bulk verses bottled

[Johnny248]

I'm sure this has been touched on before, but just wanted to post an observation.

Our bulk oil is supplied by Vesco and claims to be Valvoline 5w30. Vesco is a fairly large company, and I'm sure they are not substituting brand name oil with house oil (this is an assumption, but I think safe)

Anyway,

I have noticed that when I use this bulk oil in my 96 camry which has a pretty decent rear main seal leak, the oil leaks out about twice as fast as when I use any sort of brand name bottled oil.

I add about a qt of oil a week using whatever is sitting on my shelf at home.

When I use the bulk oil from work I have to add it about twice a week or so.

This isn't exactly science but I would say that it leaks anywhere from 1/2 qt to 1qt more than the bottled oil.

Has anyone ever had any real info about a bulk oil and it's retail on the shelf sister?

 

[Johnny]

The bulk and bottled oil are exactly the same stuff. All majors blend by the batch (we will just use 5w30 for an example), usually between ten and twenty thousand gallons. One batch might be destined for bulk delivery only while another batch might be packaged product (drums, pails, gallons, and quarts). Regardless, the formulation does not change.

Never think it's not possible a distributor would substitute oil. One of the largest Pennzoil distributors in the country (WI) severals years back got its contract cancelled for doing exactly that.

 

[chet2]

so what is exactly on the bottom of the bulk oil tanks a place like wal mart uses?

 

[Johnny]

Could not say, I've never inspected the insides of a Wal Mart oil tank.