A question about Oil

[Groesbeck Hurricane]

I'm not sure where to start but I have a five gallon drum of oil that I'm tempted to use. My dad got it from his company (when they used to sell it to employees) sometime between '78 and '83. I really don't know the true age and my dad has been dead since '86. There were two drums in the garage when I cleaned out my parent's old house in '01 and I opened both. One was old, used oil which I recycled. The other was this metal drum of good, clean oil.

The good: If memory serves correctly, this is a semi-synthetic, high additive, detergent oil made by the company that used to make the additives for Mobil I. I think it is 10W40, but who knows for sure. The label on the top in my dad's handwriting is completely illegible. We used to run all our vehicles on this oil and it was WONDERFUL, in the '70s and early '80s that is. Our '65 Chrysler station wagon (my dad LOVED that car) never burned oil and died of old age.

The bad: It has been in the metal drum opened at least once since my dad brought it home some 20+ years ago. The drum is solid, no leaks, no spillage.

Should I use this on the Porsche? Subaru? recycle it? Thoughts and suggestions welcome.

[Cory M]

I don't know why you would even consider putting some 20-30 year old unknown oil into your engine, is the few dollars you'll save worth the risks? You could pay $20 and have it analyzed, or better yet you could spend the $20 on new oil.

[MarkY]

Not that it matters, but are you sure it isn't a 55 gallon drum? Most "drums" are 55 gallon. Either way, I wouldn't use oil that old, it has to have broken down by now.

[Nickatnyt]

hell no. recycle it and get new stuff.

[randywebb]

put it on eBay in the "Vintage" category

but not in your car.


Or give it to a sworn enemy.

** but not in your car. ***