Mixed 10w homebrew=frozen block at 0 degrees. Had to push-start.

[TSoA]

Ok, laugh away. My woman's car would not crank today. it was just changed with a garage-cleaner blend of some Pennzoil HM 10w-30 and 10w-30 M1 and ~other~ oils including some GC. I expected it to crank like a 5w oil, but with a good battery it would not crank at all. A clutch-popping pushstart with a downhill assist is what it took to spin the engine. It seems like when you mix, you get whatever the highest W winter rating the oil is made of, in the mixed product. I am going out to change to BC 5w-40 right now. I will sample the expelled oil and see how thick it is in the cold. Maybe additive clash took away the cold winter rating.

 

[JohnBrowning]

TSOA were are you getting BC 5W40?

 

[Robbie Alexander]

Are you sure that's the issue?
Whew... BTW, anyone ever use a "little" MMO to thin things out under these conditions.
I'm glad about as cold as it gets hers is about freezing and sometimes a few below.
I have cranked a few cars in -10,-20,-35 a couple times... I can't deal with it.

But, I wonder if maybe one of the oils had too much WAX in the oil, if this was the real issue.
So, maybe regardless of the other oils being more pure, the one with maybe more group I, got hard and gave you problems!

 

[haley10]

M1 10W-30 works fine in the cold, but the new Super-Syn doesn't seem thin to me, but it flows because of what it is. Seems like a combination with Pennzoil HM etc. got you a 40 wt. without enough pour point depressant.

Just the perils of being an amateur chemist.

 

[Chris142]

How cold was it? I'm a desert rat where 50 degrees is "freezing" LOL.

Several years ago I moved to Ohio. I drove my old Ramcharger there with straight sae 40 in it. Several mornings it was 0 degrees f or just below and my old truck always started. Later I brought my Scout there and it always started with 20w-50 in it.

Maybe the old starters had more hp?

 

[TSoA]

Lesson learned. I am getting the BC at a local Speed Shop chain, A&A Auto is what it is called, in PA they have about 20 stores. I could not get a real disount on the case price, but that is what I want the BC for: to be able to buy top-flite oil OTC without dipping into my GC stash.
Price is $4.89 a quart. PS I am assuming everything else is fine, a Bosch starter and a newer jumbo-sized Die Hard. I sampled the old oil and it seems a little thick. Maybe the Exxon Superflo semi is not great at low temps.

Too many different additives not working at once! Oh well, at least the garage is clean!