owned back at that timeframe.  I did it only once.  The 
> resultant> > > purchase of a new diesel fuel filter for at the 
> time $18 (which
> > > > exceeded the cost of a full tank diesel fill up) seemed counter
> > > > productive.  I'm not sure I would do it in my current 03 
> Golf TDI
> > > > since fuel filters have hardly gotten cheaper in the interim and
> > > > if anything, the car generally is more finicky and "precise" 
> than> > > the Rabbit was.
> > > >
> > > > Instead I elected to go in another direction.  Contrary to a lot
> > > > of perceptions, burning waste crankcase oil on site is in fact
> > > > endorsed by the EPA since they view the clean efficient
> > > > combustion of oil preferable to spilling in transport even one
> > > > tanker truck full of waste oil headed to the recycler.  They
> > > > throw out numbers of one drop of oil can contaminate 10000
> > > > gallons of water or similar to justify their stand.
> > > >
> > > > And if you think of it, the minor heavy metal contamination of
> > > > waste oil is severely overshadowed by the contamination by 
> carbon> > > as "blow by" to the combustion process.  The oil may 
> look dirty
> > > > and in fact it is but primarily with particulate carbon -
> > > > especially for diesel engine waste oil.
> > > >
> > > > The farm where I worked had 12 diesel powered tractors (up 
> to and
> > > > including an IHC 3588) and elected NOT to burn or fuel 
> dispose of
> > > > their waste oil.  With tractor fuel filters running upwards of
> > > > $25 each, the farm would rather not gamble operability of a
> > > > tractor on the marginal cost savings of burning their waste oil.
> > > > Instead the waste oil is donated to the town who does have a
> > > > commercial waste oil burning system in the town barn and is
> > > > always pleased to receive more grist for their mill.
> > > >
> > > > I've always had a personal interest in alternate energy schemes.
> > > > I've tried burning waste oil in both the Mother Earth News (MEN)
> > > > waste oil burner and the revised version by Roger Sanders shown
> > > > at
> > > >
> > > 
> >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library/ethanol_motherearth/me4.html.> 
> >The downside to both of these is that oil and air must both be
> > > > precisely "metered" to support combustion properly.  Too 
> much air
> > > > and combustion is too cold to occur properly and can "blow" out.
> > > > Too little air and you get smoking.  These are stove for those
> > > > who like to "tinker" literally.  Almost constant attendance is
> > > > required to keep the thing on an even combustion keel.
> > > >
> > > > Others have converted #2 oil burners to burn waste oil and
> > > > generally these conversions are more successful but typically
> > > > involve an air atomising Delavan nozzle and preheated/metered
> > > > oil.  Various versions of these can be seen at
> > > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wastewatts/ but you have to 
> join to
> > > > see the messages.   The downside of this methodology of 
> waste oil
> > > > burning is the large amount of "support" necessary to make
> > > > efficient burning of waste oil possible.  (It's not unusual for
> > > > nearly a thousand watts of electrical support energy to be
> > > > required between, burner motor, oil heater, nozzle 
> preheater, and
> > > > controls - all this for perhaps 100K btu per hour heat output.)
> > > >
> > > > And of course there are the multitude of "online" instructions
> > > > available for a fee including Ebay, Heco, Benjamin Little Dragon
> > > > and some others.
> > > >
> > > > Or you can bite the bullet and buy a full fledged waste oil
> > > > burner from Lanair, Econoheat or a bunch of others.
> > > >
> > > > Best I can say for myself now nearly 20 years after my first
> > > > efforts in this direction is that burning of waste oil continues
> > > > to be an ongoing experiment usually undertaken when the woodpile
> > > > begins to show the effect of a cold winter.
> > > >
> > > > Best,
> > > > Joe
> > > > _______________________________________________
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