Synthetic For Engine Cleaning

This oil was bought back when a normal case was 12 quarts instead of 6 like lots of oil is sold today. The Versa only takes about 3 qts. 6 oz. per oil change so a case lasts a long while when the car only gets about 12-15K miles annually. I'm still using conventional 10w40 Exxon Superflo in my '97 Ford that I had the in the garage when I bought the car new in Feb. 1998 so it's probably at least 25 years old and still looks and does fine even on 5K mile OCI's. I've never seen any of the older oil that appears to have any type contamination.

So, you have about 37 oil changes stored up for that particular car? Or at 5000 miles per OCI, that's oil for the next 187,000 miles worth of OCIs. Very impressive stash. Given the age, the goal would be to create a reasonable schedule to use it all up so it's not wasted but also so it's at maximum effectiveness.

Given the 25 year age, and since it's conventional oil, I'd probably do quarterly changes, every 3000 miles or so. This give you 8 years of oil changes, making the oil about 30 years old at the end, which would be my (arbitrary) max comfort level for using aged oils. And covers you for oil for the next 112,000 miles. You might even replace 1 qt with 1 qt of a powerful synthetic so you get more cleaning action, with each OCI. That would extend your conventional stash by 30% and create your own "blend." This would extend your stash to about 10 years and 150k miles. Purchase, on clearance or sales, a few 5 qt jugs of the best synthetic and then just work thru those, 1 qt at a time with your conventional oils.

For bi-annual changes you have 16 years of oil changes. As you use up the last of it the oil will be about 40 years old! Personally I'd probably be a bit hesitant to be using 40 year oils in the car, hence the suggestion to use it up doing quarterly OCIs.

[Age old debate, does oil "go bad." I don't know if or when that might occur, but if you handed me a quart of oil from 1970 I would not put it in my vehicle. That would be 51 years. I probably also would not use a quart from 1980, 41 years old. Yes, I know that API standards and processing has changed a lot so in 40 years from today, perhaps I might use a bottle from 2021, theoretically. But at some point, and we all have to find our own comfort levels, it may be less effective or even bad.]
 
I'd expect gas shortages making way greater impact on driving rather than oil shortage. Cannot drive a gas/diesel car without gas/diesel regardless how much oil you may have.
 
These stashes are ridic... hmm, unnecessary, imho. Having up to 2 years worth of oil changes is all I do and keep eyes open for deals in between.
Depends on how many family members shop (free) from your stash …
Now I draw the line with BiL … oil + filter = dozen fried oysters and a beer or two 😷
 
I'd expect gas shortages making way greater impact on driving rather than oil shortage. Cannot drive a gas/diesel car without gas/diesel regardless how much oil you may have.

I also cannot stock up on medical services, so I suppose I should not bother keeping a first aid kit at home. Maybe I just lay down and die since I cannot plan for every possible contingency?

You're right, stocking up on much fuel is not practical. So I am hostage to fuel. That doesn't mean I have to be hostage to all supply chains and I can attempt to mitigate and hedge against those for which I CAN hedge against. Oil, is one example. I faired VERY WELL during the supply chain shortages of 2020 when everyone else was scrambling for basic supplies. I walked into my pantry or garage and opened a new container.

Those of us who "hoard" understand and "get it." BTW, the US Government hoards all manner of materials. It's cost effective, convenient, and efficient.
 
Med supplies and first aid kit comparison are just silly, sure you need those and keep yourself going for at least 6 months as if real SHTF does come then you'd have to deal with 'zombies' scavenging for supplies and targeting those who stocked up and holed in within first month of it.
30 years worth of oil changes makes little sense while 2 years worth for all cars you service does.
 
Med supplies and first aid kit comparison are just silly, sure you need those and keep yourself going for at least 6 months as if real SHTF does come then you'd have to deal with 'zombies' scavenging for supplies and targeting those who stocked up and holed in within first month of it.
30 years worth of oil changes makes little sense while 2 years worth for all cars you service does.

