Slang for petroleum mineral oil, from the popular idea that crude oil comes from dinosaurs. Mechanics and lube techs use it to separate Group I and II stocks from PAO, ester and other synthetics, usually with a little mockery attached. Plenty of equipment runs perfectly well on dino oil; the synthetic premium mostly pays back where heat, cold or long drain intervals are in play.
Heard on the job
Book calls for synthetic, but that old sawmill gearbox has run dino oil for twenty years without a hiccup.
Also heard as
- dino
- mineral oil
- conventional oil