Mixing used motor oil with fuel

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On The Rocks

On The Rocks

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
109
Location
USA
Vessel Name
On The Rocks
Vessel Make
Gulf Star MKII
I've heard that you can burn used oil by mixing it with diesel. Has anyone done this? Drawbacks? Does it make a difference if you run it through an older engine vs. a more modern one?
 
I'm sure you can do it but I wouldn't do it EVER!
 
I did this for years with my 1999 F-250 and 2001 Excursion- both had the 7.3 PSD.

I think that any older mechanical diesel wouldn't hiccup in burning diluted waste engine oil- and the greenies would have to admit that it's a good repurposing of the oil!
 
On The Rocks said:
I've heard that you can burn used oil by mixing it with diesel. Has anyone done this? Drawbacks? Does it make a difference if you run it through an older engine vs. a more modern one?
Click to expand...

Check with your engine owners manual or manufacturer. My guess is the answer will be "No".
 
On The Rocks said:
Does it make a difference if you run it through an older engine vs. a more modern one?
Click to expand...

If you have an engine built in the 1930s and lubricate it with 1930s lube oil, go for it.
 
Greetings,
Paul Hana asked the correct question. However till there is additional confirmation and in light of personal knowledge allow me to comment.
We have in the family, several 1992- 1998 Dodge Rams with the Cummings engine, high hours. We blend in used engine oil at a good clip, maybe as high as a couple of gallons with each tank fill. There is no change in the operations except the use of old oil.
Our family mechanic and one owner is a heavy duty diesel mechanic (Warsila, EMD, and Washington to name a few he is active with) as well as a past until clear cut logging was dis-allowed with families and communities being destroyed, still suffering , heavy duty construction mechanic.
The other day he mentioned increasing the use as everything is purring fine.
Just saying he knows his beans about engines.
Regards,
Al Johnson-Ketchikan (Bridge to Nowhere) Alaska
 
Detroit Diesel has a full report on using old lube oil in their antique (1936 design) ., written in the 80's.

Basically it ruins the cylinders and is considered a no no.

"Saving" $4.00 by dumping a gallon of filthy oil at best will require replacement of the fuel filter elements.
 
FF said:
Detroit Diesel has a full report on using old lube oil
Click to expand...


7SE270 0510 Copyright © 2005 DETROIT DIESEL CORPORATION

5.3.2 FUEL ADDITIVES THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED
The following fuel additives are NOT allowed:
Used Lubricating Oil – Detroit Diesel specifically prohibits the use of drained lubricating oil in
diesel fuel. Used lubricating oil contains combustion acids and particulate materials, which erode
injector components, resulting in loss of power and increased exhaust emissions. In addition,
the use of drained lubricating oil will increase maintenance requirements due to filter plugging
and combustion deposits.
 
Pau Hana said:
the greenies would have to admit that it's a good repurposing of the oil!
Click to expand...

Just a note on this -- in addition to the notes here about whether this is good for the engine, there is clear evidence that burning waste crankcase oil is in fact a very efficient method of adding numerous dangerous chemicals to the environment. From a local study (this was for space heaters, but the results for engines are similar):

According to the Ministry of Environment, a space heater burning used motor oil would emit 8,000 times more lead, 196 times more sulphur oxides, 128 times more arsenic and 35 times more inhalable particulate matter (PM10), than a space heater burning home heating oil.

Add to this the fact that waste oil can be very efficiently re-refined, and it is clear that the best solution is to deposit used oil in an approved location.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle
 
IslandEagle said:
Just a note on this -- in addition to the notes here about whether this is good for the engine, there is clear evidence that burning waste crankcase oil is in fact a very efficient method of adding numerous dangerous chemicals to the environment.
Scott Welch
Island Eagle
Click to expand...

Not to mention it is illegal in the US , Canada and Europe to burn used oil motor unless done in an approved (by EPA and other regulators) facility utilizing stack gas cleaning to catch the emitted heavy metals.

As previously stated, to save $4 on a gallon of real fuel you end up ruining your engine - except in a very low mileage Alaska pickup of course.
 
sunchaser said:
As previously stated, to save $4 on a gallon of real fuel you end up ruining your engine - except in a very low mileage Alaska pickup of course.
Click to expand...
:D
 
Extremely counter productive practice recommended by many old timer diesel guys. At best its destructive to fuel systems & engines even when blended properly which takes more time than its worth in small volumes. /Craig S
 
I'm not saying it is good or bad, but when I used to work at a saw mill, I enjoyed hanging out for lunch in the mechanics shop. Forklift operators would bring their rigs in complaining about the smoke and running rough and it turned out they were putting hydraulic fluid in the fuel tank by accident. :banghead: The mechanic told them to suffer through it and burn it off, he wasn't doing anything about it. Those forklifts ran 24/7. He told me a diesel will burn just about anything but gas!
 
Last edited:
It sounds like a classic case of just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.

You can run a diesel on used vegetable oil but most never will because of the mess and time commitment.
 
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