Storage life of conventional oil in 55gal drums?

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I may start buying Delo 400 15W-40 in 55 gallon drums this summer when my current supply runs out. As I will only have one vehicle to use this oil in, I am just curious as to any known problems with having a drum of it sitting in my garage for say 10 years or longer? I don't suppose oil "spoils" or has any other storage problems, does it?

Thanks,
Tom


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Get outta the way: The Cummins is Cummin'!

Tom Golden
Godzilla: Patriot Blue 2001 2500 SLT QC 4X4 LWB ETH/DEE, Tow & Camper packages, 3. 54 Ltd. Slip, 4 wheel disc ABS, Isspro EGT/boost gauges, black SmittyBilt nerf bars, TDR decal, Jack antenna ball
2001 Zinc Yellow SVT Mustang Cobra on order
NRA Life/CRPA/El Dorado #26 F. &A. M. of California

 

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Tom,apparently it does go bad and should be used within one year. What happens is the additives will drop out of suspension and end up at the bottom of the barrel.
I just learned of this just a few of weeks ago from a bi-weekly email I get from http://www.noria.com/ That's where the COMPLIMENTARY OIL ANALYSIS in 2nd gen forum came from.
I looked for the old email for you but couldn't find it. The noria site has a message board open to anyone,where you can ask this question. I've looked at the automotive part of the message board and we're talking about some folks who REALLY know their oil in a technical manner. I highly recomend that everyone here looks at this message board,answers come fast from experts. Sorry guys but if you have a question on your oil analylis you will get a much better answer there than here. Tom if you ask your question there I wouldn't doubt a rep from Chevron will answer. Lot of good info on syn vs. conventional oil. You may want to ask if shaking the drum will help.



[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 01-25-2001). ]

 

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What if you ran your drum pump hose back in and cranked the heck out of it... thus taking the bottom to the top? I just wonder about this one as I am certain that oil stays "warehoused" for over a year.

Umm, how 'bout apple juice... turns to wine, better!

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9535hundred

[This message has been edited by Statland (edited 01-25-2001). ]

 

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Originally posted by Statland:
Umm, how 'bout apple juice... turns to wine, better!

But after that it turns to vinegar,10 years is a long time.

Stat,I was thinking along the same lines about the pumping it to circulate,build up the biceps pretty good especially if the oil is 25°. My hand pump does ½ qt per stroke that would only be 440 reps for 55 gallons. I buy my Delo in 55 gallon drums,but go though 3 per year,the drums are dated,I've never gotten one over 3 months old,most are less a month. My Chevron jobber has told me that one of the tuff parts of the job is rotating stock,in 55 ga drums. Also said that Chevron requires them to deplete their stock as much as possible every Nov. and send older items back. I've had to wait a couple of days for oil at that time,that's how I found out.

Tom, how about getting 5 or so Gold Rush Country Rammers together on a drum,11 gallons each wouldn't be hard to manage. Also you could get your drum deposit back sooner,it was $15 when I got my first drum over 25 years ago,last time I asked it was $40,but that was long ago also,it probibly has gone up.

[This message has been edited by illflem (edited 01-26-2001). ]

 

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Bill, Thanks for the great insight. So far, I have been buying my Dell 400 in the 6 gallon bottle cases at Costco. I recently joined one of those big commercial truck fueling places (Pacific Pride), and they offer Chevron lubricants in bulk volume. When I asked about buying by the 55 gallon drum, I was given a price of $1. 25/quart, which is a bit cheaper than what I pay at Costco, and I figured if I decided to stay with conventional oil after Godzilla is thoroughly broken in, that would be a great way to get my oil (not have to biuy any more for a while... ). I speculated 10 years sitting in my garage, because I estimate I'll probably only put 8 - 10,000 miles per year on Godzilla, which is at most 3 oil changes. Which equates to about 7 years worth of oil (11 qts per change, 3 changes per yer). I'm glad I posted this question, as I never knew much about oil, and wouldn't have thought about any of the additives "falling out" of the oil over time.

I might be interested in getting together with some of my local TDR members and splitting a 55 gallon drum #ad


Thanks again,
Tom


------------------
Get outta the way: The Cummins is Cummin'!

Tom Golden
Godzilla: Patriot Blue 2001 2500 SLT QC 4X4 LWB ETH/DEE, Tow & Camper packages, 3. 54 Ltd. Slip, 4 wheel disc ABS, Isspro EGT/boost gauges, black SmittyBilt nerf bars, TDR decal, Jack antenna ball
2001 Zinc Yellow SVT Mustang Cobra on order
NRA Life/CRPA/El Dorado #26 F. &A. M. of California

 

[Archive]

Originally posted by illflem:

Originally posted by Statland:
Umm, how 'bout apple juice... turns to wine, better!

But after that it turns to vinegar,10 years is a long time.

Stat,I was thinking along the same lines about the pumping it to circulate,build up the biceps pretty good especially if the oil is 25°. My hand pump does ½ qt per stroke that would only be 440 reps for 55 gallons.

