Mixture of Old and new Oil... | GTAMotorcycle.com

Mixture of Old and new Oil...

Veej

Veej

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On Monday I was changing my bike oil with Rotella T6 Synthetic Diesel oil (been using Rotella for last 3-4 years awesome priced oil compared to synthetic bike oil which is highway robbery for the price, especially if you get it on sale at Crappy Tire). Had just poured the old oil into an empty Rotella jug and put the jug by garage door. Took a new Rotella jug out put it on the tray opened it and started doing the gear oil change. Took the gear oil out and started doing some other stuff, after a bit I poured the old gear oil out in the the Rotella jug, just as I finished I realized I poured the 1/4 litre or less black gear oil in to the new 4 litre jug of oil :shock:, brain went in to deep freeze for a bit fathoming what I had done and feeling like an idiot a true nut and bolt head.

I contemplated using the oil whats a 1/5 litre of black tar oil in 4 litre jug gonna really do, but then again thought I did not want to take any chances, the gear oil was just a bit less than a 1/4 litre. So I refilled the bike with a new jug of oil. I still have the contaminated oil. Now I'm wandering if using this oil as top up would be fine? Anyone here have any advice?
 
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Was that gear oil black or jet black?
 
what kind of bike? engine oil and tans oil are separate? or is this shaft oil?

and it's kind of hard to follow, are you saying you poured used gear oil into your new jug of T6 engine oil?
if that is what you're saying, it's now junk IMO
 
I would never mix oil types or weights or types, but mixing new oil with new oil of the same viscosity shouldn't hugely matter if the "old" new oil was stored properly. For example half left in a used bottle of T6 from last year and new T6 fine...but not car oil or some other type mixed with new T6, or old (drained) T6 with new T6.
 
I'm 99% sure you've contaminated the new engine oil with the old gear oil, totally different lubes, aside from the fact you mixed old with new. A shame, but given relative cost of Rotella T6 vs. any type of engine repair why take the risk. I'd just recycle it and caulk it up to experience.

If it helps you too not feel too foolish about this I used to pour old used oil into spare Rotella T dino jugs but forgot to mark the jug "dirty". So next time I did an oil change I refilled the bike with the old dirty oil and then realized what I had done before I started the bike. So what did I do? Drained out the old dirty oil and replaced with new Rotella, ran the bike for about 10 minutes until it was up to temp and then drained out the new Rotella and refilled. Probably overkill but Rotella dino was $13 a jug at that time and it gave me peace of mind.
 
I guess I will just let go of the oil, glad I got it on sale few years back. Also just to clarify for the confusion, I poured dirty used gear oil into the new T6 jug. I only realized my error a few minutes later when I saw the old jug filled with dirty oil on the floor.

Thanks for the input guys, just gives me peace of mind that I'm throwing away good oil, given the price of T6 it don't hurt as much as it would if it were the synthetic oils like Motul !!
 
dilute it more and use in a lawnmower or snow blower. It's at 1/16 dirty gear oil to clean oil ratio now? Gear oil have energy conserving additives?
 
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If it was a bit of dirty motor oil that ended up in a new jug of motor oil, I'd probably say use it...but gear oil, well....that'd be the line for me - wouldn't want to risk that on anything short of an old beater lawnmower or something.

Set it aside and use it for lighting campfires or something.
 
It's all relative. I seen a video of a lower caste Indian doing an engine rebuild on the side of the road. He poured the oil into a plastic vessel with no lid and poured it back into the engine after rebuild. A dog may or may not have urinated in it. Love those travel videos. Actual India, not Brampton.
 
If you mixed old oil with old new oil, but didn't forget the new new old new oil and then mixed the old old new old oil, you should be fine.
 
Take it to Canadian tire and they will recycle it free of charge

I wouldn't use the contaminated oil

Mistakes happen.... Don't beat yourself too much

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abkdt41 said:
Take it to Canadian tire and they will recycle it free of charge

I wouldn't use the contaminated oil

Mistakes happen.... Don't beat yourself too much

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
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But they keep it. So it doesn't help the original owner at all. I would keep it around in case I needed some sort of lubricant. You never know when you'll have to cut a thread or unsqueak a hinge. But I agree, mistakes do happen. Two wrongs don't make a right.
 
inreb said:
But they keep it. So it doesn't help the original owner at all. I would keep it around in case I needed some sort of lubricant. You never know when you'll have to cut a thread or unsqueak a hinge.
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But 5L of it?

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I was out for a ride with some friends a few years back.
One of the lads had a BMW and had done his own oil change. He had not put a new crush washer on the plug.
The plug worked its way lose and dropped the whole load of oil on the road.
We were very lucky and found the plug.
We refilled the oil using the odds and ends we carried with us to get him to the next town.
Two different grades of oil plus some transmission oil.
It was the best we could do and we were only going about 10 kilometers.
It was a rare case but I never felt happy about it.
 
I've got too many bottles of different oils to keep old around. Though, did use some old oil on the kid's winter bicycle chain that was covered in grime.
 
abkdt41 said:
But 5L of it?

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I know it's a crazy amount of oil to have on hand. Maybe put it in 5 1L containers. Make a pretty good gag stocking stuffer. Practical too.
 
Riceburner said:
I've got too many bottles of different oils to keep old around. Though, did use some old oil on the kid's winter bicycle chain that was covered in grime.
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Maybe investigate a binding agent. Chain lube for life.
 
Ppl are always arguing about using old oil for chain lube....I keep buying Teflon chain saver, chain wax, etc.
 
Riceburner said:
Ppl are always arguing about using old oil for chain lube....I keep buying Teflon chain saver, chain wax, etc.[/QUO

Ya I keep buying that same canned chain lube for my garage and bicycles, never thought of using this oil. Could work for the garage chains, but for the bicycles it may attract all the dust and dirt.

Regarding the mistake, if it was just dirty engine oil I wouldn't care and would've just used it up right away, but the concern came due to the gear oil. I even top up the bike with different brands and different ratings of motorcycle oil never had an issue.
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