Sorting out the various oils and greases and various other fluids and pastes today. Among which is an almost full can of 20-50, which must have been for the Triumph, which would make it 20 years old. Not that I intend to use it (there's something that surprised me when I got the 999 - that it uses fully synthetic oil.) I'm just curious. Does it go off? Incidentally I also have a System 4 Davida vacuum gauge assembly, that I haven't used in about 35 years. I don't seem to have the brass extensions anymore. Apparently Davida don't make vacuum gauges anymore. I expect I'll sell them.
Yes it does deteriorate with age, hence vehicles have a mileage and an age specific change interval. Non synthetic or semi synthetic 12months Fully synthetic 2 years. would it do any harm in an old vehicle ? I dont know but would not risk it my vehicles, having been a mechanic I’m a stickler for service intervals. I once changed the oil in my S2000 which had only done 230 miles in 12months. I’d lost the keys so all locks had to be acquired from Honda Japan.
Yes, this has been sitting in its can, never used. I originally opened it to put some in an oil can (which I also found. Still dripping that old, clean oil). No sitting in an engine, being heated and compressed, and frothed; but - various additives aside - it's organic. No, if I had something that used 20/50, I'd still buy a new can. I don't recall age specific recommendations back then or at any time before, and can easily believe they simply didn't register because I always did the mileage first. I've always liked changing the oil. A feeling of security, I suppose.
I'm not saying that is wrong, but my suspicious head tells me that they have a vested interest in you junking your unused oil and buying more. If that is from a study why is there no mention of it in their piece, or refence to an independent report? the differing shelf life and storage requirements table seems a little ad hoc to me. If storage unopened shelf life is really as little as 2-3 years, why is there no use by date, or even a batch manufacturing date on a container of oil? My guess is containers of oil could easily have stood in warehouses and vendors shelves for a large proportion of that time.
Good point. Not that I trust my 20+ year old can of Rock Oil 20/50, because a certain amount of chemical reaction must have happened in that time. Even if I hadn't opened it and added a couple of hundred cc of air, additives for cleaning various deposits must be fairly reactive. But your point is noted for over the shorter term. When I get back to the garage, I must look at the various fluids and see if any do have a use by date.
I have just looked at 3 of my 5l oil bottles. Morris 20/50 Golden film classic oil. - Nothing date related unless it is coded into the barcode on the label. Motul 15/15 7100 fully synthetic. - Nothing date related unless it is coded into the barcode on the label. Millers 20/50 fully synthetic. - Has a batch code on the label, though impossible for the general public to decipher any date from the code. Nothing on any labels about shelf life or use by information.
Dino oil, in a sealed container, not exposed to extreme heat or cold (so in a shed in the UK) will be unchanged by time. Synthetic? That depends on what it is made from.
with over 40yrs in the trade i have become v,sceptical of a salesman selling his wears. weather it be a car or somebody selling someone else's truth. including everything in between, but no matter how i word the search, everything comes back yes. oil does have a shelf life. which does kinda back up my approach to selling oil in the workshop. i dont use coverall oils. it's vehicle specific or it aint happening. i use Comma which does have a use by date i'm gonna ask the next rep that enters my door. the last one was from wynns, trying to sell me diesel extreme cleaner and dpf regenerator fuel additives. i took some cos it came with a really cool display cabinet but i told him we wouldn't use many as we dont see much in the way of DPF or EGR faults and he said, i know, and pointed to the corner of my workshop. i asked him what he meant and he said, i've counted 13 different types of oil and all in 20ltr containers instead of the usual 200ltr he see's in most or the single gigantic one he will see in many large workshops. personally speaking i think it's as much to do with my location as anything else. i'll rarely have to carry out a forced regen but every time he goes into a dealership over the UK he sees them all lined up out the back of the workshop with mechanics revving the bollocks of them and belching out smoke. so, from a professional point of view i wont be using unopened old oil. .
Anyone who does their own spannering why would you use old stuff, it’s not expensive if you know where to get it. Same as brake fluid and antifreeze, it all deteriorates with use and age. I’ve dumped loads over the years because I buy 5 litres, wife’s car only needs 4.25 and never needs top up between changes, my Transit and previous vans take 7 or 7.5 so there’s always some left over.
nope, not even yours. in fact, the oil i would use on yours would probably be the most expensive oil ever.
Correct answer. For a change… Took your advice/opinion btw (not politically, obvs) and chopped my beloved Vito for a 6.1. Needed to scratch that itch!!
