For many years, the very finest motor oil was Castor Bean oil, the orginal namesake of Castrol. Any trip to local M/C or Auto racing tracks had the distinctive odor of this lubricant. The only downside was that it was prone to leave a lot of deposits in the engine. No problem for serious racers, who would take down the heads and valves after each race.

Primitive internal-combustion engines used the "total loss" oiling system, which essentially meant that after it was pumped through the engine, it simply fell on the ground. (or the pilot's face, in WWI-vintage aircraft)