recycling ATF: Foolish or go for it ?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I recently opened the drain plug on the tranny of my 2005 Toyota Matrix with 220K miles. According to the maintenance records I got from the previous owner, The tranny was serviced (fluid and filter changed) at 180k mi.

So anyway, 3.5 qt's of fairly good looking/smelling ATF came out into my very clean drain pan. I replaced that with the correct new ATF. I plan on doing this again, as my two part redneck ATF fluid change.

The question is ?
Do I use this as a boolit lube ingrediant or Ed's Red or just general lubrication use around the garage ?

OR just recycle it with my used motor oil ?

If I do reuse it, should I just let any particles settle and syphon off the top or should I heat it up and pour it through a coffee filter ?

In the past, I have saved certain 'lightly' used synthethic motor oil, for use in junker lawn mower motors and such, and it is surprising how much particle/stuff will settle in 6 months from oil that looked fairly good when drained.

[35remington]

Can't imagine metal particles in ATF help barrels when in lube. I suppose they can be filtered out.

I know a guy that recycles lubricant used in semis, and they use it gallons at a time, where the cost factor comes into play. With ATF being 6 bucks a quart, and only having a mere 3.5 quarts in there, I can't imagine you're saving a lot recycling it. This musta been for a four banger tranny judging from the volume.

Lubricant just gets dirty. Filter it and like the guy renovating semi crankcase oil you could slap a new warranty on it if all the particulates were filtered out. If you reuse it for anything, for me it's for general lube around the garage. I'd still run it through a filter to get the metal bits out and some of the other waste products.

[runfiverun]

i think I'd do the settle, skim and filter thing.
don't cook it, you'll burn off the carriers.

it is still useful as a general lubricant and as a penetrating oil when mixed with acetone.
it should make ed's red just fine too.
if it hasn't seen temps over 200-f or so in the tranny it Is still good.

[osteodoc08]

I'd use it to clean nasty chains in. Nothing more. It's not worth using contaminated/used ATF for me.

[Bigslug]

Given the cost of new ATF, how little of it is used in a batch of typical lube, how far you can go with that batch of lube, and the somewhat unknown state of used, I would regard used ATF as an emergency lube ingredient best reserved for the Zombie Apocalypse. For day-to-day operations - false economy.

[geargnasher]

I keep a 5-gallon bucket with sealed pour-spout lid for similar things I get from work, too new to waste but too questionable to use as a new oil. This keeps my drill bits lubed, etc. Yes, there is a black film on the bottom, which ought to tell us something.

Gear

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

OK, that's good to know,
when I get to cleaning up the garage on that first sunny 40º day here in Minnesota, probably late March and I come across that gallon jug, I'll find room in my oil storage cabinet and save it for general lubrication...and find a squirt can for it also

[freebullet]

It burns real good in a drip waste oil heater. Mmm toasty.

Make one of them and smelt over it. That's like triple recycling.

[Dan Cash]

For gosh sakes, if the price of three quarts of ATF makes a difference to you, you probably can't afford to cast and shoot. Take the used oil and poour it around the edge of your garden shed or garage to keep the weeds away.

[geargnasher]

If it's Toyota ATF that's a pound of powder, at today's prices. Waste not, want not.

Gear

[Horace]

For gosh sakes, if the price of three quarts of ATF makes a difference to you, you probably can't afford to cast and shoot. Take the used oil and poour it around the edge of your garden shed or garage to keep the weeds away.

Not in the last 30 years here behind "The Redwood Curtain" of the left coast.

Horace

[popper]

It keeps the bugs out also but the EPA says it is illegal. Had a friend long ago that used a large dia. cotton rope in both containers to filter stuff from the field oil. He used it in his truck. Higher dirty oil siphoned and cleaned into lower jug. Rope held all the contaminants. For making Ed's Red - works fine, just dry patch afterwords.

[jonp]

If it's Toyota ATF that's a pound of powder, at today's prices. Waste not, want not.

Gear

Price Honda duel gear oil and atf. I just did my 1997 crv

[bhn22]

3.5 quarts? I take it you didn't drain the converter so all the old ATF got replaced?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

3.5 quarts? I take it you didn't drain the converter so all the old ATF got replaced?

I believe my Matrix holds around 7 qts total, I didn't drain the converter.
As stated in the OP, this was the first part of "my two part redneck ATF fluid change."

[jeepyj]

I add it to my used motor oil and use it for annual undercoat of my dad's old truck. Anything I can do to prolong the old GMC from the salt is well worth it.
jeepyj

[bhn22]

I believe my Matrix holds around 7 qts total, I didn't drain the converter.
As stated in the OP, this was the first part of "my two part redneck ATF fluid change."

You might check on something. Often, the converter isn't sealed from the transmission, and oil from the converter cycles through the transmission. If this is the case with your Toyota, your new oil is already mixed with the old oil in the converter.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

You might check on something. Often, the converter isn't sealed from the transmission, and oil from the converter cycles through the transmission. If this is the case with your Toyota, your new oil is already mixed with the old oil in the converter.

Oh, I'm sure it is mixed.

[LaPoint]

Use it after you let it settle out. You could also pour it through a coffee filter or a milker filter to get the big chunks first. Pour it over a magnet to get any ferrous particles out of it. If you want to get really nuts, run it through a centerfuge to get it really clean.

LaPoint

[Oreo]

I say burn it in drip-waste oil heater. I can't imagine needing that much general purpose oil around a home garage/shop. Reusing it in an engine/tranny is definitely false economy. Even using it in boolit lube is questionable at best imo.