methanol contaminated motor oil. ok for deuce

[svd dragunov]

i have access to some used motor oil thats been contaminated with methanol. its from a buddie of mines race car. no idea why they add the methanol. but he was very addiment on warning me about it. will this be ok for the deuce once filtered?

 

[FireFighterHill]

It should be fine if the ratio of methanol is low. They use it as fuel in race cars because of its high octane. It burns colorless or slightly blue on its own. Do you know how much Methanol is in the oil? is this just engine oil that was in an engine ran on methanol or did they dump methanol directly into the fuel? If its only a small amount of Methanol it should be fine to run through a Deuce.

 

[jw4x4]

Methanol is the fuel (alcohol). Very popular in high-end race cars. Usually alcohol injected, as in World of Outlaws Sprint cars, or drag racing. Could also be blown alky injected (a step down from nitro-methane). With the high cylinder pressures and rpms, it is common for some of the methanol to bypass the piston rings and end up in the oil pan.

 

[svd dragunov]

he said it was a small amount just wanted to make sure it would be allright.

 

[zout]

If you cook the methenol out of the oil - its vapor temp is 168 degree's.

But I am no way suggesting you cook oil to get methenol vapors releaesed around flames - its only the point where
it cooks off into vapor. Acetone is near that temp as well.

 

[VPed]

It is fairly easy to test the mixture for alcohol content using a graduated cylinder or beaker, it just may take some time. Get a volume of sample, say half of the capacity of your beaker. Then add water, maybe 10 percent of the sample volume. Stir gently until mixed and then allow to settle. Since we are dealing with oil, heat would help with settling. The methanol will mix with the water and of course the water will not mix with the oil. Once the water and oil separate, measure the amount of oil. Subtract that amount from the original volume to get the amount of methanol. I use this method to test gasoline/alcohol mixes in my car (e-85). Letting it stand for 30 minutes works for gasoline but with oil, it may take a day or two with the sample in a warm place.

 

[Beyond Biodiesel]

Alcohols do not normally go into solution with petroleum distillates unless a cosolvent is used. So, if this methanol contaminated motor oil is from blowby, then the methanol contnet should be quite low, and if you settle your waste oil fuel before filtering, then the alcohol, should just settle out.

However, the problem with alcohol in an old engine, regardless of whether it is spark ignited or compression ignited, will serious swell hoses and seals at levels above 10%. Below 5% it should be fine.