anyone noticed M1 HM to be REALLY THICK when cold

[meep]

93 Jeep GC, 234k miles.

Has maxlife 10w40 base, topped off with 1.5 qts PP 5w20 and 1.5 qt Rotella 15w40 over the past 3000 miles. (Oddly enough, only after adding the PP and the Rotella does this thing get quiet.)

Cold start, 55 psi idle, 65 psi 2000 rpm.
Warm cruise, 40 psi. 2000 rpm

Added 1 qt M1 HM 10w30:
Cold start, 65-70 psi idle, relief opens at ~70-75 psi
warm cruise 55 psi. 2000 rpm

That sump was for the most part an Xw40 mix (nearly 7 qts with oversize filter). So... adding 1 qt of 10w30 to 6 qts added a significant amount of vis. to a mostly Xw40 mix???

Anyone else used this oil?

Mike

 

[cfromc]

I've used it twice now and it is a little thicker than the 5w30s I have in my garage. It is also a lot thinner than the 20W-50s I have. All of the oils I compared it to were synthetic except for a quart of 10w30 QS, which was thicker. It was just as I expected since it is on the thick side of the 30-weight oils. I don't see a problem at all since it was designed to be on the thick side of the 30-weight spec since it is an "HM" oil.

 

[Drew99GT]

In terms of HT/HS viscosity, it's close to a 10w-40 conventional oil at 3.66 cP. But it does have a -65 degree pour point, so I wouldn't worry about using it.

 

[meep]

hmmm. Doesn't make sense. The mobile site now specs a -36C (-33f) pour point for the 10w30. as a comparo, rotella 15w40 has a -40c (-40 f) pour point. It's behaving very close to the past when I've topped off w/ 20w-50.

I ask b/c the next OC is approaching. Maxlife alone isn't working well, but it has slowed the rear main leak considerably. I'm torn between:
A) using another HM oil - motor certainly needs the cleaners. but, will too many seal conditioners begin weakening the rubber?
B) rotella 15w40. cheap, great oil
C) rotella 5w-40, since it's still winter

 

[Drivebelt]

Could this have anything to do with the colder weather we've having lately?

I don't know how cold it's been where you are, but we set some record lows in several places here in Alberta. (-44.4C at Edmonton International Airport 2 days ago … tied old record).

 

[MolaKule]

I used when it was -5 F in my Frontier and it started as well as any 5W30 or 0W30.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: meep
hmmm. Doesn't make sense. The mobile site now specs a -36C (-33f) pour point for the 10w30. as a comparo, rotella 15w40 has a -40c (-40 f) pour point. It's behaving very close to the past when I've topped off w/ 20w-50.

I ask b/c the next OC is approaching. Maxlife alone isn't working well, but it has slowed the rear main leak considerably. I'm torn between:
A) using another HM oil - motor certainly needs the cleaners. but, will too many seal conditioners begin weakening the rubber?
B) rotella 15w40. cheap, great oil
C) rotella 5w-40, since it's still winter



OK, was it MOBIL 1 (ie the fully synthetic) high mileage oil that you used, or the MOBIL CLEAN high mileage? Because the data sheet for the full synthetic Mobil 1 high mileage clearly shows a -54 degree Celsius pour point/-65 degrees Fahrenheit. (which is the lowest 10w30 pour point I've seen from a published data sheet).

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/NAXXENPVLMOMobil_1_High_Mileage_Oil.asp

http://www.mobil.com/USA-English/Lubes/PDS/GLXXENPVLMOMobil_Clean_High_Mileage.asp

You say you live in the southeast; this isn't even an issue until temps reach about 0 degrees. Perhaps the oil in your crankcase was thinned out from usage and fuel dilution and the Mobil oil thickened it back up to a normal level.

 

[meep]

Mobile CLEAN. Dino, Not syn. Big difference in PP for the 10-30, eh?

It's really only an issue at 40F or below, but I really don't like driving too far with the pressure gauge pegged (which *1 quart* of Mobile 10w30 added to 6 has done). I considered dilution but the engine gives no evidence to that...the pressures remain pretty dern consistent from OC to OC... compression is great, no fuel smell, heck, at 3000 miles the oil is only light brown. My cnsumption is from the valve seals.

Anyways- I know this really isn't a huge deal...consider it a question/observation mentioned over a cup of coffee. I think I may go with one of the Rotella's next OC cuz I'm skeptical about "seal conditioners" at every OC.

At 1 qt per 1000 miles, considering the cost of rotella vs rotella syn, what do you think?

Mike

 

[Drew99GT]

If you could find Rotella 10w30, I'd use that in a heart beat!

In all honesty, I'd continue with Maxlife 10w-40. Heck, I'd even try the 10w30 as it's still on the thick side.

 

[meep]

both maxlife 10w30 and 10w40 make that engine sound like a choir of rattle-cans. maxlife 20w50 doesn't help either. Only way to make it quiet is to add something else. Leftover PP Xw-20 makes it very quiet... like .5qt is all it takes. That's why I've been adding my leftover PP5w20 and Rotella (don't want to dilute the vis too much while adding the PP). It likes that PP syn SO much-- that's why I'd consider Rotella 5w-40.

I know. Weird. I've been perplexed by this from the beginning... wouldn't believe it if it wasn't idling away in my own driveway. I'd like to find a ONE OIL approach.

Mike

 

[Drew99GT]

Maybe try a 5w30 oil.

 

[mcrn]

Its Mobil 1 not Mobile 1. I wish this was a sticky. But to help with your problem why not just try pp 5W30 or 10W30?