# 20-20w motor Oil

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [November 15, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514 "2009-11-15T14:02:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![oman88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/0ea827/32.png) [@oman88](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oman88)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514/1 "2009-11-15T14:02:13Z")

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I found a case (24) of old Mobil 20-20w oil in perfect shape. Can I use this oil? What kind of engine uses it? Would any old car enthusiasts be interested in such oil?

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514/2 "2009-11-15T14:09:02Z")

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I Can’t Imagine You’d Have Any Use For It. It Was Used When And Where Engine Manufacturers Specified 20-20w. Car Enthusiasts Someplace May Be Interested.

CSA

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514/3 "2009-11-15T16:51:33Z")

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My 1965 Dodge Dart 273 V8 had this spec as an option, if nothing else was available. Even then,the standard spec was for 10W30 for normal weather and 20W40 for consistently hot weather such as in Florida.

My 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu called for 10W30for most applications and any 5W?? for cold weather.

The 20W20 is an obsolete spec for cars and any classic car would benefit from the newer grades with bettter viscosity index improvers. Shell still lists a 20W20 Rotella diesel oil as a “single grade” oil. I’m not sure what make of diesel this applies to.

EXXON similarly lists their XD-3 20W20 diesel oil as a medium duty diesel lubricant, where specified.

So, I would be inclined to offer this oil to a trucking company service manager, or just recycle it.

If used in a classic it should be only for show cars stored at mild temperatures and not driven fast.

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**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\
**Post date:** [November 15, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/20-20w-motor-oil/39514/4 "2009-11-15T18:02:16Z")

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Oils have improved year by year for decades, so old oil = bad oil, compared to what you can buy now. If I had a classic car, I would not use old oil, I would buy the best new oil I could find. Recycle it, or put up an ad on Craigslist, maybe somebody would want it.