Old Oil...Really Old Oil

[HammerDown]

In my Fathers basement I found a few cases of Esso 10/40 never opened.
This Oil may be 35+ years old?
Plastic Bottles are not sucked-in...would you use it?

He even has (what may be collectable) old cardboard Qt containers of Penn Jersey Oil and really old STP from the mid 70's!

 

[CarbonSteel]

What API service is it?

 

[CR94]

It's probably less than 40 years old if in plastic bottles.

You'll get comments about how bad 10W-40 once was.

 

[JC1]

No I wouldn't use it.

 

[HammerDown]

Originally Posted By: 2015_PSD
What API service is it?

I'll have to write that info down.
I wasn't going to use it in a Vehicle but my Air Compressor requires a 10/40 detergent oil...though about using it for that (of course I don't have to)

 

[Nickdfresh]

I wouldn't use it in my worst enemy's lawn mower...

 

[HammerDown]

Oh, he even has ARCO Graphite Quart Cans...remember how bad that was for Engines!
I may eBay some of the Qt Can Oils.

 

[StevieC]

I hear it works wonders in VVT-I engines. The little holes on the phasing part of the camshaft loves oil of this vintage. To be safe I would run it without an oil filter.

I would use it in a lawnmower / older snow blower only and not before shaking it vigorously in-case of additive fall-out.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: HammerDown
Oh, he even has ARCO Graphite Quart Cans...remember how bad that was for Engines!
...
Really? If it was so bad, how did I get by with using several cases of the stuff in one engine with zero problems? Admittedly, the engine only lasted another 500K or so miles afterward before succumbing to issues unrelated to lubrication.

 

[bullwinkle]

I would burn it in my IDI diesels in the summertime, about 2-3 quarts/tankful, WITHOUT shaking it up first. I'm not sure I would even want old, VII loaded 10W40 in my OPE-those get straight 30.

 

[fdcg27]

What might you use it in?
If you used it as most car guys did back in the day, on 3K drains, then I doubt you'd have any problems.
We have a guy here who has a 240Z and he's running oil in it of the same vintage as the car.
These oils were used for years without issue and sitting in a sealed bottle caused no changes to the oil.
I wouldn't use this stuff in my newer cars but I would in the old E350 or BMW or the older Accord.

 

[thastinger]

I'm sure the oil is fine if still sealed, however, I would sell it as it'll be worth more to collectors than what you'll spend to replace it with new oil.

 

[Red91]

Pics?

 

[PimTac]

If it’s in plastic bottles then it can’t be all that old. Cardboard cans? Now we are talking.

 

[Rolla07]

What API? That would tell us from what year.. within 10-15 years id use it in an old mower no prob.

 

[Artem]

Definitely sell it online as a collectors item. Not worth using it. Say for example the oil has gone bad and you'll toast an engine over it.

 

[vwmaniaman]

That Arco oil was not bad. Used it in my air cooled VW and it lowered my engine temp and when I had to tear it down with a loose cam gear, the cylinders still had hone marks after 20K miles. Remember at the time of the Arco graphite what other oils were like. And it made it really easy to check the oil level on the dipstick.

 

[BrocLuno]

Really old oil would be labeled A B C etc. Plastic bottles new enough Esso was good oil. You got any old cars around? It would work fine

Arco graphite was OK in some motors ...

 

[LaCocina27]

Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
Really old oil would be labeled A B C etc. Plastic bottles new enough Esso was good oil. You got any old cars around? It would work fine

Arco graphite was OK in some motors ...


Which motors?

 

[bbhero]

API SF I am thinking if it was early to mid 1980s.