Oil Shelf Life

It's as good as the day you bought it. Use without any worry.

 

Ditto. Brake fluid is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), and shouldn't be used if it's been opened for more than 6 months or so. Even in the plastic containers, I wouldn't use brake fluid off the shelf unopened if older than 1 year, as the plastic containers aren't completely impermeable.

Engine oil and transmission oil, though, will be good for years if unused, even if opened and exposed to air.

 

Double ditto. Yeah, what they said.

 

Transmission fluid starts to break down over time, with the additives settling into the bottom in a solidified state. I know this because I had some factory MB fluid stored for about 5 to 7 years that was never opened. It could be shaken to attempt to remix, but I don't know if I would recommend it for use. I also had some factory Toyota ATF that was about 10 years old, when I dumped it after the MB experience, it looked ok, but I didn't want to risk using it due to the age. I haven't figured out the exact timeline on when this started happening, but for personal use, I don't think I would want to keep any fluid with additives stored for more than 2 years.

 

only being 1-year on your shelf, you should be fine

 

one year is not a problem at all for oil, but never use brake fluid from an open container or if the seal is broken (you wouldnt drink a snapple if the seal was broken) so dont feed your car any fluids if the seal is broken.

 

A friend of mine has a case of castrol gtx from 1989. We are planning to put it in his 1989 F150 next week... but we will save one can sealed to keep as a conversation piece on a coffee table. : )

 

I remember reading that motor oil can go bad if left for prolonged periods below freezing. (?)

 

yet it's been in the ground for millions of years - they say.

 

Seems rather foolish. New oils are generally far superior to the older stuff, plus how could 22 year old oil possibly be any good?...save them all for display, or if you must, to oil your bicycle chain...

 

Wow, we're really screwed up here in Montana.

 

Well, the pros will tell you to throw away any leftover brake fluid in a can because it has contacted air and absorbed moisture. My problem with that is, what about the brake fluid in the car? You have to pour it through the air into the reservoir where it sits in a system that is not air tight. In a Ferrari, it can sit for days, weeks or months without use. If you are looking to maximize performance you have to flush, replace and bleed your brake system immediately before tracking.

 

What I read was abot detergent oil, that freezing ruins the waxes in it(?)


I never looked into the validity of that, and I have an unheated garage so anything out there freezes

 

PURE Synthetics may be ok after a while , but dino based oils certainly are not ! They have many properties that do break down in time , just as gasoline does .