Storing motor oil

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: raytseng
Get 2 years worth at most.
The fact that you have a BITOG account means you'll want the latest flavor of the month and not be stuck with older technology oil

+1......totally agree. Many guys on this sight have 5 to 10 years of stash oil (which they are proud of because of the deal they have made), and will miss out on the future improved oils being developed at this time. Had they put some of the money spent on.... soon to be outdated oils....in a good investment....they would be way ahead of the game.

One or two years worth is more than enough. GF-6 oils are just around the corner.

 

[SilverC6]

You guys don't have too much oil...

You just need more cars.

 

[Oregoonian]

Originally Posted By: SilverC6
You guys don't have too much oil...

You just need more cars.


Maybe thats the reason car sale are increasing so much. The oil junkies have to use up their stash.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

I have 19 qts. M1 left in my stash. Most is SM but there is a case of 10w-30 SL. Some is over 10 years old. Still works fine. After all, it IS M1... Average cost was less then $3/qt.

Buy all you can use, it won't go bad. If you have too much, I'll help you use it up.. LOL!

Wayne

 

[SirTanon]

Originally Posted By: CATERHAM
Originally Posted By: Nickdfresh
BP-Castrol says four years, Exxon-Mobil says five. But people here have used it after 20 years or more and a study done by Blackstone showed that oils as old as 30 years or more still had additives in suspension...

Exactly, for all intents and purposes oil lasts forever.

What one needs to be more concerned about when adding to one's oil stash is the oil becoming obsolete. For example GF-5 oils will soon be replaced by GF-6. As a basic rule of thumb I try not to buy any more oil no matter how tempting the sale than what I will use in the next couple of years.


If you're like me, you keep cars for a long time. In that case, it won't matter if I still have the 'old flavors' and miss out on the newer stuff, because the car still specs the 'older stuff'

My 2003 Merc Sable was originally spec'd for 5w30 SL oil and was re-spec'd for 5w20 later in life. As a result, the many quarts and jugs of SM and SN rated 5w20 and 5w30 oil I have will be good for a LONG time to come in that car.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: lawman1909
I found a great deal on Mobil 1 at a store around my house and figured I would stock up on some 0w-20. How long will the oil be good for unopened in a room typically kept around 70 degrees fahrenheit? I will do some vigorious shaking before the OC to mix the additives back up btw.


The oil will still be fine when your grandchildren clean out your house in the process of settling your estate.
They'll be able to use it in their early twenty first century vintage cars.

 

[Apollo14]

For non Euro oil, there are multiple deals every year that work out to no more than $2.50 per quart for full synthetic.

Every few years, there will be better deals and I pull the trigger at $1.50 or less and stock up for 2 to 3 oil changes.

The next big opportunity will be when GF6 comes in.

 

[Dallas69]

I was replying to Bud

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: lawman1909
I found a great deal on Mobil 1 at a store around my house and figured I would stock up on some 0w-20. How long will the oil be good for unopened in a room typically kept around 70 degrees fahrenheit? I will do some vigorious shaking before the OC to mix the additives back up btw.


It's good until the plastic botle cracks and the oil dumps out, which depends on exposure to heat, ozone, UV light and aromatics/solvents.

Originally Posted By: larryinnewyork
Everything I buy, no matter what it is, get a purchase date put on it using a Sharpie Marker.


In that case it will start cracking where you wrote on it with a Sharpie. (I write the purchase date on mine with a Sharpie too; but my oil rarely hangs around more than a year.)

 

[jayg]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27


The oil will still be fine when your grandchildren clean out your house in the process of settling your estate.
They'll be able to use it in their early twenty first century vintage cars.


Which is what I did. I am running 42 year old Quaker State in my 41 year old Datsun right now. I have loads that I am using up and have some of the cans for sale here (shameless plus).

Stored in a dry cool place, the stuff lasts forever.

 

[chainblu]

Being that the oil is kept at a constant temp year round, I'd say it would be good for years and years. Shaking may or may not help, but it certainly can't hurt.

I wouldn't worry about it.