DOES OIL HAVE A SHELF LIFE??

[lstumper067]

I want to use a gallon of Delo 400 15w-40(new-never opened) that I know has been sitting around on a shelf for three or four years. I would think that oil, being millions of years old, wouldn't have a shelf life. Does anyone know for sure??

Thanks
lstumper067

 

[RoyJackson]

If it's in a plastic contaioner, I'd use it.
If it's in one of the old wrapped cardboard cans, I'd be a bit leary. I don't know if those older cans can absorb water or not (from setting around in a damp environment), but I wouldn't use it for an oil change.

No good reason why...just a gut feeling.

 

[lloyd123]

I made an inquiry to Mobil a few years back about the shelf life of oil. Their reply was that conventional oil had a shelf life of a year and synthetic was good as long as the bottle was still intact. I seem to remember that with conventional oil the additive package starts to settle out after awhile. I don't know why the additive package in synthetic doesn't settle out. Could be they were just trying to pump up the synthetic in order to sell more Mobil 1.

Please don't take this as gospel as I could have been the victim of some half truths.

Is there a petrochemist out there?

 

[Junkman]

If the oil is in a cardboard container, then it is left over from the 1960's. Even then, I would use it. I doubt that there is any difference, and if moisture could get in, then the oil would get out, so if there are no leaks, then it has to be as good as the day it was made. How good that is, depends on how good the technology was back when it was made. The oil has been in the ground for a couple million year, so what is a couple of years above ground going to do to it???? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

Using the search functionality;

Link

MikePA: Cleaned up long URL link

 

[Junkman]

Does that mean that this quart of oil that I just poured into my engine is out of date?? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gsxr1100]

Depends on the engine in question... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[CTyler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I seem to remember that with conventional oil the additive package starts to settle out after awhile. )</font>

I've had this happen on a bottle of Quaker State that was sitting on the shelf for several years. Light colored stuff sitting at the bottom. It stayed in the bottom of the bottle after pouring into my waste oil barrel.

Additives, paraffin or both...don't know.

 

[EddieWalker]

I used to work at an airport in a differnt life. One of the plane mechanics gave a few of us oil and greese that he said was out of date and they couldn't use it on the plane. He said it would work great on our trucks, but if it was used in the plane and something happened, he'd be in big trouble.

My guess is there must be a reason that they had to dump it after a certain age, so I'm assuming that there is some level of degeneration that occurs. I also realize that jets have more extreme tolorances than my pickup or tractor, but where the line is drawn, I have no clue.

 

[JeffRey30747]

Junk,
Are you sure about the cardboard cans being left over from the 60's? I wasn't even here till 1970 and I distinctly remember cardboard cans in my grandfather's garage/welding shop. The steel cans may be from the 60's but I think the cardboard can to plastic bottle switch was done in the early 80's.

Jeff