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Engine basics => Engine set up tips => Topic started by: Frank Sheridan on June 07, 2009, 06:57:00 PM

Title: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: Frank Sheridan on June 07, 2009, 06:57:00 PM
Does anyone know the shelf life of Castor Oil?  I have a jug that looks OK, but it is over a year old. If the contents have not separated, it should still be viable, right? I would hate to blend some fuel only to find it has damaged an engine.
Title: Re: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: Brett Buck on June 07, 2009, 07:29:13 PM
Does anyone know the shelf life of Castor Oil?  I have a jug that looks OK, but it is over a year old. If the contents have not separated, it should still be viable, right? I would hate to blend some fuel only to find it has damaged an engine.

     I don't think there should be anything to "separate" in castor oil. If there is, it's probably contaminated with something. I use oil out of a bottle I got 30 years ago from time to time, near as I can tell it's the same as when I bought it.

     Brett
Title: Re: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: Frank Sheridan on June 07, 2009, 08:29:36 PM
I have a pint bottle of SIG Pure AA Castor Oil that has separated. It was purchased just prior to 9/11 when I was working in Tucson AZ. I've used half of the contents but haven't touched the bottle in two years. There is visible separation about 1/8 of an inch in the bottom of the bottle. It's not water, because it is vicous like oil and it has a definite solid, stringy looking blob floating in the bottom puddle. So what I am seeing is three substances in this bottle. Since there is only about seven ounces left, I am going to dispose of it. I have a fresh bottle (well, 6 months old) of Castor and a gallon of methanol, and a friend that works weekends at the local dragstrip who can get nitromethane. I am going to blend some fuel for my Fox engines, and since this is my first attempt at this, I was curious about shelf life.
Title: Re: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: Russell Shaffer on June 07, 2009, 10:06:33 PM
It really sounds like something has grown in there.  A mold or fungus?  Castor is organic after all. 
Title: Re: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: Frank Sheridan on June 07, 2009, 10:11:11 PM
Yeah, it looks like a baby lava lamp.
Title: Re: Does Castor oil have a shelf life?
Post by: RandySmith on June 07, 2009, 10:41:29 PM
I have a pint bottle of SIG Pure AA Castor Oil that has separated. It was purchased just prior to 9/11 when I was working in Tucson AZ. I've used half of the contents but haven't touched the bottle in two years. There is visible separation about 1/8 of an inch in the bottom of the bottle. It's not water, because it is vicous like oil and it has a definite solid, stringy looking blob floating in the bottom puddle. So what I am seeing is three substances in this bottle. Since there is only about seven ounces left, I am going to dispose of it. I have a fresh bottle (well, 6 months old) of Castor and a gallon of methanol, and a friend that works weekends at the local dragstrip who can get nitromethane. I am going to blend some fuel for my Fox engines, and since this is my first attempt at this, I was curious about shelf life.


Hi Frank

I have Castor here that is years old, and  never seen the separation you are seeing. I suspect there is something or some kind of contaminate in yours. It maybe you have a batch that has some of the chemical that they use to extract Castor.

Randy