Mouldy engine oil?

[Ruffles]

I had a couple of half empty four stroke engine oil bottles in the garage which I was planning to use to change the oil in the Honda 2hp. I tried to pour one bottle into the other but the the spout blocked up with lumps! So I squeezed the oil out into a jam jar and it's full of large lumps of what look like mould. Rather like when you go to use the boats teapot at the start of the season and discover last years tea. And the other bottle is the same. I guess they've been knocking around for a few years.

I didn't know mould could grow in oil?

 

[VicS]

I had something similar happen to some old 2 stroke oil once. It would not mix with the petrol and was one hell of a job to strain out again.

Not the faintest idea what the trouble was .. I would not have considered mould.

 

[Ruffles]

Isn't 2 stroke oil based on castor oil? And engine oil is a mineral oil.
Anyway, here's a piccy. It's definitely mould. I think I'll check the stuff I keep for the car...

The big white thing is paper towel. The grey lumps are the mould.
Is this some new bug that's destined to wipe out the internal combustion engine?

 

[charles_reed]

Isn't 2 stroke oil based on castor oil? And engine oil is a mineral oil.
Anyway, here's a piccy. It's definitely mould. I think I'll check the stuff I keep for the car...

The big white thing is paper towel. The grey lumps are the mould.
Is this some new bug that's destined to wipe out the internal combustion engine?

Strictly speaking, not a mould, but a bacterium. The same one as clogs diesel systems.
Get any water in a carbon-based oil and, in due course, it's likely to happen.
Refueller is the person to provide a definitive answer.