GTX Engine Oil

[Gringo 5,080]

During a garage clear out I've found an unopened 'can' of GTX 10/40 Engine Oil. There's a date on the side to say it was filled in 2006. As I say, its unopened. My question is would it still be serviceable? Is there a shelf life on this stuff.

[Tex 36,817]

Well, it’s been under the ground for millions of years before we get our hands on it..  

More seriously, I think there is a shelf life (why?!) on it - but I would go ahead and use it. I assume it’s a car oil? Rather than a bike one? 

[embee 7,288]

If you Google it the general guideline usually suggests 5yrs shelf life, you can probably stretch that to 10yrs. Yours is 14yrs, hmmmmmm. Engine oil has a package of additives for various things, anti-oxidation etc, and these degrade eventually.

I'd say it depends what you want to use it in, a lawnmower will be fine, a modern Euro6 turbo car engine, I wouldn't personally.

[Gringo 5,080]

8 hours ago, Tex said:

Well, it’s been under the ground for millions of years before we get our hands on it..  

More seriously, I think there is a shelf life (why?!) on it - but I would go ahead and use it. I assume it’s a car oil? Rather than a bike one? 

 

I've only ever had bikes Tex so it was purchased for those. I remember all those years ago that my dealer always used Castrol GTX during services so when I picked up the skills to do my own servicing I tended to do the same. Never had an issue with the stuff. Might use it in the G5 rather than the NC. 

[pjm 6,041]

Back in the mid eighties I was involved in the investigation of the murder of the manager of a ‘Prestos’ supermarket in Putney. Whilst carrying out observations on a suspects address I ended up using the office of an advertising agency in Paddington as an Observation point. The particular office I was in was of the guy who came up with the series of ads for Castro’s GTX. If you think back there was a fantastic ad where the ‘liquid engineering’ slowly tracked down the coils of a spring. I was intrigued as to how they pulled it off and apparently it was done by chilling the oil in a freezer so it stuck to the spring on the way down. This was in 1986 and it was interesting to see the guy work as it was still on a physical story board well before computers took over. As an aside we did catch and convict three men for the murder but that’s another old story.

[bazza 3,629]

31 minutes ago, pjm said:

Back in the mid eighties I was involved in the investigation of the murder of the manager of a ‘Prestos’ supermarket in Putney. Whilst carrying out observations on a suspects address I ended up using the office of an advertising agency in Paddington as an Observation point. The particular office I was in was of the guy who came up with the series of ads for Castro’s GTX. If you think back there was a fantastic ad where the ‘liquid engineering’ slowly tracked down the coils of a spring. I was intrigued as to how they pulled it off and apparently it was done by chilling the oil in a freezer so it stuck to the spring on the way down. This was in 1986 and it was interesting to see the guy work as it was still on a physical story board well before computers took over. As an aside we did catch and convict three men for the murder but that’s another old story.

so you could say it oiled the wheels of justice?

[DaveM59 1,605]

If it was a car oil I'd say it's probably better kept for topping up your oil can for oiling hinges or bolt threads etc, but if it is a bike oil and is SG or higher it's probably still perfectly OK. Bike oils for use with wet clutches haven't moved on quite as far as car oils for turbo powered diesels etc have done as a lot of the friction modifiers and stuff used in modern car oils are not good for clutches on bikes so bike oil is in essence rather old school.

[pjm 6,041]

Something like that Barry. I went to Amsterdam to bring the one who pulled the trigger back and ended up searching the local refuse site and found his torn up British Visitors Passport, in the fake ID that he had used to flee the UK when we were after him. How lucky was I? You couldn't make it up. Must get round to writing a book at some time. If only a time came up when I had nothing to do  

[embee 7,288]

2 hours ago, DaveM59 said:

…….Bike oils for use with wet clutches …….

Quite a nice explanation of things here https://www.rymax-lubricants.com/blog/what-does-the-jaso-oil-specification-mean/

[Griff 1,556]

I remember back in the day (mid 50's) when my Grandfather always had a bottle of BP motor oil with a cork as a stopper and wrapped in a cloth in the back of his early Morris Minor, a car he had from new. I used to go to his garage with him as a 5 year old when he took it out for a drive or whatever, and watch the ritual of checking the oil and if necessary pulling out the bottle for a top up. Many years later when He passed away my Mother inherited the car. She didn't keep it long because we lived in a hilly area and it struggled on hills. However I remember clearly when we got it, checking the boot and there in the corner was the BP bottle still wrapped in the same cloth and still half full. That oil was very old, but I don't think the Morris was much bothered about its quality one way or the other.  Nowadays its a different story with Cats and DPF's and the like, many of which will fail early in their lives if the exact recommended oil is not used.   

[KingJames 1,262]

Procure an electric vehicle and never need oil again.  Until the doors squeak or you miss the smell.Will have to get our fix from brake fluid which I would imagine doesn't need as much servicing due to usage as a result of the regen braking but maybe more so due to lack of usage and heating up.

[embee 7,288]

12 minutes ago, Griff said:

…. the ritual of checking the oil and if necessary pulling out the bottle for a top up. ……... I don't think the Morris was much bothered about its quality one way or the other.  ……..

Back in the day of the A-series, oil consumption was considered almost desirable. I recall a review of a Cooper S in a motoring magazine, back when they did proper technical write-ups. They recorded an oil consumption during their test period of 600 miles/pint, which they declared "acceptable" (bearing in mind this was a nearly new car provided to a magazine for test).

It was almost unnecessary to do an oil change, the oil in the sump at any one time probably hadn't been there very long, and wouldn't remain so.

As impoverished schoolkids, I remember a friend had a ratty old Mini and he used to ask everyone else for their used oil so he could put it in his, it drank so much oil that's the only way he could afford to run it.

