Engine Oil Filler Cap
Used motor oil from your car's crankcase can be a problem. When it is time to change the oil in your vehicle, many people struggle with the decision of dispose of the oil in a manner that is safe for the environment. For many people, the solution is to not dispose of the oil at all, but to make it into diesel fuel. This fuel can then be burned to heat your home during winter, or even used to power your car as long as you have a diesel engine. If you have old crankcase oil that you would like to convert to fuel, follow these simple steps to learn how.
Instructions
1. Obtain an HDPE barrel. These blue barrels are made of a highly durable plastic known as High Density PolyEthylene. Having a barrel made of this material will give you a container to make your fuel in without being worried about your crankcase oil leaking out. Try to acquire a HDPE barrel that is at least a 20-gallon size, and ideally with markings on the side to help you identify how many gallons of fluid are inside the barrel. You should also make certain that your barrel has a lid so that you can safely store your fuel.
2. Open the fill cap on the lid of your HDPE barrel. Fit the cap with a piece of PVC pipe that is the right diameter to fit tightly into the fill hole. The PVC pipe should be long enough to hold a 10-micron filter, with enough length left over to support a large funnel. Having 12 to 18 inches of pipe is generally more than adequate for this purpose.
3. Place a 10-micron filter into the PVC pipe. Push the filter close to the bottom of the pipe so that it is the last thing your used crankcase oil will encounter before pouring into the barrel. The filter will remove any sediment and debris from the oil so that you will have a clean product to work with.
4. Insert a large funnel into the top of the PVC pipe and begin to pour the used crankcase oil into it. The oil will pour through the funnel and travel to the 10-micron filter, where it will slowly soak through and drip into the HDPE barrel. This process may be slow, so do not pour too much oil at once. Go slow and easy, allowing plenty of time for the used oil to be filtered.
5. Measure the amount of used crankcase oil that is in the barrel, and add an equal amount of fresh diesel fuel. It is helpful if you have been able to acquire an HDPE barrel with markings on the side to identify how many gallons of oil are in the barrel. Otherwise, you can use a tape measure to determine how deep the oil is, then pour in fresh diesel fuel until it is twice as deep. You should have a 50:50 ratio of new diesel and used oil. Some people like to add more fresh diesel so that they have a 60:40 mixture.
6. Mix the used crank case oil and diesel fuel until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. The easiest way to do this is to use a boat oar or paddle to stir the contents of the barrel. Mix the fluids for 20 to 30 minutes. At this point the oil and fuel will be blended together into a single liquid. You now have a barrel of diesel fuel that can be burned for heat or to power a diesel automobile engine.
