out of shelf life oils

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I am doing some consulting for a small oil jobber that has alot of oil both syn and conventional that is past shelf life it would be a shame to make it waste oil. Is there another alternative than waste oil. It would be a shame to lose that much money
 
It really depends on how you think their "out of shelf life"
are they labeled ML MM MS or are they SC SD SE oils ?
 
Don't remember when I bought it, but I have an unopened 6 pack of Mobil 1 5w30 sitting on my shelf. It's got a 1/92 date on it. It's SG/SF oil. Think it has any value or use?
 
Pretty old API spec is the main issue there. Personally? Its top off oil or quart mix for some OCI's in out-of-warranty cars if I was you.

Originally Posted By: Shannow
[...]


Here's the fun bit: I don't care what any of those links say. Oil sat in the ground for millions of years, sitting in your garage, sealed, it'll be fine. Its people who have opened quarts, oils that have gone out of API spec, or potentially additives falling out of suspension that would worry me, but the only issue is the last one which is resolved by shaking it up.
 
Rice Cake

Oil in the ground is in a sealed very large chamber for millions of years so has not been able to oxidise recently in the reservoir. When it is produced it has impurities removed from it that neither you or I have any real idea what changes of state it will undergo now that it is in an oxygen rich environment in a more pure state and not all oil containers or storage tanks are air tight.

There is also the problem you mention of the additives maybe or maybe not coming out of solution. In using the oil we are not going to put it in an open container examine it then put it in an engine, We would just open the top of the storage container and put it in the engine etc. So how do you know lets say the additives are not sitting at the bottom of the container as you cannot see through the oil in the container to check.

With regards to giving it a shake to get the possible separated additives back into solution. Do you have any evidence to suggest that the additives do completely back into solution after a "shake".

I claim no knowledge myself just think you may be "winging" it here and are just guessing!!!!!!!!!

eddie
 
Originally Posted By: RiceCake
Pretty old API spec is the main issue there. Personally? Its top off oil or quart mix for some OCI's in out-of-warranty cars if I was you.

Originally Posted By: Shannow
[...]


Here's the fun bit: I don't care what any of those links say. Oil sat in the ground for millions of years, sitting in your garage, sealed, it'll be fine. Its people who have opened quarts, oils that have gone out of API spec, or potentially additives falling out of suspension that would worry me, but the only issue is the last one which is resolved by shaking it up.



What's wrong with opened quarts or jugs? Never been a issue IMO, As long as the cap is back on tight.
 
Both Mobil and Shell say 60 months if the containers are sealed and kept from freezing. If opened then it is 12 months. If freezing and sealed 24 months. I asked them both and that was their response.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
I ran early 90s unopened M1 5w-30 in my Cherokee for the first two OCIs. Worked fine.


How do you know you didn't cause accelerated wear in your engine? Did you do a UOA?
 
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You've written "oil jobber", so I'm assuming that this is a company that resells oil to shops and maybe small retailers or convenience stores.
It appears that one of your recommendations as their consultant should be that they put a better inventory control system in place to avoid being in a positon of having large amounts of obsolete inventory.
To the question at hand, I'd recommend selling it off as cheaply as you must just to recover some money from it.
How old is this oil?
Five years, ten years or older?
Many of us have cars originally speced for API SJ or even SG oils, so the spec isn't necessarily a barrier to the oil being sold, it will just need to be priced accordingly.
I'd offer the oil through non-traditional channels, like here and CL.
If the stuff is really old, offer the conventional at a buck a quart and the syn for two.
If it isn't really that old, and it is of known brands, maybe ask fifty percent more.
I'd not offer it to the company's usual customers, since that would cheapen the image of the company and might make the customers think that your client is the go-to vendor for cheap oil, but maybe not for regular stock.
 
Originally Posted By: RiceCake
Pretty old API spec is the main issue there. Personally? Its top off oil or quart mix for some OCI's in out-of-warranty cars if I was you.

Originally Posted By: Shannow
[...]


Here's the fun bit: I don't care what any of those links say. Oil sat in the ground for millions of years, sitting in your garage, sealed, it'll be fine. Its people who have opened quarts, oils that have gone out of API spec, or potentially additives falling out of suspension that would worry me, but the only issue is the last one which is resolved by shaking it up.
+1
 
Originally Posted By: FoxS
I think Mobil suggest the shake

Originally Posted By: Shannow
I think Mobil suggested 5 years, in one of the links that RiceCakke "doesn't care" about.

Shannow is correct - Mobil recommends 5 years. Valvoline (and possibly others) recommends shaking the bottle:

Valvoline FAQ

Quote:
If the rating is still current, shake the container before use to blend any additives that may have settled.
 
Originally Posted By: Hermann
What's wrong with opened quarts or jugs? Never been a issue IMO, As long as the cap is back on tight.


I'd just worry with it being open you run the chance of moisture building up in the container. Sitting in the garage, hot, cold, hot, cold, hot cold every spring fall and winter could theoretically cause you an issue. I just know with brake fluid this is usually standard operating procedure; once open use it because the metal foil is the real sealing point.
 
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I think moisture is far down on the list of things to worry about with stored oil. The oil sees far worse moisture in the crankcase - and it can sit there for a year or more depending on your driving habits. Plus, it gets burned off during a long drive.
 
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