What are these spouts?
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No offense meant, but you must be young, like in your 20s.
Those are oil can spouts. In the olden days, like 50 years ago, when I was pumping gas at a Union 76 and Texaco station, oil came in round cardboard cans with a metal top and a metal bottom. You took one of these spouts and punctured the top of the can and quickly turned it upside down when inserting into the oil fill of the car.
The really fun part, if you were brave, was puncturing the top of one of the one gallon cans like it, that oil came in for an oil change. After one or two attempts to hold that 1 gallon can inverted, most idiots decided it was easier to use a funnel.
Cheers to ya,
and happy oil change time,
JimDon
Those are oil can spouts. In the olden days, like 50 years ago, when I was pumping gas at a Union 76 and Texaco station, oil came in round cardboard cans with a metal top and a metal bottom. You took one of these spouts and punctured the top of the can and quickly turned it upside down when inserting into the oil fill of the car.
The really fun part, if you were brave, was puncturing the top of one of the one gallon cans like it, that oil came in for an oil change. After one or two attempts to hold that 1 gallon can inverted, most idiots decided it was easier to use a funnel.
Cheers to ya,
and happy oil change time,
JimDon
dodge610
Well-known member
Oldschool oil can spouts
O the messes I made with those things.
We were just thinking what oil can configuration came after these?
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larry4406
Well-known member
+1! Glad that technology came and went!
HalfTonTom
Well-known member
Jim, you must be younger than I am. When I pumped gas at Hess, the oil cans were all metal.
Someone will chime in about glass oil jars with long metal spouts.
cdeer001
Well-known member
bwringer
Well-known member
Yep, OP must be a mere pup... 
I'm 51, and IIRC the switch to plastic bottles happened very shortly after I started driving, so I didn't need to deal with these cursed things very long.
I'm not sure when all metal cans phased out, but the absolute shittiest of all the ****** things on this good earth were the cardboard oil cans with metal end caps. It was a very lucky day indeed when you could get a spout in one of these without collapsing the can. Some sort of spill was nearly inevitable. Honestly, I just punched two holes and used a funnel. Still messy, but somewhat controllable.
If you bought a case of oil, you were pretty much guaranteed to get at least one leaker. Remember the permanently slippery floors in the Kmart oil aisle? Wasn't that fun?
And of course, you usually had to use the whole quart at once, although they did sell plastic lids you could snap on the top. Not a problem for me at 16 at the rate my hoopty leaked and burned oil.
I'm 51, and IIRC the switch to plastic bottles happened very shortly after I started driving, so I didn't need to deal with these cursed things very long.
I'm not sure when all metal cans phased out, but the absolute shittiest of all the ****** things on this good earth were the cardboard oil cans with metal end caps. It was a very lucky day indeed when you could get a spout in one of these without collapsing the can. Some sort of spill was nearly inevitable. Honestly, I just punched two holes and used a funnel. Still messy, but somewhat controllable.
If you bought a case of oil, you were pretty much guaranteed to get at least one leaker. Remember the permanently slippery floors in the Kmart oil aisle? Wasn't that fun?
And of course, you usually had to use the whole quart at once, although they did sell plastic lids you could snap on the top. Not a problem for me at 16 at the rate my hoopty leaked and burned oil.
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bwringer
Well-known member
There's probably someone here who rode their pet stegosaurus down to the tar pits to scoop up oil in coconut shells.
bob15
Well-known member
The all metal cans transformed into the paper sided cans with metal tops and then they warped into a plastic oil can with a metal top before going all plastic as we have now.
Those paper sided cans never cooperated with me. I always seemd to crush the can while trying to put the spout in it. Though I was young at the time.....
Here is a plastic can with a metal top
Those paper sided cans never cooperated with me. I always seemd to crush the can while trying to put the spout in it. Though I was young at the time.....
Here is a plastic can with a metal top
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bob15
Well-known member
As a kid I remember seeing gas pump jockeys use these spouts. There was an art to it, they never seemed to spill a drop. I think the trick was to upend the can before the oil had a chance to spill. One of the first things I bought when I got my first car, I was a complete failure at it though. I quickly came to the realization that I was in the amateur funnel class. I still used the spout to puncture the cans though. Had to get some use out of it for my money.
dutchgray
Well-known member
Found some of those a few years ago, was converting an old stone built cart shed into a house for a customer and there was a few new sealed glass bottles of oil right in the back, probably had been there 50 years.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I thought that was the best solution after making a mess.
someone will probably have to explain church key now.I feel really old seeing what he was asking about.
