castrol XLR

[gmc93]

I recently cleaned out my uncle's garage and found bottles of Castrol XLR, 10W-30. Is this a discontinued brand. If so, it must be quite old. Is there a shelf life for motor oil? Seems to me if there is, there should be a "best before date" on the container but I've never seen one.

 

[addyguy]

Not really a consensus on this. If the oil is sealed properly, I'd have no problem using it up to 10 years old, but thats just me.

If its that old, I'd be inclined to keep it as a collectors item/conversation starter. I live in Ottawa, have been driving for 15 years, and I've nver seen a bottle of Castrol oil called 'XLR'...anyone know just how old this oil is?

 

[bradepb]

google it and there are some results,looks to be pretty old.

 

[gmc93]

I also found 2 quarts of Castrol 'Motorcycle Oil' 30W in cardboard cans. I think our metric system appeared about the time cardboard cans disappeared. My uncle may have had an 'oil' museum.

 

[MGregoir]

I have found some of this as well, it looks like it dates back to around 1985.

 

[gmc93]

Just saw an old ad on Google titled '1983 Castrol XLR Motorcycle Challenge'. It must have been an oil made for motorcycles. I'll use it for chain oil in my powersaw.

 

[Patman]

Castrol 10w30 XLR is what I used to run in my 1988 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo when I bought it brand new! That oil was available here in Canada up until the late 80s or early 90s and then it changed it's name to GTX after that. I'm not sure when they first started calling it XLR. I believe that the XLR formula that I was using was the SF formula although it could've even been SE.

 

[sub006]

Castrol XLR was introduced in the U.S. around 1969 or 1970. I was attracted to it as my '64 Corvette was over 100,000 miles and the engine was beginning to get noisy. 10W-40 was the thickest multigrade available, then XLR 20W-50 came out.

I tried it and got another 100,000 smooth quiet miles. Had to buy it at motorcycle shops at first. Unusual feature was the appearance, XLR was CLEAR, like pouring thick water.

When GTX succeeded XLR about a decade later, it was a good street oil but not hard-core race stuff like the original IMO.

 

[addyguy]

In looking through archived newspapapers, I've found ads for Castrol XLR back in 1984. Came in 5W-30, 10W-30, 10W-40 and 20W-50 grades. Ad mentions nothing about being for motorcycles.

What I DON"T understand is where Castrol GTX 'went' during this period - 'GTX' is a Castrol product name that goes back to the 1960's, and was definetly around in the late 1970's.

What did they do - 'replace' GTX with XLR in Canada in the 1980's and early 1990's, and then 'bring back' GTX in the 1990's? Or did these products co-exist?

 

[fdcg27]

You can use any of this old Castrol as top-up oil, or as part of a mixed change, or in you lawnmower.
I'd be reluctant to use it as the primary fill in any current engine, although you probably could without harm.
The shelf life of oil in a sealed container is too long to even worry about.