Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

jimpittman

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
102
I know I am going to get clobbered on this question but I hate to throw away 3/4 gal of outboard motor oil at $21.00 a gal. It seems that I have an undetermined amount of water that seeped or condensed in a one gallon container with a screw top sitting in my boat for a couple of months (April & May) that had a lot of rain. Is it possible to remove this water? Can this oil be used? Can I mix it wit new oil a little at a time? I have an inline gas filter about the size of the one on my car. I am running a 1986 rebuilt Evinrude 4 cyl 115 engine. I mix my oil and gas at 40 to 1 as recommended by the mechanic that sold me thee engine 7 years ago. He is no longer available to consult with.
Thanks jimpittman
 

ondarvr

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
11,527
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

This will be a win win situation. Throw out the contaminated oil, its not worth $15.00 when it can destroy your engine.

Second, go back to a 50-1 oil mix, there is no need for 40-1, that is unless your old mechanic knows more about these motors than the manufacturer does and with the thousands of other boat motors running on 50-1 with no issues, I don't think you'll have any either.

Now you got rid of the old oil and you'll be saving money from this day forward.
 

Boss Hawg

Lieutenant
Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,433
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

Your right--I gonna clobber you :p
Why risk a $1000 + motor to save $20 :confused:
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

Being tighter than a crab's --hole, and that's water tight-- I would use it. Oil floats on water and if you let it sit, it will separate nicely. There are no emulsifiers in TCW-3 so the water will not mix into it. It is quite easy to decant off most of the oil without getting the water and it will be perfectly useable. I would, however, hedge my bets and use it about 1-4 with fresh oil.
 

dingbat

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
16,317
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

Water and oil don't mix. Quite common to have to siphon water off the bottom the large remote oil tanks used by the larger outboards.

Siphon off the water the best you can and use it. What little water would be left is insignificant in the scheme of things.

FWIW: I'd use it my motor and I have a $12K motor. ;)
 

P 0 P E Y E

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Messages
441
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

When in doubt....throw it out.

Or, pour it into a clear container and suck the water off the bottom.
 

Fl_Richard

Lieutenant
Joined
Jan 21, 2005
Messages
1,428
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

I'd drain off the water and mix in in 50/50 with new in my 3 gallon oil tank. My engines can burn 8-30gph @ 50:1 thats .16 to .6 gallons (over two quarts) of oil per hour. It aint in there long...
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

how do you know there's water in there? Can you see the layer on the bottom? If so, I'd still use the top part but leave a wide margin of error for the bottom!
Happened to me when I left a plug in over the winter on a boat on a trailer; filled the hull enough to tip the stern down tongue up and got water in my VRO tank. Although the motor (ahem) died last month it was unrelated and I got several years use out of it. Now water in gasoline is a whole 'nother thing.
 

Lion hunter

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
1,529
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

How is water in gas a whole nother thing? If the water is in the oil and you mix it with gas....you have water in your gas.
 

Home Cookin'

Fleet Admiral
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
9,715
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

the solutions presented here are to remove the water from the oil and discard the water; no one would suggest running the oil with water in it. The water and oil stays distinctly seperate. Not so with gasoline; the water will settle to the bottom but it is easily reintroduced. So I don't think anyone would advocate trying to save the gas from a tank with a lot of water in it, though I'm sure it has been done.

Plus consider that if your gas/oil is 50:1, and if the oil tank is 1% water, you would only get a neglible amount of water in the oil/gas mixture. Problem with that analysis, as said above, the water stays distinct so if your oil pick-up is in the water you get 100% water.
 

Cricket Too

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
May 14, 2003
Messages
1,732
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

I speak from personal experience....water in your oil WILL destroy your engine. I had some get into my resvoir and just like anything else, the intake is at the bottom of the tank.....sucked up water, blew a powerhead.

It is completely insane to me that anybody would consider saving $15 worth of oil to run through your engine. Are you seriously gonna try and separate the water out and use the remaining oil to save $15 friggin dollars??? Throw the crap out!!!

Put it in perspective......you go to the bar and buy a beer for you and two friends.....you just spent $15.....it's pocket change....go buy new oil.
 

dajohnson53

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 28, 2004
Messages
1,627
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

I've always run a water separating filter in my gas line and I have absolutely no doubt that a tiny amount of oil [edit: I mean WATER] in my pre-mix would do no harm.

If it were oil injection system, I would suck all of the oil and water out of the tank. I would then refill with fresh oil. I'd put the old oil into a large clear container and let the water separate to the bottom. It will be obvious. I'd then take the clean oil off the top, careful not to disturb the water, and re-use it. I use a large turkey baster to do this. It takes a while, but it's easy to control what you're doing, not disturbing the water on the bottom.

Or you can use the turkey baster to suck the contaminated oil+water off the bottom until there's no sign of water.

If I had any doubts at all, I'd discard it, or use it for premix applications through the water sep. filter.
 

steam_mill

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jan 16, 2002
Messages
413
Re: Water in 2cycle oil. Can I use it?

How would oil get into a 1 gallon oil container? Condensation would not do it.

I would be concerned there is something wrong with the oil. It's $15. Even if you are Bill Gates and could afford to just a buy a new motor if this oils does damage, is it worth the aggravation?
 
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