Used motor oil

[Tatume]

Hello Folks,

I've seen many references to using used motor oil as a flux. Burned petroleum in general, and used motor oil in particular, are usually carcinogenic. I would not use motor oil as a flux and recommend against the practice.

Take care, Tom

[destrux]

It doesn't make a very good flux anyway. Not to mention that most motor oils made up till a few years ago contained zinc (a form of zinc phosphate) as an anti-wear additive.

[TheGrimReaper]

It doesn't make a very good flux anyway. Not to mention that most motor oils made up till a few years ago contained zinc (a form of zinc phosphate) as an anti-wear additive.

Really? I did not know that! Thanks for the tip. It is good to know.

[boltaction308]

I found a very good article on fluxing

http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

[blackthorn]

If motor oil contains a Zinc additive that can get into our alloy can tossing a used Arsenic filter into the melt increase the Arsenic content of an alloy??? My daughter lives in an area where the ground water is contaminated with Arsenic and she requires a special filter on one of her cold water taps to be able to use the water for consumption SOOO I got to thinking----

[runfiverun]

actually ZDDP.
it provided a protective coating for the moving parts in the engine.
they quit using it because it was degrading the metals in the catalytic converter.
some oils still use it but they are just the premium brands like redline/amsoil/royal purple.
they don't have an ansi rating because of that.
and many of your oil boosters like Z-max, Bardahl's, etc, contain it because of the protection it provides.
this is just the government looking out for you by ruining your cars engine for you.

[mdi]

You're not supposed to stand with your head over the pot and breathe the fumes. Carcinogenic, mebbe if you breathed the fumes/smoke everyday for 12.75 years. Everything in excess is bad for you (did you know you could die if you drank too much water?). I worked around diesel engines for the last 25+ years and automobiles for many years before that, and I know of no one that contracted cancer that can be definitely attributed to diesel/gasoline smoke. I worked around machines that used cutting fluid (petroleum based) that gave off fumes also. If yer gonna get cancer, you're gonna get it if you live in L.A. or the Cascade Mountains.

Jes an old guy that gets tired of the "Chicken Little" reaction to the word "Cancer"...

My apologies if I offend any one.

[Shiloh]

It stinks and smokes like heck.

Shiloh

[DeanWinchester]

Makes a better Weedeater. Thin it with diesel and spray the fence row. Damn a line trimmer.

[DLCTEX]

Some places you had better not get caught pouring oil in any form out. If a lending company requires an environmental assessment before lending the buyer money to buy your place, and they find were the oil was poured, the clean up can be terribly expensive. It has happened.

[L Ross]

I had been using waste motor oil as a quench for blacksmithing when a fire fighter friend of mine gently chastised me. He aid there was flame retardant called PBB in motor oil and it is toxic to breath. I switched to linseed oil.

Duke

[GabbyM]

Am guilty of using motor oil to help melt WW's. It is pretty nasty.
What I like for flux is cooking oil or lard. Can buy corn oil at Aldi's store for around $2.50 a quart. I place some in an old dish soap bottle then just squeeze some on.

[BBQJOE]

Used motor oil?
Might as well poop in your pot, and try that.

[warf73]

I've used old motor oil on WW's (cold start) as flux and works well from what I've seen, not saying its the best. Once the pot is hot and I'm adding WW's to the melt I change over to saw dust, if no saw dust I use wax and stir that in.

As for zinc in the motor oil I'll take your all word that it does, I don't use anything but Rotella (maybe it has it). I make sure I don't breath in the fumes no matter what I flux with.

[rintinglen]

I used to flux my smelt with it when reducing WW's, but where I live now I have to be more stink-conscious--and used motor oil rates pretty high on the stinkometer. It works well, done out doors I deem the health risks minimal, but the stuff makes stinky, thick black smoke. These days I use cleaner burning alternatives.

[ku4hx]

I tried some of my waste oil once. Smoked something fierce and stunk up the whole house via an open window nearby. That was the end of my motor-oil-as-flux phase.

[Forrest r]

I like to use my old Harley oil to harden steel, a lot of carbon in the sludge of that old oil.

I own older Harley's & it's getting harder to find oil that has any ZDDP in it.

[tuckerdog]

saw dust from pine works VERY well as a flux and is much more pleasant to use than motor oil

[dverna]

We can take saving a buck too far sometimes.

[imashooter2]

A lot of indoor ranges spray used motor oil on the armor plate backstop to help prevent lead from sticking. The stuff I was smelting from such a place would literally form a 1/4 inch deep pool of oil on the surface of the melt that had to burn off before I could pour. A real neighbor pleaser! [smilie=1:

[dkf]

ZDDP is still used in the vast majority of engine oils today especially in HDDO. They just reduced the amount of ZDDP in many oils to help extend catalyst life. For example a run of the mill Motorcraft 5w-30 has a ZDDP content of around 750-800ppm on the UOAs I have done. An HDDO you are usually looking well over 1200ppm. Guys running engines with flat tappet cams usually prefer oils with over 1000ppm of ZDDP. Then theres phosphorus and other additives that help prevent wear also.

If you throw the lead in the pot and stand away from it until the oil burns off plus work in a well ventilated area I don't really see the issue. I would not melt range scrap indoors anyway.