# Aviation Engine Oil in an Automobile **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** gmc, oil, 1500\ **Created:** [June 4, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818 "2010-06-04T00:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![laserray7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@laserray7](https://community.cartalk.com/u/laserray7)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 12:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/1 "2010-06-04T00:17:51Z")
No, I didn’t park under a B52 with the top down. I have aquired a barrel (40 some odd gallons) of 20w/50w aircraft piston engine oil. Too thick (and too old) for my engine or an airplane engine, but could it be used for anything? It is clean. If you have any ideas, please let me know - before I throw my back out trying to get the barrel into my truck. Thanks, Ray ---
**Author:** ![Ron-man](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ron-man/32/739_2.png) [@Ron-man](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ron-man)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/2 "2010-06-04T00:56:36Z")
It can be used in a very old lawnmower. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/3 "2010-06-04T01:23:50Z")
Put it up for sale locally. Someone will want it. I would not use it in any of my cars, but someone somewhere, someone would love it. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 2:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/4 "2010-06-04T02:16:51Z")
List it on craigslist, $100, they will be fighting over it… ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/5 "2010-06-04T03:21:41Z")
If you live in the South and have a 1940s truck, it might just fit the bill. Otherwise, forget it; this oil has few of the additives that modern engines need. Very old lawnmower application is OK too. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/6 "2010-06-04T04:51:08Z")
Aviation oil, especially 20w-50 grade, will be high-quality stuff. Aircraft specs are MUCH stricter than automotive specs. It has always been high-detergent, high additive level oil. Piston aircraft engines work MUCH harder than automotive engines. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/7 "2010-06-04T10:03:39Z")
It certainly would be high quality, but the specs it meets may or may not be the same as an automobile. High quality does not equate to proper. Sort of like using high quality lawn mower oil in your car. While I suspect strongly it would be fine, I would not suggest using it as we don’t know what automotive specs it meets. I would not recommend using the oil I use in your car, nor would I use your oil in my car as while they both may be great oils, they may not meet the needs of the other. ``` My wife loves coffee. She gets the best, but I won't touch the stuff. No matter how great it is, it is still coffee, I prefer Coke. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/8 "2010-06-04T13:46:57Z")
Right Joseph; auto oils have a lot of antisludging additives and other specific additives because of all the cold starts and often no real warmup. Aircraft engines would have different additives, many of them wear related. For instance, natural gas engines (industrial) have anti-nitriding packages, but lack some of the gasoline and diesel engine additives. During one of my assignemnts in Latin America, one oil company wanted to use natural gas engine oils in their fleet of gas powered cars. I recommended against it since their gas engine oils lacked the necessary additives to keep the engines from sludging up. I recommended normal engine oils instead with a 3000 Km drain iterval. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 6:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/9 "2010-06-04T18:04:30Z")
You’re smart to not try to use in in your car. Automotive engine oils are so inexpensive and so critical to engine longevity that it would be foolish to take the risk. I’d list it on Ebay. And perhaps post adds at the marina bulletin board. ---
**Author:** ![ken\_green](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ken_green/32/816_2.png) [@ken\_green](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ken_green)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/10 "2010-06-04T18:53:03Z")
Any race tracks nearby ? The racing community will be interested in that. ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/11 "2010-06-04T21:53:12Z")
Great for rust proofing. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/12 "2010-06-07T04:58:46Z")
How about airports? ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/13 "2010-06-07T05:21:17Z")
You had to go there, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2010, 5:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/aviation-engine-oil-in-an-automobile/49818/14 "2010-06-07T05:23:56Z")
Advertise it to the older model Harley Davidson motorcycle guys. Since I refuse to patronize a Harley dealer and fork over big bucks for containers with the HD logo on it, I’ve always used Aeroshell 60 Weight aviation oil in my Harleys. Maybe some of those guys will be interested in it.