Save Motor Oil With a Modified Gallon Jug

Collect the oil that clings to a quart plastic motor oil container.

When you open and pour a quart of motor oil, about 1/2 % clings to the container.

It is a mess to fiddle with the empty oil containers and try and drain the little bit of oil that remains.

This Instructable shows a way to catch that oil that uses an empty jug a home mechanic already has. A well placed snip to the neck of the jug makes it hold the empty plastic oil containers steady and straight for a leisurely drain.

The pictures show a rinsed out popular green degreaser jug. Another common container is an empty windshield washer fluid jug. Don't use any container that might be mistaken for a food container.

Step 1: Snip With Sidecutters, Label the Oil Collection Jug.

The label is for safety and control.

If the label specifies only one grade of oil then you can put the oil to use later.

Do not use a food container to hold motor oil.

Keep the container away from kids.

The electrician's side cutter in photo makes a 1/2" notch in the neck of the jug.

Step 2: Some Parts of the Automobile System I Can't Change Yet.

I had a lab balance available to weigh oil containers.
Some recent measurements:

Weight of a full quart bottle of 10w30 synthetic motor oil 848.50 g.
Weight of empty quart bottle                                                     51.09 g.
Net weight of oil                                                                        797.41 g.

Test: Pour motor oil out of bottle for 1 minute. Weight of empty bottle 51.32 g
         Attach empty plastic oil bottle to drain jug for 45 minutes.            47.09 g
         Approximate weight of oil recovered                                                   4.23 g

Oil recovery ratio, 4.23 g / 797.41 g = .0053  ~ 1/2 %