Oil Thread Alert ... Which is better ?

In general, does oil have a "shelf life" ?

I seem to accumulate quite a few partially used containers of (mostly) gear oil. A Final Drive holds only 8 ounces and a transmission about 24 oz. Usually I just buy another new quart when it comes time to change the FD or Trans but is there any downside to using unused gear oil from a container that was opened 1,2, maybe 3 years ago ?

What about old but never been opened oil ?
What about dino vs synthetic ?
Is engine oil shelf life different from gear oil ?

Nothing wrong with pooling your old remnants of the same spec stuff and I wouldn't worry about 3 yrs of normal storage. Just don't do it with brake flujid- its lifespan once exposed to air is not infinite.

BTW, the FD on an R bike service voulme of 180 ml is closer to 6 1/2 oz than .

It's been in the ground for millions of years, another 3 years shouldn't hurt it.
As long as it's re-sealed after opening it, it should be OK.

When I had time to waste, I spent a lot of it on Bob Is The Oil Guy.com. This question has been asked of oil companies in the past and the standard (conservative) answer seems to be that oil is good up to 5 years.

As a retired packaging engineer, I can tell you that the reason is package integrity. Extrusion blow molded HDPE bottles have a weaknesses you can experience yourself if you drop a full bottle on a concrete floor. Over time, the plastic gets brittle and will start to leak at the seams on the base. If left in a sunny window the bottle may not last very long at all.

If you put new oil in your car and don't drive for 10 years, the oil analysis will give the same results as new oil. Modern motor oil is a very, very sophisticated formulation. Unless you contaminate it in some way - it is fine to use with confidence.

Oil Analysis on bike stored for 16 years !

1979 Kawasaki K2 (1000cc) with Castrol GTX

The bike in this link had an oil change, was driven under 300 miles, then put in an unheated shed for 16 years. Oil analysis determined that the oil was as good as the day it was changed.

Slightly elevated rust level found in the oil .... . Maybe we should talk more about condensation/storage conditions than which oil to use.


http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2011341#Post2011341