Why bother keeping 2 years? Why not just be totally reliant on the "Just in Time" supply chains that have proven to fail time and again? Don't keep any on hand. Just wait until you need it and go to the store. lol.

I'm guessing someone who got say 10 years of oil probably got a great deal on it, or maybe free. So then it's just the "cost" of storing it (in economic terms, inventory holding costs). Why would someone pass on cheap/free supplies, only to have to buy them at retail pricing later if it's even available?

In the last year, I've accumulated somewhere around 800-1000 qts. of motor oils and lubricants for about an average of $1 per qt. Walk into any store without sales or clearances, and you're paying $5 per qt generally. Assuming it is available. Last week I walked into AAP, asked if they had any Carquest on clearance, and they gave me hundreds of qts. Why would a person NOT take that and store it? I just completed 7 transmission spill and fills, and the price was free. F.R.E.E.

In the last year, prices spiked and there were shocks of unavailability for toilet paper, lumber, computer chips, graphics cards, gasoline, guns, ammunition, building supplies, medical supplies including gloves and surgical masks, and probably a dozen other things. Other than storage space, or lack of money, is there a good reason to not stock up on inexpensive goods that you will use anyway, when they are available? I cannot think of any. AFAIC, it's money in the bank.
 
2 years just 'cause I can get deals in that time frame while still having some stock on hands.
If shortages are severe then you won't want to be seeing outside as you'd become a target, so don't expect driving much. Look at recent example - South Africa. Food and safety will be of most concern.
 
2 years just 'cause I can get deals in that time frame while still having some stock on hands.
If shortages are severe then you won't want to be seeing outside as you'd become a target, so don't expect driving much. Look at recent example - South Africa. Food and safety will be of most concern.

So it's not a matter of not stocking, but just a matter of degree and comfort level. And it's still important to change oil, even if not driving much or short tripping. Oil also serves other uses. Chainsaw bar oil. General lubricant. Oil is among the most important discoveries of humankind. Why not have a decades' worth immediately on hand??

I'm not prepping for a Mad Max anarchy situation of death on the roads and fighting for fuel. I am expecting loss of our energy independence, spikes in oil prices long term, and very expensive materials including motor oils. I think $10 per qt. is not unlikely in the near term. I have 10 years worth, and can stretch it to 20 or even 30 if needed since I do not currently do extended drain intervals. Not much I can do about gasoline prices, so that's a weakness in the link. But I can stock oil.
 
These stashes are ridic... hmm, unnecessary, imho. Having up to 2 years worth of oil changes is all I do and keep eyes open for deals in between.
When I bought most of this oil I was maintaining 5 cars often driving 200 miles a day plus 1,000 mile weekend trips about every 4-6 weeks and doing an oil change on one car or the other every few weeks. I got injured and had to go on disability which cut my driving by about 75% plus now I'm only maintaining 3 cars with less oil capacity. You can say what you want about my stash but 90% of it was bought for a $1 a quart or less including the PP I have. The Citgo that I'm using in the Versa was bought at a store grand opening 2qts./$1. Go ahead and pay $4-7 a quart for oil I'll continue to do oil/filter changes on my vehicles for $5. or less. I've probably got 30-40 oil filters that fit my Fords that I've bought at store closeouts, flea markets, etc. I think I bought some of them for as low as $ .17 each and haven't paid more than $1 for any of them.

I don't know whether you're a shooter or not but look at ammunition availability over the last 20 or so years. Sometimes it all but disappears from store shelves for a few years at the time. I enjoy target shooting and not paying $1. a round for 9mm ammo so I stock up during the good times and when the bad times come along the ones that didn't prepare can pay the $1. a round for what I bought for $ .15 a round. After Sandy Hook people were paying $ .20 a round for bulk .22 ammo. After the supply came back to life I restocked on the same ammo for 2.3c a round and bought about 20,000 rounds. Again for the last year ammo has been scarce and high priced again. Do you think it bothers me?
 
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How about using shorter 3,750 mile OCI's with a high mileage synthetic oil for engine cleaning ?
 
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