Posted: 7/5/2010 8:58:44 PM EDT
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I just got to thinking in reading all of these threads about gasoline.
I am working on getting a 69 Chevy truck on the road to compliment my 2003 Dodge. I picked it up cheap, and will have to put a few hundred dollars into to have it operating well, which I like because there is no computer in it should SHTF. Anyway, I have been buying extra oil for the Dodge (and filters) and will be getting the same oil for the Chevy. I am thinking of just buying a case of filters at once for both trucks, and not worrying about it. I buy the 5 qt just of Castrol from Wal-mart. The question is. How long with the oil last? Will it be like diesel where it has a tendency to collect water in time? The jugs are sealed, and not opened until used, and one will only be open at most for between oil changes. Just a thought, not sure of how much to stock up on. Later, Marcial |
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A few years ago when .gov was busily forcing the removal of zinc based friction modifiers from oil (and so screwing folks running flat tappet camshafts, especially at breakin time) the sites covering the issue and describing which oils you could still buy for those older cars were pretty much all describing a 5 year shelf life. Sorry I don't have a link, its just what I remember. Kinda bummed since my old car isn't ready to run yet and my stash of good Rotella is already nearly 3 years old...
If you are running flat tappets in your Chevy, especially if you have rebuilt it (or will) you might consider looking for the special zinc additives (GM EOS, Lucas makes one, don't know who else), or look for some of the offroad or 'racing' oils that still have the appropriate additives. |
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Thanks for the information.
I am not planning on doing anything special with the Chevy. It is only a 2wd, and is going to be my truck for going to town and getting supplies. The Dodge will stay here to be my hunting truck since it is 4wd. That Chevy has the 307, and a 2 barrel carb, which should be pretty good on fuel. We shall see. I also imagine that I will be using oil faster than 5 years. I am basically buying extra oil as I go. The Dodge takes 7 quarts, so I just get 2 of the 5 qt jugs and pay the same as If I bought 7 qts. In time that will add up, but with an oil change every two months, it gets rotated no problem. Later, Marcial |
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motorcycle or ATV owners who pay attention to the motor after an oil change should have noticed that just after an oil change the oil will often look milky thru the sight glass. short hops where the motor doesn't get up to temp will also leas to milky looking oil. getting it out on the road for an extended period will help. combustion also produces condensation as a byproduct.
my only concern wwouldd be that the old motor and the new motors might spec different weight oils. FWIW, i run Rotella diesel oil in several of my motorcycles. it's FAR cheaper than motorcycle labeled oils which are usually just over[riced for the marketing hype. |
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fixer - I checked on that. The truck still has the original owner's manual. It lists a number of possibilities for oils. It is about the same range as my Dodge, so I think I should be safe using the same oil.
I also agree on the ATV oil. No different that regular oil, with a different label. Thanks again. Marcial |
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Last time I was down at the local garage getting my truck worked on, they had their Mobil1 rep there for the day and a few guys were picking his brain. This exact question came up with him. His answer was:
Somewhere between 5-7 years for most of the newer oils that contain a lot of different additives. While the additives can be better for your engine, they decrease the oil shelf life significantly. Now take this with a grain of salt, but he seemed very knowledgeable and answered all our questions with ease. He also said back when oil was just oil and not all the extra shit, shelf life was easily 15-20 years depending on storage conditions. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for the information. I am not planning on doing anything special with the Chevy. It is only a 2wd, and is going to be my truck for going to town and getting supplies. Its a classic truck with a huge following (not quite to the level of a first gen Camaro or '55-'57 Chev, but still a hot commodity) –––– outside of hypothetical survival scenarios, that truck is tons more desirable than a Dodge 4-by. (unless it is a roach on the outside). Pick up an issue of Classic Trucks or Custom Classic Trucks and check out the potential . But if you just want a driver –– those types of publications have all types of ads to point you in the right direction to modernize it with better brakes, rebuild components, and other things like that. |
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I have a 74 F250 and a 84 F150 here for the same reasons of little or no electronics. I mostly use them for firewood hauling ,dump and lumber yard runs and the ocasional cruise night out . Ive stored and used Penzoil 20w50 in these motors for over 10 years and never had a problem with it. I keep 5 gallons of oil on the shelve at all times along with spare filters. My oil changes are based around 5000 miles and they both still runs well for their age.
