For generations, the aviation industry has put its trust in AeroShell piston engine oils to meet the exacting demands each aircraft piston engine places on its oil. And we continually innovate to offer superior products.
Whether your power plant is air- or liquid-cooled; two- or four-stroke; geared or direct drive; gasoline or diesel fuelled; or carburetted, fuel injected, or turbocharged, there is an AeroShell piston engine oil specially formulated to look after your engine the way you look after your aircraft.
Over time, piston engine oils have become more sophisticated, responding to the evolving needs of piston engines and the rising standards created by innovations surrounding these aircraft lubricants. AeroShell piston engine oils have been at the forefront of the latter for generations.
In the 1950s, we created the ‘W’ range, which was the first to use ashless dispersants to make engines even cleaner. We released the first semi-synthetic multigrade aviation oil, AeroShell Oil W 15W-50, in the 1980s. And, working alongside Rotax, we developed the first piston engine oils for light sport aircraft engines in the 2000s – AeroShell Oil Sport Plus 2 and 4.
Find out more about our best-selling piston engine oil below.
What is piston engine oil? It’s a type of lubricant designed for use in aircraft piston engines to keep them performing well and in good condition.
They’re used to reduce friction between an engine’s moving parts, protect against shocks, cool internal areas, prevent rust and corrosion in highly finished internal parts, and keep the inside of the engine clean.
Piston engine oils are generally made up of mineral oils fortified with materials such as non-metallic salts that make them able to withstand the conditions in which they’re used. The AeroShell W range was the first to use non-ash forming polymeric additives to help keep engines cleaner. Piston engine oils can also contain other properties, such as anti-wear additives, to meet a wider range of requirements.
AeroShell Oil Sport Plus 4 has been specially developed in conjunction with major engine manufacturers to satisfy the demands of the small, 4-cycle piston engines used in the light aviation sector, which have previously relied on automotive lubricants.
AeroShell (straight mineral) Oils are available in four viscosity grades: SAE 30, 40, 50, and 60. They’re blended from selected high-viscosity index base stocks and contain a minimum quantity of additives. These oils are best used for breaking in most new or recently overhauled four-stroke aircraft piston engines.
*Available in Americas only
AeroShell W Oils were the first aviation piston engine lubricants to be formulated with non-metallic dispersant additives, which help avoid the build-up of metallic ash residues on critical engine components. These oils can be used in a wide range of four-stroke aircraft piston engines, including fuel injected and turbocharged variants.
AeroShell Oil W80 Plus and W100 Plus are Shell´s best single-grade aviation piston engine oils. They can help to prolong engine life and protect against rust, wear, and heat thanks to their range of additives, including the AeroShell Oil W range´s advanced ashless dispersant.
AeroShell Oil W 15W-50 is a premium semi-synthetic multigrade ashless dispersant piston engine oil that offers exceptional stability and protection against wear thanks to its advanced additive package. It’ll also take care of your engine when operating at extreme ambient temperatures.
This is a fully synthetic, multigrade engine oil. It uses a formulation designed to handle all operating conditions in the latest highly rated turbocharged diesel engines. And it’s suitable for piston engines fuelled by Jet A or Jet A-1. Don’t use it in spark ignition or Avgas-powered aircraft engines.
You need to choose the right grade of piston engine oil to maximise your engine’s performance and its life. Choose AeroShell Oils for running-in your engine and the AeroShell W range or W Plus Oils during normal operation.
There are four grades of AeroShell Oils and AeroShell W Oils to choose from, which differ based on viscosity. Engine manufacturer Lycoming advises which oil to use based on the average ambient outside air temperature at engine start-up:
However, this advice doesn’t apply to AeroShell Oil W 15W-50.
For large engines, the operator’s preference and experience often decides which grades to use. Generally, this depends on the climate in which the engines are operating:
While most of our advice fits with many piston engine oils, there are special considerations if you have a radial piston engine or a vintage engine. You also need to consider when to change your piston engine oil, how to store it, and how to test it. Learn about each below.
Some aircraft manufacturers suggest straight mineral oil should be used to break in new or recently overhauled engines for the first 25 to 50 hours, or up to 100 hours, of operation. Or until the oil consumption is stable. After that, switch to ashless dispersant oil – the AeroShell W range.
Yet, some rebuilders and manufacturers, such as for engines like the Lycoming O-320H and O/LO360E, say you can use either straight mineral oil or ashless dispersant oil for break-in. For all turbocharged Lycoming engines, ashless dispersant oils are recommended from the start.
Check with your engine manufacturer or rebuilder to find out what oil you should use. To find out about when to change you piston engine oil during day-to-day operations, read the AeroShell Book.
You can store AeroShell W Oils for a long time without compromising on quality, properties, or performance as long as you’ve stored and handled them correctly.
Thanks to their unusual parts, radial engines can run into problems not seen in other piston engines, so you need to choose a dedicated piston engine oil that can handle the heavy-duty stress. The right AeroShell piston engine oil to choose depends on the kind of aircraft, application, and the climate it’s operating in.
