Oil handling procedures - Do you practice them?

[Foxtrot08]

So, there’s a ton of different threads out there splitting the hairs between brands, formulations, which is better. As one that is a practicing professional oil nerd, I stay fairly brand agnostic. Being honest, my involvement in those threads is more me being a masochist in a way. Or just because I’m a functional idiot. You decide.

So, I decided to try to add something of value to BITOG. I rarely create threads, more so just chime in here or there. Thus, I’m going to give y’all something to think about besides 100ppm difference in ZDDP.

Do you practice good oil / fluid handling procedures?

I assume, most here, work out of quarts. And with quarts, it is what is. You’re limited to what you can do handling wise. However, those who use funnels - this may also be food for thought.

Anyone that uses a pump - via drum, keg, or bulk tank - do you think about it?

Do you clean your fill off? Do you clean your dump buckets out? Do you store your fluid properly?

Or do your dump buckets look like this?



Nice and dirty, open top with who knows what’s in it? Just like maybe your funnel?

Now, I had the chance to build my oil dispensing system for my shop:


Here we have gear oil, MTF fluid, a 15w40, a CK4 10w30 and a full synthetic 5w30.

All the bulk tanks have desiccant breather filters on them. They’re in a semi temperature controlled environment. (Doesn’t freeze. Doesn’t get over 100f) Every product has a filter that goes down to a B1000 of 23 micron. B2 of 7 micron.

Do you practice good oil handling techniques to prevent premature particulate wear? Or do you just rely on your engine oil filter to do it?

I personally feel like this is a much bigger issue than splitting hairs over brands and blends.

Just food for thought.

 

[AITG]

I can't count the number of shops I have worked in where funnels were "stored" over the waste oil container. They had everything from dirt to dandelion seeds in them. Mechanics would grab them, rinse them out in their parts washer tank (!) and proceed to pour clean fluid through them.

I have one funnel expressly for pouring clean oil into my engines. When I'm not using it, it's in a ziplock bag.

 

[Timmastertech]

So, there’s a ton of different threads out there splitting the hairs between brands, formulations, which is better. As one that is a practicing professional oil nerd, I stay fairly brand agnostic. Being honest, my involvement in those threads is more me being a masochist in a way. Or just because I’m a functional idiot. You decide.

So, I decided to try to add something of value to BITOG. I rarely create threads, more so just chime in here or there. Thus, I’m going to give y’all something to think about besides 100ppm difference in ZDDP.

Do you practice good oil / fluid handling procedures?

I assume, most here, work out of quarts. And with quarts, it is what is. You’re limited to what you can do handling wise. However, those who use funnels - this may also be food for thought.

Anyone that uses a pump - via drum, keg, or bulk tank - do you think about it?

Do you clean your fill off? Do you clean your dump buckets out? Do you store your fluid properly?

Or do your dump buckets look like this?

View attachment 129566

Nice and dirty, open top with who knows what’s in it? Just like maybe your funnel?

Now, I had the chance to build my oil dispensing system for my shop:
View attachment 129567

Here we have gear oil, MTF fluid, a 15w40, a CK4 10w30 and a full synthetic 5w30.

All the bulk tanks have desiccant breather filters on them. They’re in a semi temperature controlled environment. (Doesn’t freeze. Doesn’t get over 100f) Every product has a filter that goes down to a B1000 of 23 micron. B2 of 7 micron.

Do you practice good oil handling techniques to prevent premature particulate wear? Or do you just rely on your engine oil filter to do it?

I personally feel like this is a much bigger issue than splitting hairs over brands and blends.

Just food for thought.

I use 6 gallon boxes for my most common oils. We dispense from there into 5 quart jugs for each weight which have a lid and are kept closed. Funnels are wiped out before each use.

 

[Brian553]

I appreciate you bringing up handling cleanliness. I honestly have thought that dust here and there on my funnels would be an adequate duty for my oil filters. Perhaps I should give this a second thought.

 

[RazorsEdge]

Funnel is washed out after every oil change is completed. Funnel is then placed into a clean plastic bag.Tools are cleaned as well.

 

[Samurai1225]

I really don't handle oil all that much as I only maintain my car and my son's. I do have a funnel specifically for oil refills and I simply wipe it out and put it on the shelf until the next OCI.

