Is bulk the same as bottled?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

chriscreags

Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Messages
118
Location
Southern California
Just curious...

Is bulk/drum oil that often used in mechanic shops, dealerships, quick lube joints (like Jiffy or VIOC), and Wally World the same product that comes in a bottle?

For example: I have a buddy that takes his '08 Focus to Wally World for his oil changes (and yes, I've offered to do oil changes for him so he wouldn't have to go there). His reminder sticker indicates that they use Pennzoil Bulk Conventional. Is there any formulation difference at all between that stuff and PYB?

And one step further: does anybody here know if those places have brand new drums of oil delivered or are their old drums refilled?
 
The one time I used WalMart for a change the QS was "E-Box".

There is a UOA on it here...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I think Walmart uses 6 gallon wine boxes for Pennzoil. They are disposable and should be the same as bottled.


Very interesting... I just looked up a picture of what you described. I've never seen anything like that before. That box set up would be pretty cool to have in my garage at home..
 
I've seem my Wallmart oil changer go out in the store and pick up 4 separate quarts and use that for a customers oil change. I personally prefer a 5Q jug or separate quarts to bulk oil, because if bulk oil sits for over a year, additives settle out. We even see this with quarts but, we can shake them or at least let them drip to get all the additive into our engines. Ed
 
Same oil yes but what i don't care about bulk is additive settle,you cant shake a barrel or drum like a qt or jug.
 
Originally Posted By: daman
Same oil yes but what i don't care about bulk is additive settle,you cant shake a barrel or drum like a qt or jug.


In a busy shop, oil doesn't sit long enough for additives to settle out. The action of the pump swirls and stirs the oil in the drum.
We are a 5 bay shop and we go through almost a full 275 gallon drum in a week. We are on an auto delivery, so the drum gets refreshed every Monday morning.
There is no downside to bulk compared to bottled, unless you view someone else changing your oil as a downside.
Keep in mind, oil is in bulk storage before being bottled.
 
Originally Posted By: Eddie
I've seem my Wallmart oil changer go out in the store and pick up 4 separate quarts and use that for a customers oil change. I personally prefer a 5Q jug or separate quarts to bulk oil, because if bulk oil sits for over a year, additives settle out. We even see this with quarts but, we can shake them or at least let them drip to get all the additive into our engines. Ed




I guess it would be how often the bulk is replenished. Quick lives use so much that it's constantly replenished, and the tanks are usually steel or plastic, so there's always a chance of contamination, but I'd like to see the real difference between them. Of course, the real question is... When was the oil in bulk/drum/bottle produced and then transferred to the consumer or the shop...
 
Originally Posted By: salv
Originally Posted By: daman
Same oil yes but what i don't care about bulk is additive settle,you cant shake a barrel or drum like a qt or jug.


In a busy shop, oil doesn't sit long enough for additives to settle out. The action of the pump swirls and stirs the oil in the drum.
We are a 5 bay shop and we go through almost a full 275 gallon drum in a week. We are on an auto delivery, so the drum gets refreshed every Monday morning.
There is no downside to bulk compared to bottled, unless you view someone else changing your oil as a downside.
Keep in mind, oil is in bulk storage before being bottled.

Maybe in yours but elevators small shops turn around can be slow.

right,and you can shake up that bottle at home.
 
Originally Posted By: daman
Same oil yes but what i don't care about bulk is additive settle,you cant shake a barrel or drum like a qt or jug.


There's a link here somewhere where VOA's where done on 30 year old bottles(or cans) of oil and older. The bottles were not shaken vigorously and the additives were still present in the oils from the 1970's and later...
 
The reason I mention additive drop-out was because GM dealers were advised to not use larger then xxx gallons bulk oil container due to additive drop out. GM was aware of the potential problem at least for the smaller dealerships. One year was also mentioned in the suggestion. Ed
 
I was with my buddy while he had his oil changed at Walmart one time. He got a synthetic change but the guy picked the M1 bottles right off the shelf.
 
Last edited:
The thing about the bottles is I used to shake each before pouring into the engine. Now I've got the wife to do the shaking and I have since got her to double the shaking time telling her it needs to be mixed well. More fun that way
Thing is, I've seen/had bottles that seem to have left some darker residue - reason the shakes began.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

wemay
I had no idea the "Havoline Pro-DS LIFELONG" line was (1) an exclusive deal between Walmart and Chevron AND (2) that it's a High Mileage oil too.
Replies
16
Views
9K
ctechbob
CarbonSteel
2001 Jeep Cherokee Sport (Father/Son Project)
3 4 5
Replies
84
Views
5K
LouC
slo town
My experience 30 floors up during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
2
Replies
20
Views
879
wpod
OVERKILL
HOBS base oils and implicit/inherent FM
Replies
7
Views
4K
bruce381
AEHaas
  • Locked
Thin vs Thick Discussion, Chapter 8
Replies
7
Views
6K
Blinker
Back
Top