Oil shelf life question

I am ordering some Valvoline VR1 on Amazon since that's the cheapest I could find it. It comes in a 6 pack and the engine only takes 5. If I change the oil in the spring and in the fall, should the oil be good sitting in the house or garage for that long until it gets used? I am thinking so, but wanted to confirm it. Would it be better to store it in the garage or house or does it matter as long as it's not opened? Garage is attached, but unheated. Had a rough week with other stuff and brain is not working at full capacity at the moment.

I don't think I would worry about it.
I think I have some 10 year old oil, I still plan on using.

No shelf life or required storage that I know of. I'm still using motor oil my Dad had before he died 11 years ago. He had this thing about buying stuff on sale and the cases of oil kind of got out of hand.

The oil folks do set a shelf life; it seems that moisture can penetrate the plastic containers through permeation and cause the additives to drop out of suspension during extended storage.

Would it be fine in the garage if I use it within a year? Wife isn't happy with the cleaning supplies taking up space in the laundry room. Oil I can keep outside or in the shed. I keep most other oils out in the garage or shed, but that's for the yard equipment.

I seem to recall hearing 5 years once as the shelf life for motor oil.
1 year I wouldn't worry about one bit.

Sweet, now to find a place to stash it in the house so the wife won't see it.

What about a secluded spot in the attic or the basement?

Well, I guess my first suggestion would have been to stash it behind the cleaning supplies (most wive's would never find it there), but you kinda ruled that out above. Perhaps go through her shoes, pick out the ones you ain't seen in awhile and pile them on top of it in the back of the closet. OK, but seriously...are we talking about stashing one quart of oil???

6 quarts, Amazon has a subscribe and save program and I'll get a case of six every 6 months. We are on a low carb diet (well, sort of) and she looks for hidden chips and candy the daughter stashes. I got 6 quarts coming for $30.34 and then it should be $36.02 after the first promo price expires. Even if the promo expires, regular price is $37.92. Cheaper than the local parts place and they have to order it. They want $6.69/quart ($40.14 for 6).

I'm having a hard time accepting moisture entrapment of an oil filled sealed plastic container, to any amount, to be detrimental. That being said, not sure a simple shake before using wouldn't allow its use in one's lifetime, after that, it will be a collector item anyway.

This assumes, reasonable temp storage conditions and no UV. The oil will surely last another million years, and the additives really have nothing else present to precipitate break down, or separation, except gravity, if that is a possibility.

LOL LOL LOL LOL

I've been using northern labeled 20w50 that's at least 20 yrs old in my fury...

Well, believe it. Moisture permeation through High Density Polyethylene (the stuff oil containers are made of) is a known fact. Introduction of moisture causes the calcium (part of the detergent package) to drop out of suspension.

i believe i read 4 years on a 'Bob the Oil Guy' forum but that might have been specific to Pennzoil.....

So the airborne moisture goes thru the plastic, but none of the oil comes out of the plastic, and once the moisture goes thru the plastic, it goes thruout the stagnant oil, and attacks/attaches to the calcium?
My loss, I'm just not there yet.

If for a simple test, if I immersed a sealed plastic oil container, I would see accelerated oil breakdown evidence?

I am thinking that normal engine operation deposits some moisture in engine oil and as soon as operating temp is reached it get boiled out. Normal process.

Yep. Happens at the molecular level. Google "permeation".




"Absorb" is the word you're looking for.

I'm a skeptic too.. I have oil that's a few million years old and still use it. Well 30 year old Kendal GT.

Would keeping it in the unheated garage (I live in Michigan) matter vs the house?

Yes for permeation.

Moisture (vapor) travels from warm (moist) to cold (dry)...at least that's how it works in an insulated wall (and why you need a vapor retarder in wall construction in certain climates.

Should be better in a controlled environment.

It has a lot to do with molecule size. Oil is a HUGE hydrocarbon chain, whereas water is a simple 3 atom molecule. The holes in the plastic bottle are miniscule, and the amount of water that travels through it is ALMOST immeasurable, but rest assured, it is happening. Different bottle plastics will permeate at different rates, think ketchup bottle versus milk jug.

Easy example is a latex baloon. They will deflate naturally, as the air passes through the holes in the rubber molecules. Have you ever noticed how much faster a helium baloon deflates? It is because the helium atoms are TINY and pass through the holes much easier and faster. Mylar baloons will deflate much slower since the metallic surface has MUCH lower permeability compared to platic hydrocarbon chains.

Dang sciency stuff...

https://www.reference.com/vehicles/motor-oils-shelf-life-e4589115d4577487

I wanted to drill down to what is exactly the shelf life of multi grade oil. The above URL explains a lot of it and it really is nice to know for some of us who rush out to buy oil only to come home and then keep it on a shelf for 4 years. The OP did say he was going to keep it from Spring to Fall which is like 6 months. Hey no worries. How the conversation turned to permeation and absorption still boggles the mind. But yeah, it has a shelf life.

because it's Moparts silly rabbit!

There is a lot of BS in this thread.