[jeremyr62 2,554]

3 hours ago, pjm said:

Something like that Barry. I went to Amsterdam to bring the one who pulled the trigger back and ended up searching the local refuse site and found his torn up British Visitors Passport, in the fake ID that he had used to flee the UK when we were after him. How lucky was I? You couldn't make it up. Must get round to writing a book at some time. If only a time came up when I had nothing to do  

 

Can't deny the mindset of characters who do such deeds is a mystery to me. I have always assumed the Police throw resources at murders like nothing else, so how the perpetrators ever expect to get away with it is beyond me. I know there must be unsolved murder cases but I would think (and hope) these are in the minority?

[pjm 6,041]

It was certainly and odd experience to have a ‘normal’ conversation with a ‘stranger’ murderer or serial rapist. Brains are obviously wired a bit differently than mine. I cannot say for now but certainly it was the case when I was involved that unsolved murders were few and far between. Despite the massive increase in gang related murders the current murder squads seem to be quite successful in catching the bad guys. I haven’t looked at the figures in years just in case someone has a graph lurking to hit me with 😎

[Tex 36,817]

Griff & Murray, I love these old stories. They ring bells so loud that even I can hear them! 
 

Peter, I would love to read your memoirs. I have (mercifully) managed to keep a distance from criminal activity - unless you consider some of my friends’ attitude to speed limits as ‘criminal’..  

[pjm 6,041]

When I started you had to do what they called “process” basically traffic offences, no right turn, jumping the lights and that sort of thing. I hated it. I was always lucky and seemed to find a baddy with a rung motor, stolen tax disc, boot full of knocked off gear or a cut throat tucked under the seat. Because of that I never ended up doing any process and no one ever moaned. I joined at eighteen and a half and was a Detective before my twentieth birthday. I don’t think I ever did anyone for speeding in all the time I was in the job. 

[riders in the storm 475]

I love oil threads on every forum.   There is always someone who wants to go two years between oil changes or use some cheapo oil they have found. Then endless people reply along the lines of....." You've spent x thousand pounds on a bike, car, motorhome etc but want to save a few quid on the life blood of the engine ?"

 

Get yourself some proper decent bike oil....!

 

Castrol GTX is the bottom of the range offering for a car and the stuff you have found is 14 years old...!

 

As said above, save that for your oil can and treat the bike to some proper stuff.......

[Reckless 945]

Horses for courses I think with the oil, I run a couple of kit cars as well as the bikes and gtx is fine for the engines fitted in those cars, as in high mileage low technology engines. I have about 20 litres of it in the garage, Tesco sell it cheap from time to time. Castrol GTX (20w50) was the recommended oil for my t140 bonneville when it was new, but of a struggle to get that now. I’ll have to check for best before dates on my stock.

[Gringo 5,080]

Can't believe I never thought about Googling it...see, told you my brain had gone lol. Cheers guys. I'll sell it on that auction site as an item of historical interest.

[Reckless 945]

Get in touch with Henry Cole

[bazza 3,629]

22 hours ago, pjm said:

Something like that Barry. I went to Amsterdam to bring the one who pulled the trigger back and ended up searching the local refuse site and found his torn up British Visitors Passport, in the fake ID that he had used to flee the UK when we were after him. How lucky was I? You couldn't make it up. Must get round to writing a book at some time. If only a time came up when I had nothing to do  

so straight out of the Sweeny- da da da etc ! Well done Guv

[bazza 3,629]

21 hours ago, embee said:

Quite a nice explanation of things here https://www.rymax-lubricants.com/blog/what-does-the-jaso-oil-specification-mean/

so my DCT has a combined engine oil and gearbox oil then -what's best for it?

[Tex 36,817]

20 minutes ago, bazza said:

so my DCT has a combined engine oil and gearbox oil then -what's best for it?

Motorcycle oil. Jaso MA. It’s a perfectly normal engine/six speed box same as about 90% of motorcycles sold only the clutch actuation varies. 

 

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by Tex

[embee 7,288]

Yep, as Tex says.

The two key aspects of bike-specific oils are the absence of friction modifiers which can sometimes cause slipping in wet clutches, and the higher levels of extreme pressure anti-wear additives which provide protection for the gear teeth (scuffing/pitting).

JASO-MA(2) tests were specifically designed to determine the suitability of an oil for use with a wet clutch. If it says JASO-MA or MA2 on the tin it's good. The MA2 was designed to approve oils intended for bikes with exhaust catalytic converters (see next para).

Friction modifiers are desirable in car engines for reduced friction (economy), and the EP additives typically contain metallic elements (principally phosphorus) which poison the catalyst materials in the converters. Cars have to demonstrate in-use emission compliance over a long period (typically 100k miles) so catalyst deterioration is highly undesirable so modern car engine oils have greatly reduced phosphorus levels compared to a typical bike oil, usually significantly less than half. As of today I'm not aware in-use service life emission compliance is mandatory in any market for bikes, though I know it has been discussed and may well come in future (if electric doesn't come first).

It is fine to use a JASO-MA oil in bikes without wet clutches, possibly arguably desirable for the extra wear protection offered for valve train components etc. like cam/tappet surfaces which typically have comparable stress/wear conditions to gear teeth. Older engines were probably designed for use with oils having higher phosphorus (ZDDP) levels that modern car engine oils have.

[Steve Case 953]

Just an added observation, I haven't seen a Honda listing for a set of replacement DCT clutch friction plates for either NC700 or 750 models which makes me think they supply the complete DCT clutch pack at over £500. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Because of this I am very very wary of which engine oil is used  as a non-MA type may affect the clutch operation and if I bugger it up it could be an expensive lesson!

 

Just saying.