"Empty" Jug - How Much Oil Remains???

[gathermewool]

I typically leave quart or five-quart jugs sitting in the funnel until they start dripping slowly, which takes only a minute or two, before I consider them empty enough to toss out. I feel like most people do the same thing.

Two questions!

1. How much residual oil do you think remains in a 5-quart jug of oil once it is "emptied", after using it to fill your sump?
-----Note: this obviously excludes partial use of bottles and jugs and specifically pertains to emptied containers

2. When you're draining a bottle or jug into your engine during an oil change, when do you consider a jug or bottle to be empty (e.g., steady stream stops and you toss it; dripping slows to X amount/second before tossing it; or you leave the bottle/jug sitting on the funnel or filler neck for hours to get every last drop of oil from the bottle/jug, etc.)?

What's the point of this thread? Well, I'll tell you:

When our hobby shop was open AND accepting used quart bottles and jugs, they'd request that we place them upside-down, with caps-off, in a rack above a collection pan so that all of the residual oil would drain out before they disposed of the bottles/jugs.

At any given time there seemed to be a significant amount of drained oil in the pan, which they drained at least daily, or as often as needed (if the rack was full), as waste oil. If I had to guess, I'd say that there was routinely a quart or more in the bottom of the pan every time I went in to do work on my car or change the oil. I'd love to see a "VOA" of that stuff!

 

[DONWATERS]

I perch the 5 qt jug on top of the funnel going in the engine and let it drip overnight or until it falls off sometimes.

 

[Onetor]

Many years ago, my best friend worked at a Quaker State quick lube place. For whatever reason they used 1 quart containers. He would drain the residual oil all day from empty containers and get enough to change his oil every couple months. This was early 1990's. He even gave some to me. He didn't sell it. Just didn't want to waste.

I do my best not to waste oil, but there will always be some clinging to the plastic etc.

 

[ecotourist]

I've only been able to find Syntec 0W-30 (for the BMW) in 1 litre containers. I pour each one until it stops dripping then set it aside. When I've put all 5 1/2 litres in, I put each container back into the funnel again, in order, and there's always a bit of oil left in each one. Better in the car than at the recycle station.

 

[gathermewool]

I just changed my oil this evening. I rotated the bottle, so that it would allow the handle to drain and then the rest of the bottle, every minute or so. After a few iterations, I propped it into the funnel to allow both the handle and bottle itself to drain down.

I came down after 45 minutes and got nothing more than a drop every several seconds when I moved the bottle from side to side. I was hoping that more would drain after 45 minutes, but that just wasn't the case. Hmmm.

Maybe there were more people at the hobby shop leaving more oil in their bottles/jugs than I typically do.

Originally Posted by Onetor
Many years ago, my best friend worked at a Quaker State quick lube place. For whatever reason they used 1 quart containers. He would drain the residual oil all day from empty containers and get enough to change his oil every couple months. This was early 1990's. He even gave some to me. He didn't sell it. Just didn't want to waste.

I do my best not to waste oil, but there will always be some clinging to the plastic etc.


Very smart friend. Captain Planet approves.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by ecotourist
I've only been able to find Syntec 0W-30 (for the BMW) in 1 litre containers. I pour each one until it stops dripping then set it aside. When I've put all 5 1/2 litres in, I put each container back into the funnel again, in order, and there's always a bit of oil left in each one. Better in the car than at the recycle station.



Agreed. When I was trying to sneak an oil change in my condo's parking lot or at the hobby shop, I was in more of a hurry. Now that I have a garage, I have no problem leaving the Fumoto valve open for an hour, and then allowing the new jug to drain for 45 min to an hr, as well.

 

[DGXR]

I only use 5-quart jugs anymore and I let them drain into the funnel for several minutes while I am busy doing other things. When I am done with the job, I sit the container upside down (cap on) for several days and get another 1/4 ounce or so. I use this residual for random household items like door/cabinet hinges, bicycle chains, fan motors, etc. Sometimes you just need a few drops of good oil for little jobs here and there...

 

[Cujet]

My airplane takes 9 quarts of 50W oil. It's hard to get every last drop out of the quart bottle. So, I invert them screwed into a sealed metal container. Takes about 20-30 'empty ones' to get a full quart of oil.

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by Cujet
My airplane takes 9 quarts of 50W oil. It's hard to get every last drop out of the quart bottle. So, I invert them screwed into a sealed metal container. Takes about 20-30 'empty ones' to get a full quart of oil.


Great info!

 

[JeffKeryk]

I leave the 5 quart containers on for quite a while.
I have always done so, back to the earlier stab can containers.
Then I collect any leftover into another partial jug.
We pay too much for this stuff.
And an old friend will come by in an old pickup running a quart low.
Heck, I was born a quart low...

 

[gathermewool]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
I leave the 5 quart containers on for quite a while.
I have always done so, back to the earlier stab can containers.
Then I collect any leftover into another partial jug.
We pay too much for this stuff.
And an old friend will come by in an old pickup running a quart low.
Heck, I was born a quart low...