That website is so wrong on the first 2 items, kerosene will last a heck of a lot longer than 2-5 years even sitting in a vented tank with water at the bottom.

And motor oil will last way more than 5 years, way longer. More like 30 years at least because I have been using NOS motor oil since 1990, 5 different brands of oil. Not just one kind. I have used old oil in heavy duty diesel engines and then all the way to the smallest of generators.

I don't have to read it on the web to know because I have been doing it.

Like I said, oil stays oil, only the added stuff falls out. Even oil that has water, once heated, will evaporate out.

This afternoon at work, before I posted on this thread.

I took a 27 year old quart of Unocal76 20W-50 sealed and opened it and poured it into a white clean 3 gallon pail. I did it very carefully and checked it out several times as I was pouring it. There was absolutely no separation whatsoever and there was nothing on the bottom of the plastic quart container after at least 25 years of sitting in my work garage and I bet it sat in a warehouse somewhere before I got it.

I work at/own a oil company and we stopped selling/retailing motor oil at about 1990. I have been using our old stock ever since. Most of that old stock was from the late 80s.

I don't normally stop and scrutinize the oil as it comes out of the container but I did today.
27+year old oil, have built at least 3 old mopar motors with this oil and have never lost a new cam or any cam with it. All my motors are still running today that I built using this oil.

I also used cases and cases of 15-20 year old rotella in heavy duty diesel engines for millions of miles with no problems. Have never lost a motor. Ran 16800 hours on the last in frame overhaul and the first 10000 hours were on old oil.

Once again anecdotal experience wins out over science/chemistry.

16884 hours(320000 city miles plus PTO time) on these engine parts that used old oil early in it's life. Real world results, not science and chemistry.



I have overhauled countless motors in my time. I got a bit of a clue.

I also have a 200 gallon motor oil tank in my shop that has been vented to the air for 25 years that gets filled about every 12 months. So a little humidity does not hurt the oil. Water and oil do not mix.
In 25 years we have never had any moisture issues in our bulk motor oil tank and we pressure wash it clean on the outside some times along with the whole shop.

So what would happen if the plastic container lets in small amounts of air and moisture?

Science isn't infallible.
do you have a link to any chemistry tests you have performed, on this subject?

"also used cases and cases of 15-20 year old rotella in heavy duty diesel engines for millions of miles with no problems."
Like to have a couple cases of the old stuff for my diesel truck
And, who does the test, non other than the man selling the oil.

Well, to recap, some "say" oil has a shelf life with little to back it up, some others "say" it has a shelf life with questionable reasoning, some "believe" the questionable reasoning outright, and some ask questions that boggles some people's minds. Make's sense to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygroscopy

The problem with anecdotal experience is that each person's experience, to them, is the only valid observation to be considered and seems to be the only argument that is to be heard.

On the subject of additives dropping out of suspension, here's a couple of other anecdotal experiences for you to peruse:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2460094

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=52788

I have fresh oil sitting in a 69 dart since 1988...pulled the engine dipstick and its crystal clean..

I am still amazed at all the fine folks on here that keep oil around for 25 years and swear by it. I've never considered it. Don't know why people would do things like that to begin with. Eventually, everything has a shelf life and goes bad. Even oil does but when exactly might be up for debate. If I pulled into a garage for an oil change and someone put 25 year old oil into my car, I would be seriously displeased. The API service criteria 25 years ago is nothing like the ones today making the oil back then obsolete for modern engines.......probably rebuilt ones too. My 2 cents.

What if you have a 25 year old engine?

It is a well known fact that 25 year old oil contains many needed chemicals that are now banned and may have been replaced by something not banned but inferior. Or simply left out.
And on the flip side I am not anxious to go back to non detergent oil of the 50s and before.
Oil today is the best it can be with the rules the manufacturers must follow.

I am the only "folk" who keeps oil for 25 years and so would you if you were in my shoes. I am not suggesting to use 25 yo oil in new cars and trucks today and I don't.

I was trying to make the point that if you got 10 year oil on the shelf to not throw it away it can be used in our old cars and trucks.

Not in our new cars.

But like said above...I bet you would like some of the old stuff I got if you were breakin in your flat tappet cam.

And no please don't PM me to ask to buy any because I have very little old oil left at this point.

IMO the oil I have used don't go bad at 25 years old. That is all.

Just to lighten things up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sELqobCIXU

That is funny as he!!!

I haven't seen a container yet that can contain Marvel Mystery Oil.

If any of the locals want to test out some Castrol GTX 20W-50 that is waaaaaay past its alleged shelf life, I have six quarts I don't need.

Has anyone submerged an empty bottle of oil in a container of water, for lets say, 2 years? Then open it to see how much water is inside?

I have NEVER liked him. Irritating as heck and NOT funny.

Since we are a little off topic

Just an aside on the balloons, they can and do make balloons that dont deflate over a few days, the majority of commercial ones are made to deflate as to not cause hassles in shopping centers and sports complexes

Let me guess, you were the waiter in the link?