- Joined
- Aug 4, 2025
- Messages
- 1
I bought Mobil Delvac 1300 Super HD multigrade engine oil by the drum, to save money. Have a pump mounted on the drum, in a shed. Takes me several years to use it up. I change oil not very regularly, but after a few thousand miles or a year or so. Do not drive a lot. Run this oil in everything, from lawnmower to antique tractor to 1950s truck to modern (20-year-old) Subaru.
Over the last year, I have started to find oil thickened to tar, in more than one vehicle. Made a 50-mile trip in my old truck on Friday, ran fine, good oil pressure all the way, and when I got ready to start home I checked oil and found none on the stick......long story short, crankcase (and oil filter, and oil pump, and every passage was full of what acted like, maybe 20 durometer rubber. I had changed a crankcase full of badly thickened oil out of this truck, replaced oil twice, only a couple of months go, maybe 500 miles. Now that I think of it, I drained badly thickened oil out of a Subaru a few months ago, replaced the oil, ran it a few miles and replaced it again, then the engine seized up a month later. Lost a bearing in a Yanmar tractor last Fall. Same oil in all. The unused oil from the drum looks fine.
I have heard of engine oil gelling under SEVERE service, but I do not operate this equipment any differently than I have for 50 years, and never had this problem before. I am going to take samples to the oil distributor, but expect no light or satisfaction there.
Anyone have relevant ideas or experiences (including maybe a good solvent for the "rubber" that I am going to have to clean out of all the drillings in the truck engine)?
Over the last year, I have started to find oil thickened to tar, in more than one vehicle. Made a 50-mile trip in my old truck on Friday, ran fine, good oil pressure all the way, and when I got ready to start home I checked oil and found none on the stick......long story short, crankcase (and oil filter, and oil pump, and every passage was full of what acted like, maybe 20 durometer rubber. I had changed a crankcase full of badly thickened oil out of this truck, replaced oil twice, only a couple of months go, maybe 500 miles. Now that I think of it, I drained badly thickened oil out of a Subaru a few months ago, replaced the oil, ran it a few miles and replaced it again, then the engine seized up a month later. Lost a bearing in a Yanmar tractor last Fall. Same oil in all. The unused oil from the drum looks fine.
I have heard of engine oil gelling under SEVERE service, but I do not operate this equipment any differently than I have for 50 years, and never had this problem before. I am going to take samples to the oil distributor, but expect no light or satisfaction there.
Anyone have relevant ideas or experiences (including maybe a good solvent for the "rubber" that I am going to have to clean out of all the drillings in the truck engine)?
