Broken 20 gallon oil drain tank! Help!

So I have this oil drain tank, like this one.

It's about half full now and I decided I'd probably better start getting the oil into my plastic jugs so I can take it to get recycled.

Here's where my issue is. I hook up my air line, turn the valve and nothing happens. I check the lever and it is pointed to "on". I try to move the lever and its stuck. I also hear an air leak.

I look closely where the lever is mounted and sure enough, the metal where the valve meets up to the main fitting is cracked.

Awesome! So how do I get 10 gallons of oil out of this thing? Also, is that fitting something I can buy and replace? Or do I have to throw the entire thing away?

If you can get the oil warm....(probably 100 degrees or so), you should be able to siphon most of the oil out.

Is the tank cracked? If yes, you can probably braze the cracked area, and add some reinforcement.

Rog

JB Weld the crack.

JB weld

Here's the crack.

There's also the issue of the valve being seized. I can't get it to turn, even putting a large set of pliers on it wouldn't get it turning...

Looks like a standard brass ball valve. Pull it, take it up to Lowes and buy another.

Perfect, thanks Toyman

Are you sure you pulled the drain tube all the way out of the valve? it goes down through the ball in the down position. Just checking as I have done that before and could not figure out why it would not close.

Looks like a 1½"ish ball valve. About $30 at a hardware store.

As for getting the oil out, get a buddy (or three) to help tip the beast upside down, over a bucket.

Dang, Toyman beat me to it.

7rx, I couldn't turn the handle on that ball valve at all. The handle was bending, it's totally seized, then I noticed the crack.

Which would explain why the air pressure wasn't able to push the oil up through the hose...

Freeze damage?

Toyman01 wrote: Looks like a standard brass ball valve. Pull it, take it up to Lowes and buy another.

Oh..yea..you're not going to JB weld that. As Toyman1 says, it's a standard part, just replace it.

So those fittings are massive. What am I supposed to use to unscrew them? Massive pipe wrench, channel locks, etc?

docwyte wrote: So those fittings are massive. What am I supposed to use to unscrew them? Massive pipe wrench, channel locks, etc?

18" pipe wrench and/ or channellocks.

I was thinking adjustable wrench like that Hess, pretty sure the ones I have are too small tho. May just buy a huge one and a huge set of channel locks, I'm sure I'll use them again...

The one in the pic is 24" and $28 at HF.

Managed to get it off with my largest channel lock pliers, which were just big enough.

$32 and a trip to Lowe's later I've got it swapped out and fixed.

Thanks guys!