Old Redline GL5 question/observation

[aquariuscsm]

Friend and I were doing a rear diff change in his car this morn. He had some really old Redline 80W140 he'd had for a very long time. We opened the first bottle (still sealed since new) and the fluid smelled like band-aids. It was a dark orange color,had stained the inside of the bottle orange,and had a "gelled" texture. I've never seen Redline GL5 fluid before,but I'm guessing it had "gone bad". We went and bought some Valvoline and used that instead.

Had that gear oil gone bad,per se?

 

[Greasymechtech]

Leave the bottle out in the sun for a bit. Shake it up and pour some into a clear glass for a look.

 

[MolaKule]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Friend and I were doing a rear diff change in his car this morn. He had some really old Redline 80W140 he'd had for a very long time. We opened the first bottle (still sealed since new) and the fluid smelled like band-aids. It was a dark orange color,had stained the inside of the bottle orange,and had a "gelled" texture. I've never seen Redline GL5 fluid before,but I'm guessing it had "gone bad". We went and bought some Valvoline and used that instead.

Had that gear oil gone bad,per se?


If it has been sealed it should be ok.

They use red dye or red-orange dyes in all of their products, hence the bottle stain, hence "Red-Line."

As the previous poster mentioned, warm it up and shake it before using it.

What happens with gear lubes is the PIB thickener wants to go back to its original, thick, unsolved state after sitting for a long time.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: MolaKule
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Friend and I were doing a rear diff change in his car this morn. He had some really old Redline 80W140 he'd had for a very long time. We opened the first bottle (still sealed since new) and the fluid smelled like band-aids. It was a dark orange color,had stained the inside of the bottle orange,and had a "gelled" texture. I've never seen Redline GL5 fluid before,but I'm guessing it had "gone bad". We went and bought some Valvoline and used that instead.

Had that gear oil gone bad,per se?


If it has been sealed it should be ok.

They use red dye or red-orange dyes in all of their products, hence the bottle stain, hence "Red-Line."

As the previous poster mentioned, warm it up and shake it before using it.

What happens with gear lubes is the PIB thickener wants to go back to its original, thick, unsolved state after sitting for a long time.





What about that weird smell? It didn't have that "gear lube" smell. It literally smelled like bandaids. Really strange "spoiled" smell.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Here's one of the bottles. How old is this oil?

 

[MolaKule]

Bandaids?

Just guessing here but it sounds like some of the VII settled to the top, so that would be a "first-whiff" odor.


Warm it up, shake well, take two aspirins, and call me in the morning.

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Here's one of the bottles. How old is this oil?

You have to look for a date code stamp on the bottle some where.

They still do make that weight gear oil if that is what you are asking.

 

[INDYMAC]

LE, Inc. uses similar dyes in there lubes.
That should be perfectly good lube no matter how old it is. The bottle is stained now, that's all.