My wifes 2004 explorer gets mobil 1 in 10-40 and that too never seems to have a problem even after 120000 miles. My 96 explorer just broke 200000 miles on the same oil and maintenance schedule. Though storing the mobil 1 is a tad more expensive to put on the shelf when its around $25 a gallon. Just keep changing the oil on a regular basis and they will last a long long time. well at least if its a ford 
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Quoted:
motorcycle or ATV owners who pay attention to the motor after an oil change should have noticed that just after an oil change the oil will often look milky thru the sight glass. short hops where the motor doesn't get up to temp will also leas to milky looking oil. getting it out on the road for an extended period will help. combustion also produces condensation as a byproduct. my only concern wwouldd be that the old motor and the new motors might spec different weight oils. FWIW, i run Rotella diesel oil in several of my motorcycles. it's FAR cheaper than motorcycle labeled oils which are usually just over[riced for the marketing hype. You're talking about a dry clutch, correct? I've always been told that a wet clutch setup requires special oil. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
motorcycle or ATV owners who pay attention to the motor after an oil change should have noticed that just after an oil change the oil will often look milky thru the sight glass. short hops where the motor doesn't get up to temp will also leas to milky looking oil. getting it out on the road for an extended period will help. combustion also produces condensation as a byproduct. my only concern wwouldd be that the old motor and the new motors might spec different weight oils. FWIW, i run Rotella diesel oil in several of my motorcycles. it's FAR cheaper than motorcycle labeled oils which are usually just over[riced for the marketing hype. You're talking about a dry clutch, correct? I've always been told that a wet clutch setup requires special oil. nope, wet clutch. Rotella is 20-50 (there's also a lighter blend) and does not have the EC (energy conserving additives) that most lighter oils have. infact finding the EC stuff in any 20-50 is rare. and, yes.... some people have reported clutch problems with wet clutches and EC oils. but there's a bunch of happy and cheap KLR riders running "automotive" 20-50 with no problems. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
motorcycle or ATV owners who pay attention to the motor after an oil change should have noticed that just after an oil change the oil will often look milky thru the sight glass. short hops where the motor doesn't get up to temp will also leas to milky looking oil. getting it out on the road for an extended period will help. combustion also produces condensation as a byproduct. my only concern wwouldd be that the old motor and the new motors might spec different weight oils. FWIW, i run Rotella diesel oil in several of my motorcycles. it's FAR cheaper than motorcycle labeled oils which are usually just over[riced for the marketing hype. You're talking about a dry clutch, correct? I've always been told that a wet clutch setup requires special oil. Look for this symbol, it's on all bottles of motor oil 
The ones that say ENERGY CONSERVING have friction modifiers and will kill a wet clutch. These are typically the 0w30, 5w30, and 10w30 oils. The 10w40 usually does not have the ENERGY CONSERVING label and is OK for a wet clutch application, I have never seen a 20w50 oil that is marked ENERGY CONSERVING. http://www.crxsi.com/info/lubrication-maintenance/API-Motor-Oil-Service-Classifications.htm |
| I run Rotella Syn 5W-40 in everything. My Dodge Cummins, a Honda Accord, and two bikes. It might be a little heavy for the Accord since it calls for 5W-30 but I'll take the extra protection at the potential cost of a little bit of fuel mileage. Both the bikes have wet clutches and I've never had a problem with either of them. I get my oil at Walmart (cheapest place I can find it) and typically like to have at least 5 gallons on hand at all times. If I could find it in 5 gallon pails for a lower per gallon cost than Wally World I would jump all over that, but everywhere I can find it in a 5 gallon bucket its more expensive. |