Toyota Camry engine survives one gallon of movie theater popcorn butter

The presenter poured one gallon of 'movie theater popcorn butter' (a soybean oil–based flavored oil) into a Toyota Camry engine in place of conventional engine oil to test whether it would lubricate and run. Preparatory checks showed a healthy engine: a compression test read '155 psi' across the cylinders and cold oil pressure was recorded at 'just under 60 psi'. The Camry requires 'approximately four quarts' of oil, and the speaker equated one gallon to that volume before filling with the butter product.

After filling, the engine started and ran; initial oil pressure readings stayed in the tens of psi, later settling to about '15 psi, 16 psi' at operating temperature, and compression after the test measured '150, 150, and 150' across cylinders. The engine remained quiet and operational, albeit with a noticeable artificial-butter smell and some darkening of the oil. The removed oil filter showed dark deposits and small shiny specks but no single massive metal chunk indicative of catastrophic internal engine failure.

The mechanical failure that ended the experiment was not the engine but the drivetrain: the differential suffered violent damage. The presenter found a sheared center pin, destroyed side gears, and a punched-out differential case; he repeatedly states 'broken differential 100%'. He attributes that failure to high torque and aggressive driving (redline, first gear, reverse-to-drive maneuvers) rather than the butter in the crankcase.

Takeaway: per the presenter, a Toyota Camry engine will run on a soybean oil–based movie-theater butter substitute without immediate loss of compression or catastrophic engine wear, though the oil becomes contaminated and smells foul. The experiment ended with a differential failure unrelated to cylinder health, so the informal conclusion was 'add any oil to a Toyota engine and it will likely keep running,' but the test is anecdotal and not an endorsement of unconventional lubricants.