For ordinary operations, choose AeroShell Oil W120 in moderate or temperate climates and AeroShell Oil W100 in cooler climates. When breaking your engine in, choose AeroShell Oil 120 and 100 respectively. If AeroShell Oil W 15W-50 is approved for your radial engine, then you can use this too. All these oils are a reliable choice because they don’t contain zinc additives, which can destroy your engine’s master rod and bearing.
If you’re using your radial engine for agricultural operations then be mindful that it faces specific issues to do with dirt and overspray getting into the oil. To avoid this, keep your engine well-maintained, follow good flying procedures, and change your oil frequently.
A lot of the oils originally approved for vintage piston engine oils are no longer available. Check with the engine rebuilder or oil supplier what new oil to use if it was approved on aviation oil other than a MIL-L-6082 or a MIL-L-22851.
Don’t assume you can simply replace your old oil with new piston engine oils.
Make sure you perform oil tests periodically to give you chance to spot changes, rather than only noticing problems when it’s too late. Here’s how to test your piston engine oil:
It’s all part of good maintenance to routinely check your piston engine oil so you can find problems before they can become major failures. Good maintenance generally involves spectrometric wear metal check and testing oil viscosity and acidity, which are services Shell companies can offer.
Bear in mind that there might be higher wear metal levels during break-in or after certain maintenance procedures.
| AeroShell Piston Engine Oil | Technical Data Sheet (TDS) | Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| AeroShell Oil Diesel Ultra | AeroShell Oil Diesel Ultra Technical Data Sheet (TDS) | AeroShell Oil Diesel Ultra Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) | Thielert/Centurion Engines:- 1.7 & 2.0 Centurion (Other models yet to be produced) SMA:- SR305-230E Austro Engine:- AE 300 Mercedes Benz:- MB 229.5 ACEA:- Meets the requirements of A3/B4 API:- Meets the requirements of SL/CF SAE:- Viscosity grade 5W-30 |
AeroShell Oil Sport Plus 4 | AeroShell Oil Sport Plus 4 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) | Rotax:- RON 424 | |
AeroShell Oil W 15W-50 | MIL-L-22851 (Obsolete) US:- J-1899 SAE Grade Multigrade British:- J-1899 SAE Grade Multigrade Joint Service Designation:- OMD-162 FAA:- Airworthiness Directive 80-04-03 R2 | ||
AeroShell Oil 65 | US:- J-1966 SAE Grade 30 British:- J-1966 SAE Grade 30 | ||
AeroShell Oil 80 | US:- J-1966 SAE Grade 40 British:- J-1966 SAE Grade 30 Joint Service Designation:- OM-170 Obsolete | ||
AeroShell Oil W80 | US:- J-1899 SAE Grade 30 British:- J-1899 SAE Grade 40 Russian:- MS-14 Joint Service Designation:- OMD-160 | ||
AeroShell Oil W80 Plus | US:- J-1899 SAE Grade 40 UK:- J-1899 SAE Grade 40 FAA:- Airworthiness Directive 80-04-03 R2 | ||
AeroShell Oil 100 | US:- J-1966 SAE Grade 50 British:- J-1966 SAE Grade 50 Russian:- MS-20 Joint Service Designation:- OMD-270 | ||
AeroShell Oil W100 | US:- J-1899 SAE Grade 50 British:- J-1899 SAE Grade 50 Russian:- MS-20 Joint Service Designation:- OMD-250 | ||
AeroShell Oil W100 Plus | US:- J-1899 SAE Grade 50 UK:- J-1899 SAE Grade 50 FAA:- Airworthiness Directive 80-04-03 R2 | ||
AeroShell Oil 120 | US:- J-1966 SAE Grade 60 | ||
AeroShell Oil W120 | US:- J-1899 SAE Grade 60 British:- J-1899 SAE Grade 60 Joint Service Designation:- OMD-370 |
Find out more about the world's best selling piston engine oil.
Our best aviation multi-grade oil. Used over 25 years and trusted by more pilots and engineers than any oil in its class.
Our best single-grade oil with added wear and corrosion protection and proven ashless additive technology.
High quality oils for clean-engine performance. Offers protection covering a wide variety of ambient take-off
temperatures.
High quality straight mineral oils that give your engine a great start to life.
First aviation oil tested and approved for BRP-Rotax® engines. For light sport four-stroke engines
The only oil designed for diesel aeroengines burning jet fuel. Promotes long engine life.
Flying season is here. As you prepare to start your engines for another summer in the skies, you can fly further with our comprehensive range of piston engine oils, trusted all around the world to protect engines while in the air and on the ground.
Winter brings with it challenging conditions for your engines. Our trusted portfolio of hardworking piston engine oils perform in low temperatures and challenging conditions, so you can be sure that your engine is fully protected, even while it’s flying less during the winter months.
Check out our online interactive tool to help you learn more about Piston Engine Oils and how AeroShell can help you spend more time flying.
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Learn more about the specifications that AeroShell products are approved for.
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