 

[ka9mnx]

I store my funnel right below the drill press and grinder.

 

[StarCaller]

Funnel is washed out after every oil change is completed. Funnel is then placed into a clean plastic bag.Tools are cleaned as well.

That's what I expect everybody with some common sense to do /

 

[wlk]

Funnel is upside down on my drain pan, spray it out w brake cleaner and wipe it w lint free cloth before use. Let it drain after use and do not wipe it off until ready to use

 

[Foxtrot08]

I appreciate you bringing up handling cleanliness. I honestly have thought that dust here and there on my funnels would be an adequate duty for my oil filters. Perhaps I should give this a second thought.

It's more of a thought process here - to illuminate what an individual can do to help their engine oil (or any fluid they handle.) We spend a lot of time debating on which brand will help prevent wear better in an engine. But, as someone who sat through the CLS exam (also why I call myself a professional oil nerd):

70% of loss of usefulness in a lubricated, mechanical application is surface deterioration.
55% of that is caused by wear.
82% of wear is cased by particle wear.

New oil is typically 8 to 32 times dirtier than OEM specifications - which is typically ISO 20/19/16.

Now, does it matter? Your engine oil filter should clean up your engine oil. However, if we're splitting hairs over Group III base stocks vs Group IV base stocks, or XYZ additive vs ABC additive... Why not throw this into the mix? As, abrasive wear is certainly a major factor in any mechanical application.

It's like a house with a basement.

You can either stop the water before it gets into the basement. Or you can mitigate the water after it gets into your basement. Or, do both.

I personally prefer to stop it before it gets in, but you're not going to be 100% - but, less that gets in - the better off you are.

 

[atikovi]

The few funnels I have I store on an open shelf. Will do a quick visual before using and if I see any major particles, I'll brake clean it out. Not too particular about usage. The one I used yesterday for motor oil, I'll use for transmission fluid today. Only no-no is not adding coolant with any funnel used for a lubricant, and even that I may break if it's cleaned out well with brake clean. Most everything I have is in large jugs. Quart bottles are way over priced unless on a closeout sale.

 

[Brian553]

55% of that is caused by wear.

what constitutes the other 45%?

 

[Foxtrot08]

what constitutes the other 45%?

Corrosive wear - after all, you have fluid moving in a system. It's going to cause wear, as there are naturally tight bends in any lubrication system. If you push a fluid through a crevice long enough, it's going to make a bigger hole. As well, we're playing with components that could have different polarities, metal types, etc.

You also have essentially mechanical obsolesces. When a part just can't take anymore. It's tolerances go out.

And finally, simply, "breakage" - Things just break for any number of reasons.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I have a close fitting tub and the funnels and grease guns are in there except my largest funnel for the truck, which is kept in a plastic garbage bag outside the tub.

 

[eljefino]

Brake cleaner is oil's kryptonite. Ensure it's completely evaporated before use.

 

[wpod]

The dirt acts like tiny ball bearings. Well in all honesty dirt is the enemy.

 

[demarpaint]

I store funnels in a sealed plastic bag. I clean them when I'm done with them, and check them before using them again.

 

[High Performance Lubricants]

Foxtrot08. You are right on the money. There is plenty of data showing that simply cleaning up your oil alone can extend the life of an anti friction bearing by 4 times. We promote industrial oils in quarts and gallons as we don’t want to see oils we have filtered to ISO 14/13/11 get contaminated before it reaches its destination. We also filter our food grades which is almost unheard of. I used to promote the use of oil safe containers until visiting one of my customers where they had the containers sitting in their fab shop only 2 feet from where they were literally welding and grinding. The bad news is the lid was off and the container was open to the world. At that point it was clear that we were going to promote small containers and would solve that problem. It is not a good thing to bring dirt to your equipment. Engine oils of course are nasty by nature and are outside the scope of fine filtration. Nature of the beast.

David

 

[aquariuscsm]

I have a separate funnel for each type of fluid. Once I'm through with the procedure, I wash the funnel with hot soap and water, dry off completely, and store in a sealed bag.

 

[PimTac]

I wipe my filter with a paper towel and store in a large ziplock bag.

Before opening new oil I wipe down the entire jug.