Re-using oil contaminated with water

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I changed my oil last weekend (Shell Ultra)... This weekend, I hydrolocked my engine - sorted it all out and oil was changed due to water contamination.

If I leave the week old drained oil in a container long enough for the water to separate - would it be safe to re-use for my next oil change?
 
Maybe? but why chance it?
granted i don't know prices is the UK, but oil is cheap enough i wouldn't want to chance it....
 
Since oil floats on water I suppose you could very carefully syphon the oil off the top. I don't think you could wait long enough to evaporate because the oil would be on the bottom. Ed
 
I wouldn't re-use it. Things like suspension and emulsion to the limits of saturation might not be visible to the naked eye but can notably affect performance properties. The lubricity of water suspended in oil is not the same as the lubricity of unsaturated oil. Even if I had access to a centrifuge, I personally wouldn't do it.
 
If oil was 200 dollars.....er um, British pounds per quart, I could see re-using it.

But if you're going to be that cheap, go ahead and run that water through a coffee filter and drink it.

<eyeroll
 
Engines are cheap...oil is expensive.
smile.gif
 
Coolant (Antifreeze) is more damaging than just water.
Just Google pics of bearings that have suffered from coolant contaminated oil.

If you really want to be that cheap, the cheapest oil you can get your hands on, or even someone elses used oil would probably be better than your contaminated stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: RTexasF
It is imminently impractical mate.

Cheers


Yep, seems to be the consensus - thanks to all who've responded.
 
You can rig up a plastic pipe with the inside diameter of a roll of toilet paper, insert one or more rolls, plug the center(s) of the toilet paper and let the oil gravity flow into a clean container below. Do it a couple of times and all the antifreeze and water and any other contaminants will be removed.

You can use such a rig every now and then in the future to clean your oil. It works well with transmission fluid and diff fluid as well. It's slow which is good, so be patient.
 
Originally Posted By: LubeLuke
Put it on a stove. The water will boil off at 100c


It will. Given the oil sits on *top* of the water, as the water boils it will spit 100C oil everywhere and make a potentially dangerous mess.
 
Originally Posted By: LubeLuke
Put it on a stove. The water will boil off at 100c


I tried this with candle wax once.

Once.

Only once.

Don't do it. Trust me.
 
Well since the oil is all but new and apparently not contaminated with coolant, I might give it a shot... I assume engine hydro locked due to water sucked into intake? If that's the case water should not have mixed till it's a emulsion... If it's a milkshake like goo, don't even consider saving it...

What I'd do is put the oil in a funnel shaped container with a valve(or just a hole with bolt in it)above the suspected water level... After it sets a couple weeks, drain off the oil above the water, recycle the remainder... Heating it slightly so it's maybe 120*F would help any contaminants settle to bottom...
 
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Originally Posted By: packerlover
No! Oil has detergents designed to keep everything in suspension, including water.

Go ahead and pour water in any motor oil and see how long it stays in suspension, ain't happnin'...
 
Isn't engine oil designed to cope with water (as an emulsion) as small quantities in any vehicle oil circuit is unavoidable because of condensation?
 
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