My new sauce: Shell Fire & Ice 10w-50 SE

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A

Audi Junkie

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I salvaged 5q of this golden treasure from my MILs basment. It is likely from wifey's deceased Dad. Probally a premium product in it's day. I was like "10w-50???". Some say SE some say SF grade...cardboard can, of course. What is the vinage, 1985? Anyway, I AM GOING TO USE IT! (as a flushing oil to pre-rinse the ARX out) Anyway, no harm done running it for 500 mi...right?

BTW- anybody interested in an old blue CAN of Prestone?
 
I wouldn't do it.
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But, to each his own. Good luck.
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If it was still sealed in plastic bottles I would say go for it but being in old cardboard cans is asking for trouble.

Hootbro
 
Was in a friend's garage a few months ago, and saw som unopened containers of Shell XMO 15W-30. I remember them from when I was working between highschool and University (1987).

in their day, it was reputed to be an engine destroyer...even their 20W-40 Super SF was reported to be too thin for australian condititions.

He found it in the garage of a long term tenant who expired.

15W-30, AND using some XHVI. Wonder how much VI Improver was in that brew.
 
I've got the perfect filter to go with that setup!
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You'll have to drink New Coke and wear acid-washed jeans when you drive though.
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In all seriousness, that Prestone is probably not ph balanced for aluminum engine parts and should be propery disposed of.
 
Oil stored sealed (even in foil-lined paper "cans") at ambient temperatures doesn't "spoil". But, a 40-pt cold-hot viscosity spread in what is likely a Group I/Group II based dino motor oil at best, dependent on old VII polymer technology (and rated only "SE" or "SF", to boot!
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) is an unacceptable stretch for any engine made since 1995 in my opinion. Even 500 miles in what will be warm-to-hot weather is a risk I'd not care to gamble on. But, your engine, your call. Good luck.
 
Hey Audi,

Are you actually going to run the Shell Fire & Ice, or is it just "passing thru" your engine?
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- Just kidding around, I got a good chuckle out of your recent thread on the Auto General Topics forum.
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What a coincidence, the engine I'm using it in was made in 1994. I aquired a sludgy V6 Audi 90q with a blown TB. When I solvent desludge and ARX it, I will use everything from used oil and filters to this old SE krap. As long as it'll keep the engine running, I will use it to flush out dirt and sludge. At least a few 100 miles won't hurt anything and will leave the engine a bit cleaner...hopefully.
 
A 10W50 of that era with that visc. spread had to be a Group I and have a lot of VI improvers in it.

I would be more concerned about the detergency/dispercency than anything else. Back then, the detergency/dispercency was sacrificed for viscosity spread.
 
They made Fire & Ice up until at least around 10 years ago- dunno when they ditched the cardboard cans, though....
 
Maybe the strait 30 weight Delo would be good to blend it with. More d&d additives, less VI.
 
I'd hold on to it for nostalgia but there's no way I would use it, but that's just my opinion.

I still have a can of Pennzoil "Red Bell" (not low-detergent Black Bell) 30 weight SF/SE/CC with Z-7. No opening of that can for me!
 
Any updates on this plan, AJ? Did you end up running it? How did it do? How did it look coming out of the can and car at the beginning/end?

Personally, I think you should have kept it as a nostagia item - that SE-rated stuff is almost 30 years old!
 
Our local SHELL dealer did most all the non-warranty work on our private cars and a great deal of work on business vehicles from 1961 to about 1983. SHELL motor oil was a given.

My old man used 10W-50 in his 1974 and 1976 Cadillac Sedan De Ville's exclusively (V8-472 and V8-500). On the second, it ran to 187,000 miles in 12-years with many of those miles pulling an 8,000-lb trailer. Used oil at 400-600 miles/quart (typical GM big block consumption), it was sold to a car hobbyist who used it to haul an enclosed car/trailer. Last known still going strong at 240,000 miles. (Of course, he was also using Micro-Lube an early name for LUBE CONTROL LC-20).

I wouldn't use it either. Makes a nice garage shelf converstation starter.
 
I have heard, through members on this board, that in its day, the Fire and Ice was a top-notch oil. In a grade like 10W-50, you would expect it to suffer badly from VI breakdown, especially in the scenario you outlined above. But it didn't, which definetly supports the idea that it was a good-quality oil.

Maybe using it today wouldn't be such a bad idea!
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I hope you didn't use that stuff. I used Fire and Ice 10-40 in a 79 Dodge 318 from 1980 to about 1983. I had bought 3 or 4 cases of the stuff on sale for 1/2 price. Around 83 I started having problems with sticking valves and collapsed lifters. After doing some research, I found out that Shell had stopped selling it because the VII was failing in engines with the new 195 degree thermostats. One morning, I only had 5 cylinders firing so went out and got an engine flush and ran it. Changed the oil according to the directions with the flush. Went to start the car and it would'nt start, was only firing on 2 or 3 cylinders. Spent a weekend pulling the heads and doing a valve job. Had to dissemble the lifters and clean them with lacquer thinner. The valve stems and lifter bodies were heavily varnished. I think I threw out a case and a half of that crap. Thats when I started using Castrol GTX.
 
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