Lost Glider

Sig castor oil separating.

I think my first message was poorly worded and has been misunderstood.

Let me clarify this, the pictures are of a bottle of Sig castor oil. It is only castor oil, and something dark and heavy has settled at the bottom. The bottle has never been opened, it has been stored above 65°F and out of direct sunlight.


Thanks.
Randy

Dave Harmon

Hi Randy.....that's normal for all the castor that I have seen.
I have a couple of Bottles of Sig and Morgan's castor and they have the same crap in them.
It's dirt.
The oil is so thick that it would have to be heated quite a bit before that stuff could be filtered out.
What I have been doing is to not shake it up, just pour what you need and leave the dirt in there collected on the bottom.
I usually store the bottle tipped about 45 degrees so the stuff will collect in one spot....easier to see this way....HEH
I still find the same stuff in the engines though.....filtering the fuel in the airplane won't stop that stuff....it's too fine.....just avoid as much of it as you can.

Dave

controlliner

It looks a lot like water in the fuel[:@]

Sport_Pilot

Put it in the sun, then shake it up. If it disolves it's not dirt. If it does it could be water, or just some extra thick castor that doesn't want to dissolve. This happens more with high nitro fuel than low or 0% castor because castor does not dissolve with nitro. In fact the limit is 70% nitro, then even the thinnest will not dissolve.

Lost Glider

I think my first message was poorly worded and has been misunderstood.

Let me clarify this, the pictures are of a bottle of Sig castor oil. It is only castor oil, and something dark and heavy has settled at the bottom. The bottle has never been opened, it has been stored above 65°F and out of direct sunlight.

gkamysz

My Feedback: (19)

In that case, its the gum in castor that everyone talks about. While it is removed, if present, during manufacture it can form during storage. I'm not sure if it will filter out. I don't know if it will varnish an engine instantly.

Sport_Pilot

Oxidized castor oil? Ask SIG, I don't think I have seen this. It could be gum, but not supposed to be there if Bakers AA. Gum does not cause varnish, that is oxidation. Gum is a greenish white material from the husk of the castor bean. If present it could have poison. I suspect it is oxidized oil. Or come to think of it could be a small amount of moisture that has gotten into the bottle, condensed and mixed with oil it would be white in color. I can't really tell from your photos as the light is silhouetting the clouds.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I've used Sig castor oil ever since they started selling it. There have been times when a bottle sat around for maybe 10 years. I've never seen this in the bottom.

There's always the first time?

The Sig of today is not the one of years ago?

Looks like water to me.

I would try not to disturb it and not use the driggs in the bottom.

landeck

My Feedback: (1)

I just check a gallon of Sig Castor Oil I bought 3 months ago and have not yet opened. I did not fine anything in the bottom.

Bruce

Lost Glider

I e-mailed Sig and this was their response:

I don't know what that is either. Have you tried warming it up some?
Bob Nelson

I'll just leave it on the bottom and carefully pour off the top.

downunder

That's a dreadful response. They should have asked to have it back to be tested and you should have been given at least two fresh batches. One for the returned container and another for the trouble it's caused you.

I've never seen anything in castor even after some considerable time undisturbed although I don't use Sig. Castor can absorb moisture but only to about 2% and that looks like far more than 2% contamination. From the photos it looks more like dust or dirt to me which could only have happened at the factory if your container is still sealed. Castor left exposed to air over very long periods will oxidise (go gummy) but in a container like yours it would likely take decades. Normally the only thing that can happen with some castors is getting white flakes if the oil gets very cold which apparently only happens with castor that has chemically extracted oil blended with pressed oil.

Personally I wouldn't use that oil.

w8ye

My Feedback: (16)

I had a bottle of Drug Store Castor oil setting on the back of the work bench for 40 years and nothing ever changed about it.

earlwb

I think it is some impurities that was in the bottom of the vat from what they were loading the bottles or jugs with.
Think of them using a 5,000 gallon vat filled with "pure" Castor oil and they run pipes from the vat to the production line to fill the bottles with.
Your particular bottle happened to be at the end of the production line and was filled with the last dregs of the vat as it was empty or close to it.

Of course it could be the very first bottle in the production line to have been filled and there may have been some residual impurities in the pipes to the nozzle that squirts the oil into the bottle. Maybe some machine oil in the pipes.

I would simply gently pour out the oil you need so that you don't disturb the gunk too much and when you get to the bottom you can decide if you want to use it or not. You could also shake up the bottle good and just use it as is. it likely will not hurt anything.