Oil storage question

After my last oil change I put what was left of a 5L jug of Castrol dino (5W30) in my truck tool box and headed home. I thought nothing of leaving the oil in the tool box, and have since parked outside numerous times on fairly hot days.

This weekend I'm changing the oil again, and I wanted to make sure I can use that oil, despite it just sitting in the heat for long periods. I realise it's probably not as hot as a running engine, but I just want to make sure to avoid any problems.

 

It should be fine. Just make sure nothing got in it to contaminate. The stuff sits on shelves at stores, plus sits around during transportation anyway. Make sure you have the cap on tight.

 

You should not have anything to worry about. Although keep in mind that of all oils, Castrol Dino oil absorbs moister at very high rate due to the composition (Castor oil based) So don't leave your oil on the shelf with the cap off (obviously).

 

Thank you both for your replies. I'm sure I put the cap on tight, but will check it before I open it, if that makes sense. It has been locked away in the sealed jug since the last oil change, I think in May... my memory fails me and I can't be assed to look it up. Should be fun (and hopefully less messy than the last time) on Saturday when I change the oild and install my new TRD O/R tow hook

 

I would not sweat it and just use the oil. Any moisture will evaporate 20 minutes after your truck comes to full normal temp.

I got a five quart jug I use for my "top off" oil that is comprised mainly of the odd leftover quarts from supporting 4 vehicles in my house. About every 18 months, it is full and I actually use that whole 5 quarts for an oil change and start over.

 

Hey if you decide that tow hook looks too darn ugly, you can always send it my way. I'm j/k

But damn, at $100 it seems a little ridiculous. I really want to throw one on there but can quite justify the price yet.

 

How hot do you thing the engine gets when it's running?
The outside temperature can't even come close to that.

 

Temp needs to be high enough for water evaporation and that is calculated as:

(mass loss rate)/(unit area) = (vapor pressure - ambient partial pressure)*sqrt( (molecular weight)/(2*pi*R*T) )

Most gasoline engines operate in the 180 degree range and that is plenty hot to burn off most moisture in the oil.

Every engine will also "sweat" when it cools down and this moisture will collect in the oil crankcase. If you drive a lot of short trips that do not come to temp, this is considered "severe service" and a big cause of sludge in many vehicles. Solution is to do more frequent oil change intervals.

 

Double Tap

 

He didn't ask about water or moisture. He asked about how sitting in a toolbox in the heat would effect the oil.
I answered as such.

 

Motor oils and most petroleum based products are "Hygroscopic" in that they attract and retain moisture. Soon as the the bottle was opened, moisture was a factor.

In a resealed bottle, that moisture has no where to go even if it evaporated from the base oil, it would still be retained in the resealed bottle. Modern vehicle engines have PCV systems that allow this evaporation to escape.

Sorry if it is too "technical", as I do this type of stuff for a living.

 

I'll not put it on, and sell you the hook and the hardware for $5.00. I'll ship it (no local pickup) for $30,000. I paid the local dealership about CDN$175 for mine. It hurts the pocket book, but I got tired of fighting with myself because I couldn't decide if I wanted it. It's there to serve a purpose, and if it helps me/others out of a sticky situation then I'll be happy. I'd certainly trust that hook over the "D-loop" that's bolted to the other side

Thanks for the info. Although I was asking about storing the oil, I still found this interesting. The sweating makes sense too, for those who drive short trips. I change my oil every 5000 km instead of the Toyota-recommended 8000 km, even though I drive mainly on the highway.

Thanks again.

 

It's no different than leaving it in your non-climate controlled garage which I do.

 

WHAT?


Just make sure to use motor oil before the expiration date on the bottle.

 

Is there something you don't understand? It absorbs moisture quicker than other oils. If you don't leave the top off, you wont have anything to worry about. Simple as that.