Cranker pump kicks butt on a stroke type... but 25 yup thats thick!

Thanks Apple Guy! #ad


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9535hundred

 

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You can get a 55 gal drum at Sams for just about $200. (approx $. 90/Qt) At $1. 25 per quart, thats $5 a gal. and for that, you might as well buy by the 6 gal case. (Sams gets $29. 75 for 6 gals of rotella)

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2001 3500 QC 4X4 Cummins H. O. & 6 Speed, Powermax 2 and needing more power!!!!

 

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I have thought of the drum route also, but even if the oil did not go bad, if you keep it 10 years, at the end you will probably be using old oil technology. Just think how much the additive packages have changed in the past 10 years or so. I think I will go with smaller quantities so that I always have the latest oil technology.

Shelby

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2001. 5 2500 QC LB 4WD, ETH (Built 09-10-00), DEE, 3. 54 gears, Laramie SLT, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Travel Convenience Group, Power Driver Seat, Alarm System, Remote Keyless Entry, Fog Lamps, Cab Clearance Lamps, HD Transfer Case, Bright White with a Gray Interior. Built 09-15-00, took delivery on 10-06-00, 3873 miles as of 01-04-01. Custom aluminum work body / flat bed. Coming soon: E-Brake and gauges.

 

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Something to think about -- It's real hard to keep bulk oil clean. We found in a small fleet that the gallon dispenser can and the top of the durm attracted a lot of crud. How much of this ended up in the engines? Who knows. Went back to gallon bottles, and didn't worry any more.

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Denny
'99 2500 4X4 White short Q cab to much added to put here

 

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Years ago I used oil from a barrel that I got for a good price. I found that in the time it took me to use it up (at least a couple of years) the oil accumulated water in the barrel from condensation. This rusted the barrel from the inside and contaminated the oil, not only with the water but also with the rust.

I plan on buying a barrel of oil again soon, but this time I'll transfer it into the dozens of empty bottles I have been accumulating for the purpose. Will storing the oil in individual bottles be a problem?

By the way, is Poor Red's Barbeque still there? I can never remember if it's in Diamond Springs or Shingle Springs (or somewhere nearby). Great food.

Loren

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2000 Quad Cab, 4x4, short bed, six-speed: U. S. Gear exhaust brake, MileMarker Select Drive viscous coupling, Velvet-Ride spring shackles, Painless Wiring circuit box, Optima yellow-top batteries, Super-Glide 5th wheel hitch, Reese folding ball gooseneck hitch, Drawtite front hitch receiver, Tekonsha Sentinel brake controller, Westin nerf bars, Clarion sound system
1995 Standard Cab, 4x4, long bed, automatic: Firestone Ride-Rite air springs, torque converter lock-up switch, 4" cat-back exhaust, Reese 20K 5th wheel hitch, Reese gooseneck hitch, Hayes Micro Control trailer brake controller, 100 gallon bed-mounted fuel tank with 12 volt electric pump & fill nozzle, Swiss Cap fiberglass cap

[This message has been edited by Loren (edited 01-30-2001). ]

 

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Surveyor Shelby, I agree with your post and imo probally the best reason not to buy in bulk unless it can be used in a year or so. I think I could control everything else but the lastest and greatest is what I want in my engine.

 

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Time for a diversion...

Delo400 users... I read somewhere where the smell isn't as pronouced and that some feel the oil maintains viscosity better over drain interval.

Which Delo400 are yall using? Do ya like?
Seen several flavors: http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/nafl/L2_A1_b.htm#delo

Particularly curious about Delo400ESI...
TBN 12. 5 in a mineral oil
http://library. cbest. chevron.com/lubes/compprd9. nsf/Chevron+Products?openview&startkey=D

Thx

Max

 

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Done the bulk oil thing,all I can say is if you got alot of trucks its worth it other than that it a PITA, I still got 2 almost new hand pumps hangin on the wall left over from construction days (sold out) if any one wants them,other wise they will probably rot there,was using 4 bbl per year delo 400 15-40 and hyd oil also,trucks backhoes and the likes,if you do it you just as well get a waste oil drum too.

 

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Loren,

Yep, Poor Red's is still in business. They celebrated their 50 year anniversary either last year or in 1999. It is actually in the town of El Dorado, which is basically half way in between Shingle Springs and Diamond Springs. I actually live just 1 mile East of Poor Red's.

Tom


------------------
Get outta the way: The Cummins is Cummin'!

Tom Golden
Godzilla: Patriot Blue 2001 2500 SLT QC 4X4 LWB ETH/DEE, Tow & Camper packages, 3. 54 Ltd. Slip, 4 wheel disc ABS, Isspro EGT/boost gauges, black SmittyBilt nerf bars, TDR decal, Jack antenna ball
2001 Zinc Yellow SVT Mustang Cobra on order
NRA Life/CRPA/El Dorado #26 F. &A. M. of California