Feeling cold oil

[mjoekingz28]

We all know 200F oil burns......water, cooking oil...etc it is very hot.

And when you drain a hot sump and get some on you, the heat stays a while since the oil is so thick. It takes time to dissipate.

But what about oil at -20f. Do yall even drain oil that cold or just warmup the engine before pulling the plug?

I ask because you really cant feel water below 32f and I figure ice is ice is ice and they all feel the same level of cold to me whether the ice is -10 or +20.

 

[eljefino]

I've gotten fluids on my skin below 32'F, stuff like gasoline or windshield washer juice.

It burns like nothing else, as it rapidly cools the skin surface to the point where it itself can freeze.

It's stupid doing an OCI that cold. Do it when you pull in home from work or whatever. Bolts work better when they're warm; stuff gets brittle when cold.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

If I want to work on something when it's that cold out I simply turn on the heat in the shop.

 

[bullwinkle]

You want to warm it up, at -20F you'll be waiting forever for it to drain (if it drains at all). I've stuck a magnetic oil pan heater on a few times in winter if I didn't want to start an engine to warm the oil up.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
If I want to work on something when it's that cold out I simply turn on the heat in the shop.

 

[ironman_gq]

cold fluid burns suck! The damage is often deeper than a heat burn because the body doesn't react as fast to cold stimulus, or at least not as violently. Cold skin is already somewhat numb and the real pain doesn't start till things thaw out again.

I've had all kinds of cold liquids on my hands, fortunately nothing resulting in bad injury but plenty of minor blisters. Refrigerant has been the worst but I've had oils and fuels spilt on them down to -40F, -50F. Good thing about those is that they tend to be low viscosity and have a low specific energy so they don't stay cold long enough to do much damage but I'm sure you could cause serious frostbite if you submerged your hands in them for more than a few seconds.

 

[CT8]

You run the engine until the oil warms up.Cold oil it too thick.

 

[mjoekingz28]

Glad you lived to tell about it ironman gq!

Sounds like you could have been amputated if not so fortunate with luck and using the wisdom you gathered over time.