API oil classifications

i am cleaning out my parents barn and i found GALLONS of unused oil, shell rotella but it was CT4 SM, which is for diesels. i want to use it in a 2011 v6 ram with 197000 miles, im thinking at this point it wont matter if i use it. free is better than $6-7 a qt!!!
any thoughts?

I doubt you found 5w-20 Diesel oil meeting Chrysler Material Standard MS-6395. Use at your own risk.

The 2011 3.7 L V6 engine, or 3.6 in the RAM 1500 takes 5 quarts (6 quarts 3.6) of 5W-20 oil and uses the Mopar 05184231AB oil engine filter or the 3.6 uses cartridge filter.

I would also use it . Which weight , 15w-40 ? If you are worried about being too heavy , just use it spring , summer and Fall . Ronnie

it is 15w-40

"Simply put, the shelf life of conventional motor or "lube" oil is up to five years. It’s not something that goes bad in a couple of months. It’s impossible to predict exactly how long motor oil shelf life is because petroleum stability (how well it resists change in its properties) is situation-dependent. It depends how much exposure it receives to things that can speed up its degradation.

Petroleum products “go bad” because of chemical reactions that get started upon exposure to things like air and oxygen, heat, light and water. As such, how you store the oil influences its shelf life. But even with these considerations, we’re talking about the difference between a quart of oil lasting for two years in your garage vs. five years. Just keep it away from long-term exposure to extreme heat, and keep it sealed up so it isn’t constantly exposed to air or have the chance to develop condensation. Your oil will last longer on the shelf than you think it will."

www.bellperformance.com/blog/motor-oil-shelf-life

And are you suggesting that your engine's demands on it's oil are less now at 197k than they were before? Or is it that you don't care anymore?

You may find this interesting, especially the comments.

Shell Rotella® T4 Triple Protection Diesel Oil

Hey Mike,

That is a dual rated oil.

C=Compression ignition , or diesel
(I'm going to have to guess the "T" is really E/F/G/J/K)

SM=S=Spark ignition or gasoline

So: It says right on the bottle it is approved for SM gas applications.
SM was introduced in the mid-2000s and ended about 2010 or 2011.

I bet the truck was originally delivered with an SM spec oil.

The grade is a little thick and that's where the judgement call comes
in, but it will probably be fine. Engine might seem a little quieter and
fuel economy might suffer slightly.

Shelf life is a controversial thing. The oil companies usually say 1 year but oil on a store
shelf is often considerably older than that. Beware of any that was stored in an environment
with large temperature swings, inspect by shaking well and pouring in a clear container first.
Additive dropout will result in chunks at the bottom......moisture contamination
will show up as cloudy product.

Bobistheoilguy.com is a good place to ask this question, in terms of the
quality of answers you will receive.

I'm pretty sure he has the Pentastar V6. My biggest concern would be the roller rockers and VVT system oiling. I'd also be surprised if he hasn't already replaced some or most of the rockers. Thinking thicker oil wouldn't be too good for the needle bearings? I dunno....

i use just about any 15-40 that is on sale in the 5 gallon bucket in my 99 caravan with 170k on the clock.
same goes with the ATF in the transaxle i installed, semi-rebuilding it and installing a TransGo shift kit.
my bus has the 3.3 engine, but i don't know if there are any similarities between it and the 3.6 engine, [being in the middle] or the 3.8 engine.
or does the 3.6 engine have more things in common with the newer, larger [4.0 ?] v6 ?

it is not the pentastar it is the old style v6, and i forgot to say is is leaking /using about a qt of oil every 1500 miles and it has a lot of rust. it isnt that i dont care but the truck is probably nearing the end of its useful life, so if i find enough oil to last another yr or so, i thought i might use it.

Should work fine. Do like Zippy suggests and pour some into a clear jug to see what it looks like. Or pour it thru a paint screen filter from one pail to another to see if there is any junk in the oil. If the oil looks clear I wouldn't hesitate using it.