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I know that shops don't separate the different type of motor oils. They all go in one barrel and then gets sent to a recycling place, so wouldn't the recycled oil have different weights and also some synthetic and non-synthetic in it?
I've seen transmission fluid dumped into the same used oil container as well BTW.
As I understand it, used oil goes back through the refinery just like new crude.
Many years ago, "recycled" oil was filtered, and fresh additives added, then bottled for use. Now I think it is re-refined.
google is great!
"Your used motor oil can be cleaned and fully reused as a fuel oil. One gallon of used oil provides one gallon of fuel oil. With higher-intensity processing, it can be re-refined back into lubricants at about a 60 percent yield – 1 gallon of used motor oil provides about 2.5 quarts of lubricating base oil. It’s not just the used oil from your car or truck that can be reused or re-refined. Used motor oil from motorcycles, boats, farm equipment and lawn mowers can be reused or re-refined as well."
May uses for used oil, even mixed with trans fluid. We have 2 waste oil heaters here at work, we put in just about any fluid, except antifreeze, in them. Keeps the shop guys warm, saves us recycling hassles, and is just easier all the way around. Way back when, I use to recycle my own oils by running the oil through several filters and magnetic piping and blending with diesel to use in my farm tractors. Also mixed some up with the mineral spirits in my parts cleaner. It would leave a fine coat on parts I wasnt planning on using in the near future to keep them from rusting. Put some in a squirt can to lubricate chains on the equipment we had with chains, I can go on......
Here in Canada, re=processed motor oil is sold in bulk to fleet users, like taxi companies, courier companies and the like.
The same thing is done with automatic transmission fluid, engine coolant, and brake fluid.
It is quite a bit cheaper to re-refine these fluids, than it is to drill oil wells, transport it to a refinery, THEN make the product.
Here in Toronto, there are places where individuals who do their own oil changes can go to drop off the used oil. The collectors sell the used oil to the refiners, by the tanker truck full. The collectors get 25 cents per litre, or about a dollar a gallon for the used fluids.
ATF and motor oils are made from the same hydrocarbons and as such can be mixed for the purpose of recycling. The old oils are subject to Chevrons ISO/SYN process which is far too complicated and lengthy to explain here but it basically goes thru the refinery again. It is a gas to liquid and liquid process. What comes out is an ultra pure clear Gp III basestock with a Viscosity Index of 120 to 140. What you probably don't know is that this basestock is usually reused and is in every bottle of synthetic oil you buy. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. There are suppliers in the industry that all of their products are recycled oils. Ever see a Safety Kleen truck? Magnolia Oil company? All of the makers and blenders with the exception of the boutique oils will have recycled oil in the formulation. While ISO/SYN is a Chevron technology, it's also an industry wide process used by a lot of the oil companies.
IN regards to engine break in. There is no reason to break an engine in anymore. The old break in was to allow the rings to seat in their cylinders. We no longer use a high tension ring. All are low tension rings these days and the ring deck height has been moved down the piston so that the rings are not slammed against the cylinder walls from the compression. Engine life is longer and oil usage is down considerably.
There seems to be a one fits all when folks chat about oils. Not all engines are the same. Some don't respond to a synthetic oil at all. Oil usage can be a problem. A direct injected engine creates a lot of internal temps that a normal engine won't see. The oil has a tendency to cook off or evaporate from the high temps. This is called NOACK. A low NOACK oil is the cure to limit oil usage. You might find it interesting that the lowest NOACK oil is a conventional Pennzoil 10w-30, not a synthetic. When talking about oils, do not make the mistake that all engine respond the same to an oil- they don't. The OP has a simple but reliable Mazda engine.
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I dump it in my diesel fuel tanks, some HD rigs continously meter it into fuel and add fresh oil to crankcase.
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