Oil Gathering

Aside from the actual mechanical conversion of the engine, the most important thing you will deal with is the oil gathering and pre-filtering process. There are several rules to remember about oil, and the gathering thereof,

1. All oil is not created equal . (On the eighth day god created liquid gold)

Be patient in your initial hunt for oil. Forget the fast food places and chain restaurants. They tend to have nasty oil, and are less likely to let you have it.(not that you want it.) Smaller independently owned restaurants tend to have better oil, and you have a better chance of talking with someone who will give you permission. Chinese and Japanese restaurants seem to be the best, but there are always exceptions to the rule.

When you look into the container it should look dark, and liquid. If you look in and it is white and creamy, walk away. Clarity of the oil is more important than color. Some oils are clear but dark. Take a sample of the oil in a clear container and see if you can see through it at room temp. If you can, it is good stuff. If you can’t, you should keep looking.

If you take your time, and hold out for the liquid gold, your life will be much easier. The time and effort it takes to heat, filter, settle, and dewater bad oil is usually counter productive. There is plenty of great oil out there, be patient, find it and enjoy.

2. Thou shalt not covet the last few inches of oil in the barrel

All oil will settle out given time. The nasty stuff like water, dirt, and small mammals will settle out to the bottom. No matter how good the oil is on top, there is bound to be some junk on the bottom. So always suck off the top, and watch for that settling line as you go down. When you find it, stop pumping and leave that last few inches. It’s the last few inches that will clog a filter bag prematurely. (greed cloggeth filter bags.)

3. Thou shalt not steal oil.

Always ask permission from the restaurant. They may have thrown it out, but it is still nice to ask. They are almost always eager to help you out, and it creates a long term relationship that benefits everyone.

Posted in: Oil Gathering and Filtration