Lol.

I might grab a few "empty" jugs I've got in the basement and see if I can combine enough to make a decent add for OPE oil changes. I think I have maybe 4 5-quart jugs and a few quart-sized bottles sitting around.

 

[Audios]

When I worked at BMW we were by the quart also, amazing considering we had 40 techs at the time and almost 100 appointments a day. I bought one of these, and would have tons of oil, cases every few months.
https://smile.amazon.com/Automotive...amp;sr=8-1&keywords=oil+saver+funnel

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by Audios
When I worked at BMW we were by the quart also, amazing considering we had 40 techs at the time and almost 100 appointments a day. I bought one of these, and would have tons of oil, cases every few months.
https://smile.amazon.com/Automotive...amp;sr=8-1&keywords=oil+saver+funnel


That's a great invention!

Years ago, I was watching a David Suzuki show about a kid who went around to a bunch of gas stations and decanted the left over oil that was left in said bottles. This kid did a science project and determined, by counting the multitude of gas stations around, that each year a freight train worth of these containers would be filled just by the leftover oil that was left in these bottles/jugs over the course of a year. The kid won the science project.
I forget the exact number of these cars/containers, but it was shocking! (Can't find the vid either but it was likely 20+ years ago I seen it and I can't recall if it was just in Canada or the U.S but I don't believe it was a total of the 2 countries together. Either Canada or the U.S. but not both)

 

[HangFire]

I thought every serious BITOG'er had a purpose built oil drain. Mine is a huge funnel on a vertical T-Track screwed into a 2x4 on a wood base that holds whatever I'm draining into. It's not pretty but it does the job.

After an oil change, I leave the drain pain on top of the funnel, the oil filter in the funnel and the recycle jug below for 2-5 days (in other words, whenever I get back to it). Then I wipe it out, put all the oil bottles or jugs in the top and one below to catch all the fresh oil. I'm sure there's some residual cling in the empties, but it's not much.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by HangFire
I thought every serious BITOG'er had a purpose built oil drain. Mine is a huge funnel on a vertical T-Track screwed into a 2x4 on a wood base that holds whatever I'm draining into. It's not pretty but it does the job.

After an oil change, I leave the drain pain on top of the funnel, the oil filter in the funnel and the recycle jug below for 2-5 days (in other words, whenever I get back to it). Then I wipe it out, put all the oil bottles or jugs in the top and one below to catch all the fresh oil. I'm sure there's some residual cling in the empties, but it's not much.


I need to do something like that as well but truthfully, during an oil change, I am pretty anal about getting the most out of a jug as I can. When doing oil changes, as both my wife's car and my truck take over 5 liters, I lay the 5 L jug on its side standing up, or on the narrow part of the jug, as I fill the remaining amount of oil with a measuring cup that I have since I Moto X'd back in the day.
It is surprising, when the big jugs are down to a couple drips every few seconds or so, how much more oil you can get out of them just by laying them like I do for another couple minutes or so.

FWIW, all my jugs are used as containers for my used oil and all my used oil gets recycled at our local waste facility, including my used filters.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I had a friend, now deceased, who bet that he could drain 32 drops out of an empty whiskey bottle. It took awhile, but he won the bet.

 

[bullwinkle]

I always set them on their side/corner, preferably on a hot radiator or hose, while I'm dumping the other ones in. I usually get a half an ounce out of each one once I let them sit a little while.

 

[CR94]

When using quart bottles or cans,
1) Drain into engine until the next one is ready or dripping slows to about 1/second.
2) Stand "empty" bottles upright for a few hours
3) Tilt one bottle onto its front for at least a few hours.
4) Invert that bottle over a partially filled bottle for one day or more.
5) Same with following bottles until all have thoroughly drained.

In case it isn't obvious, step 3 gets the drop that would cling to the center of the bottom of the bottle if it were inverted immediately from an upright orientation.

I've found oil bottles in trash cans that contained probably over a teaspoon of leftover new oil due to someone's haste.

 

[irv]

Originally Posted by CR94
When using quart bottles or cans,
1) Drain into engine until the next one is ready or dripping slows to about 1/second.
2) Stand "empty" bottles upright for a few hours
3) Tilt one bottle onto its front for at least a few hours.
4) Invert that bottle over a partially filled bottle for one day or more.
5) Same with following bottles until all have thoroughly drained.

In case it isn't obvious, step 3 gets the drop that would cling to the center of the bottom of the bottle if it were inverted immediately from an upright orientation.

I've found oil bottles in trash cans that contained probably over a teaspoon of leftover new oil due to someone's haste.


That is what the kid noted when he did his science project. Most hwy type garages and the like, all poured quickly not letting them drain fully trying to get the driver(s) back on the road. Quick service as a lot of them are named.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I leave mine sitting on their sides out in the sun for awhile. You wouldn't believe how much oil comes out!!