bob15
Well-known member
For those not in the know, here is a church key:
turbowoodworker
Well-known member
Bob, there was a day when people would collect those.
hammerhead611
Well-known member
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Don't know why, but when I saw the title of the thread and clicked it, I had a feeling it was going to be the old oil can spouts. I think they started becoming obsolete in mid to late 80s and by the early 90s, all motor oil was being sold in the plastic bottles. I worked at WalMart throughout high school (started in 88) and remember stocking the shelves in the automotive department and most oil was still in the cardboard cans
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Ya; I have both the flexible spout and rigid type can spouts purchased in the 60'S. I also have a couple cans of GM power steering oil from the 80'S. That oil is getting ancient. Time flies, but I never tried to Myself.
toolmiser
Well-known member
My father always changed his oil. I got to help by pouring in the new stuff. He always had me open it with a church key and use a funnel to pour it in. I also had to make sure I drained "all" of the oil out, couldn't leave any drops in the can.
Robby321
Well-known member
Remember well. One the gas stations worked, the boss had a funnel to hold M/T cans, drain every drop out, and on to the next. Probability got a free quart out of 10 sold!
I feel old now, thanks! LOL
L5wolvesf
Well-known member
I was in high school during the "gas crisis" and working at a corporate Mobil (pre Exxon) station. We sold a lot of oil and just about every can got stabbed.
Checking and buying oil at the gas pump seems like another thing of the past. In fact I can't remember ever getting oil at a gas station, always bought it at a store and added it myself.
Marctrees
Well-known member
Why are they called church keys ??
Marc
Marc
He hasn't been here in years. We used to have a member going by that name.
I have an oil spout with a trigger to push the can forward to get poked
Tempus_Fugit
Member
They were most commonly used to open beer bottles and cans.
I always assumed it had something to do with alcoholics finding religion.
Also I worked at a Shell station 1979-81, we had a paper can "Fire and Ice" display out on the full serve island. We were under orders to push the 10W50 because it cost more.
It wasn't that long ago... was it?.. every home garage had at least one of those oil can spouts in an old oil can with the top cut off draining until it was needed again. It was quite common to add a quart or two of oil between changes. Again, as several others have said.... I'm feeling old!!!
Marctrees
Well-known member
This is the best find of 5 minutes Google.
Marc
https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/article115674978.html
Marc
https://www.bnd.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/article115674978.html
minke
Well-known member
There were also glass bottles of so-called recycled oil that had a blue cast. They had IIRC somewhat filtered oil. You wanted that **** when you needed a quart every 200 miles.
Marctrees
Well-known member
"They do make a unique sound piercing the metal end cap."
Yup... Crazy, after all these years, I can like hear it right now.
Marc
Yup... Crazy, after all these years, I can like hear it right now.
Marc
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Motor oil used to come in a cardboard can with a metal top and bottom. If you didn't put the spout STRAIGHT IN, you'd end up collapsing the can. Used to be very frustrating.
JimDon, no offense, but you must be a youngster. 
Oil used to come in all-steel cans. The paper ones were some newfangled penny pinching thing. They had an annoying habit of collapsing when you tried to insert the spout if they'd sat around a damp garage too long.
Oil used to come in all-steel cans. The paper ones were some newfangled penny pinching thing. They had an annoying habit of collapsing when you tried to insert the spout if they'd sat around a damp garage too long.
mrobins297aaa
Well-known member
yeah sure makes you feel old that there would be someone on the planet that would not know what those are for.
In 1966 when I worked at the Sinclair station we also had the bulk oil bottles, glass bottles with the screw on metal funnel type caps, we had them in a wired tray something like the old milk men carried milk in (oops someone will have to explain what that was...lol)
we also had the bulk oil tank inside the station that had a hand pump on it and when you sold a bottle of oil you would refill it..........I think it was .10 cents a quart.
I also remember cigarettes were .25 cents a pack and $2.00 a carton
long time ago I was 17
In 1966 when I worked at the Sinclair station we also had the bulk oil bottles, glass bottles with the screw on metal funnel type caps, we had them in a wired tray something like the old milk men carried milk in (oops someone will have to explain what that was...lol)
we also had the bulk oil tank inside the station that had a hand pump on it and when you sold a bottle of oil you would refill it..........I think it was .10 cents a quart.
I also remember cigarettes were .25 cents a pack and $2.00 a carton
long time ago I was 17
gtsgarage
Well-known member
Yep church key and funnel was the way to go. One hole on each side of the top.