Oil handling procedures - Do you practice them?

[spk2000]

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

My method too. has worked for 30 years and never had a car fail due to engine oil issue.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Isn't corrosion surface damage due to chemical or electrochemical activity and erosive wear due to high velocity fluids especially those containing particles?

There is also physical corrosion wear, and you’re right it’s also called erosive wear. I tend to call it corrosion damage because I think of erosion as soil related. Mostly related to previous backgrounds I had growing up.

So a little bit of a terminology technicality. There are several types of corrosion to me, where as erosion is a different topic. But you’re technically right as well.

That being said, corrosion wear can because by those tight bends under high pressure, causing a chemical issue by the parent material being impregnated with contamination. Such as dirt or outside metals being forced into the surface.

 

[DavidJones]

I don't really have an oil brand. The Highlander has always had Mobil1, but the GTO and the F150 get whatever strikes my fancy at Walmart. I use different funnels for different cars and store them next to my extra Baldwin filters. The funnels are cleaned prior to use and after use. I clean the oil fill area of any engine I change the oil in. I also clean the filter area and the drain plug areas too. All oil to be recycled goes back into a previous 5qt oil container and at some point goes back to Walmart for recycling. I keep my drain pan clean so if I drain out oil containing any surprises, it'll show up. With the GTO, that's come in handy once. I don't wear gloves. Can't stand them.

 

[FordFETruck]

I was taught to take a rag and wipe off the oil fill cap and surrounding area, and to wipe down the oil bottle/jug before opening. Funnel has to be so clean you can drink from it. I now mostly use the 3-gallon bag in box oil products with a 6- and 8-quart oil dispenser and always wipe the dispenser down before opening the cap/lid on it, look inside and make sure I don't see any debris floating in the bottom, and if there is it gets washed out before use. I also wipe the dipstick with my fingers after wiping it off with a rag - it gets the fuzzies off the rag leaves behind. Might be a bit OCD, but my dad did a boatload of engine warranty work when he worked in new car dealerships, so I suppose there is a good reason behind all of that precaution.

 

[RDMgr]

There is also physical corrosion wear, and you’re right it’s also called erosive wear. I tend to call it corrosion damage because I think of erosion as soil related. Mostly related to previous backgrounds I had growing up.

So a little bit of a terminology technicality. There are several types of corrosion to me, where as erosion is a different topic. But you’re technically right as well.

That being said, corrosion wear can because by those tight bends under high pressure, causing a chemical issue by the parent material being impregnated with contamination. Such as dirt or outside metals being forced into the surface.

Isn't damage to piping at sharp corners due to cavitation; pressure changes due to rapid velocity changes?

 

[Big_B]

I needed to add oil to jet engine
The funnel they brought me was the dirtiest one I have ever seen. Full of oil, dirt, and leaves.
I went inside and asked the manager if He would use this to put oil in his car let alone a jet engine.
Unreal.

 

[KrisZ]

I try not to overthink simple tasks. It's not an open heart surgery. A quick wipe of the funnel with a rag and down the hatch she goes.

 

[Brons2]

Funnel is wiped clean every time after using then put away in toolbox then wiped again when taken out. It looks pretty clean, although the plastic where it goes into the fill hole is a little abraided.

 

[Foxtrot08]

Isn't damage to piping at sharp corners due to cavitation; pressure changes due to rapid velocity changes?

Yup!

Sometimes I also a see a pocket of a dissimilar fluid build up in a corner. Like water will sit there and not be pushed out. Or vanish will build up there in some systems. Dirt. Etc.

 

[jimurphy]

My car has a 5.7qt fill so I always buy the 4qt jug and a single qt bottle. The extra .3 quarts gets used somewhere on something in the garage but if it didn't, I'd just dump it in the car on the next change. My funnel just lays on the bench in between changes but when it comes time to use it, it gets a good cleaning with a clean rag and probably some brake clean and then back on the bench til next time.
Right now I change the oil In the garage but I've done it in the street when I had no off-street parking and I've done the old school driveway change and have done it under the shade tree in the back yard.
Used oil had always been and will continue to be recycled and right now I just take it to the county landfill hazmat drop site. They make it super easy and convenient so why mess with it?

 

[doublebase]

I’m always concerned with the funnels I use for an oil change, or any fluid change for that matter...coolant/tranny/whatever.

I’ll usually spray it down with brake clean and then wipe it all the way through with a clean rag and give it a good visual inspection. I might run a little of the clean oil through it for a second into a drain bucket to make sure everything is ok.

I was standing next to a tech this time last year and he watched me go through this process before doing a coolant service and he asked, what are you doing? And I said, take a look at this funnel, do want any of these particles going into the cooling system? And he said, you’re right, wow, I never thought about that.

 

[nomas]

I buy a new funnel for each oil change . When I get home I put it in one of those vacuum food sealers until it's time to use it . I have my engine detailed before each oil change so there will be no errant particles of abrasive materials to contaminate the process . Lastly , I have modified my garage to simulate an industrial " Clean Room " . Used oil is collected by a certified hazardous materials contractor .
Party on ...

 

[Greasymechtech]

I needed to add oil to jet engine
The funnel they brought me was the dirtiest one I have ever seen. Full of oil, dirt, and leaves.
I went inside and asked the manager if He would use this to put oil in his car let alone a jet engine.
Unreal.

Not unreal. Just very sad. The work ethic or even 'state of thought' for many people is beyond pathetic. Its even more sad that some accept the pathetic and try to normalize it, which is very common in automotive forums and repair shops. Regression occurs when you accept and normalize pathetic.

 

[tcrs_circuit]

I’m incredibly paranoid about dirt getting into my engine. I spray my funnel with brake clean then wipe it out (rinse and repeat like 5 times)

 

[weaponoffreedom]

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 clean the funnels out everytime I use them, usually with brake cleaner and compressed air.

Great post by the way. I agree that proper maintenance is more how it is done, than what you do it with. Of course, this aint Japanese sword making.

 

[andrewg]

I try not to overthink simple tasks. It's not an open heart surgery. A quick wipe of the funnel with a rag and down the hatch she goes.

Exactly.

 

[wlk]

My car has a 5.7qt fill so I always buy the 4qt jug and a single qt bottle. The extra .3 quarts gets used somewhere on something in the garage but if it didn't, I'd just dump it in the car on the next change. My funnel just lays on the bench in between changes but when it comes time to use it, it gets a good cleaning with a clean rag and probably some brake clean and then back on the bench til next time.
Right now I change the oil In the garage but I've done it in the street when I had no off-street parking and I've done the old school driveway change and have done it under the shade tree in the back yard.
Used oil had always been and will continue to be recycled and right now I just take it to the county landfill hazmat drop site. They make it super easy and convenient so why mess with it?

Man, you are better than I. .3qts or 9.6oz would go into the sump as it is not going to hurt anything.

 

[4329]

I needed to add oil to jet engine
The funnel they brought me was the dirtiest one I have ever seen. Full of oil, dirt, and leaves.
I went inside and asked the manager if He would use this to put oil in his car let alone a jet engine.
Unreal.

Perhaps a visit from the FAA is needed.

 

[Rinspeed]

I try not to overthink simple tasks. It's not an open heart surgery. A quick wipe of the funnel with a rag and down the hatch she goes.

This.

 

[nomas]

I try not to overthink simple tasks.

You will always be an outcast here .