Poor result with 10w-40 in freezer test.

[aquariuscsm]

We actually had an ice storm here about a year and a half ago,and my job closed that day,so there I was stuck in the house,bored to death! So I did a freezer test with a half quart RP 20W50 and a half quart Mobil 1 15W50 silver cap. The RP was a total solid mass that wouldn`t even change shape when I tried to pour it out. The Mobil 1 would still shake around in the bottle.

I did the freezer test recently with a half quart Valvoline 10w40 conventional and it shook around in the bottle just fine.

 

[ericthepig]

Tonite I procured a freezer therm. ($4.50 or so in the kitchen stuff area of Wally) - I also purchased a SuperTech 10w30 conventional qt - both items are in the garage freezer now. Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 essentially was non-flowing after 24 hours - I'll let you know the freezer temp and the ST performance tomorrow nite or Sunday nite. I don't see how the M1 and ST can be that much different given both are 10w - and I can't see how the ST could be any worse than the M1.

 

[Tahoe4Life]

Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
5w-20, 5w30, and 10w30 are, but not the 10w-40 and 20w-50.


To think some people want to use 20w50 is nuts. Especially in a newer car is real crazy.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Back to the freezer, and...

Havoline Synthetic 10w30 is thinner than Havoline Synthetic 5w-40. Maybe the 10w-40 was not so bad after all! I think i'll put it back in. I turned the unit down all the way from a +3f reading.

Something to be said for not using the Euro 5w-40 in winter if it can be avoided. Thus the advent of 0w Euro oils. GC was much thinner than the 5w-40 and similar the the 10w30 synth.

What I do like about the freezer test is about 0f is the most relavent cold temp for me come wintertime. Above that temp and it does not matter so much. Below that temp it might be harder to detect the difference between oils.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
My girlfriend is going to hate me. I actually have a picture where I "tucked" the ATD and ACD in the bed on her side. She didn't think it was funny.


Man you should`ve seen the look on my gf`s face when she opened up the freezer and this huge 5 quart jug of Mobil 1 was staring her in the face

. As soon as she looked at the oil,then looked at me,I proceeded to run out of the house!

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Originally Posted By: ericthepig
My wife did come in recently and say - "oil is falling out of the freezer!"

OK - All of use low temp scientists need to standardize our process - otherwise there could be an apples & oranges situation.

Perhaps there could be some debate here - but I would recommend -

1.) 24 hr runs in the freezer. Not "over night". I think I've chked oil after four or five hours, and things degraded from there to the 24 hour mark.

2.) Anybody who could pick up a low temp thermometer - that would help - I'll try to get one soon. Otherwise, we could really have apples&organges here.

The two issues above would go a long way to making sure we're on the same page. I'm not sure what my freezer temps are set to, but both the indoor frig freezer and garage freezer turned Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 to goop. I'll have to see a 10w30 "flow" after 24 hours in my freezers to believe it - I'll pick up a cheap bottle perhaps tonite. Science must press on!


I'll be happy to do this test again with the ACD, I have 3/4 gallon laying around. Mine was in there for 10 hours, I don't think it's going to get any colder but I will do the 24hour test along with a thermometer to get an actual temp. I'll try and get a video of it sloshing around (or not sloshing around).

Off topic but going to put the ATD in the freezer too just for the heck of it.

My girlfriend is going to hate me. I actually have a picture where I "tucked" the ATD and ACD in the bed on her side. She didn't think it was funny.


I'm quoting myself but I redid this test. Put the ACD and ATD in the freezer about this time last night along with a thermometer. When I awoke this morning, both still flowed really well. It's been 10 hours since I woke and there's a noticable difference. Both flow just fine but did thicken up a bit. At a temp of 5F I would have no problem running it but would probably go for something a little thinner if possible. At freezing it flows very well and since it only gets down to freezing a couple days of the year, it will remain my year round oil. ATD seemed to start out thinner and seemed to thicken less, ending up a bit thinner at 5F. Neither oil uses VIIs.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Now I'm trying to determine which oil will be thinner in the cycle for winter. Havoline DS 10w-40 or Royal Purple 15w40. Anyone know or want to guess?

 

[ericthepig]

Thanks for the report Buick!

Here's mine - a freezer thermometer and a qt of Super Tech conventional 10w30 and Super Tech conventional 20w50 - have been in my garage freezer for a little over 24 hours -

The freezer temp is -10degF. The Super Tech 20w50 conventional is like cold honey - cannot be sloshed around the bottle period. The Super Tech 10w30 is flowing very nicely, though not as nice as the 0w and 5w that I tested previously - but plenty good to handle this temp imo - perhaps like room temp syrup (the 0w and 5w's were almost like warm table syrup - VERY fluid).

So, from my visual analysis - the Super Tech conventional 20w50 flows very similar to the Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 (tested previously - appears to be almost identical flow rate). By definition of a 10w this seems like it couldn't be right (and indeed the conventional 10w does fine) - but this is the result I'm getting. Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 is molasses at -10degF - can't imagine having it in my engine in the winter (though I had Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w40 in my 323 last winter - thankfully it was a mild winter - presently (for this winter) the 323 has a mix of mostly Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 and some Mobil5000 5w20 - and I'm worried about even this).

Next I will purchase a qt of Super Tech conventional HM 10w30 (if they have it in 10w30) - and test in the freezer. Perhaps this is an HM characteristic. I'll report back.

 

[Drew99GT]

I tested Super Tech High Mileage 10w30 and it was a-OK. Just like any other 10w30 I've tested. I tried Napa 5w-20 the other day and it's like water at 0 degrees F.

 

[digitalSniperX1]

Water at 0F is frozen, the Napa 5W20 was frozen or thin as water at room temp?

 

[wavinwayne]

Originally Posted By: digitalSniperX1
Water at 0F is frozen, the Napa 5W20 was frozen or thin as water at room temp?


You mean 32°F.

 

[Drew99GT]

Originally Posted By: digitalSniperX1
Water at 0F is frozen, the Napa 5W20 was frozen or thin as water at room temp?


Take a guess.

 

[digitalSniperX1]

Well, it's frozen at that temp also. I was wondering if the oil was frozen though, lol. Apparently not.

 

[Audi Junkie]

The Havoline DS 10w-40 is not that bad after all. I tried pouring it out verses the RP 15w40. The 10w-40 was pretty decent, the RP came out mostly in globs. That settles it for a winter oil for the bike.

 

[widman]

Now all we have to do is put the oil filter in that environment and see how it flows/doesn't flow through the paper.

 

[ericthepig]

Walmart SuperTech High Mileage 10w30 went in the freezer several hours ago. Will report tomoorrow nite - if it turns to molasses then I'll know the Mobil 1 High Mileage debacle is just an HM characteristic.

 

[ericthepig]

Ok, the Super Tech High Mileage 10w30 was kept in the freezer for ~20hrs (temp -10degF). The result - it's about the same consistency as the Mobil 1 High Mileage 10w30 - canNOT slosh it around in the bottle (at all) immediately after removing it from the freezer. In fairness, I would say the Super Tech High Mileage and Mobil 1 High Mileage flow a bit faster than fresh room temp honey. But the 10w30 HMs are noticeably slower flowing at -10degF than their regular 10w30 counterparts (actually I didn't do a head-to-head w/ reg. Mobil 1 10w30).

Both HM 10w30s (Super Tech and Mobil 1) flow very similar (perhaps just a bit faster - not much) than Super Tech conventional 20w50 at -10degF (a bit fear inducing).

Tidbits of interest - within just perhaps three minutes of being out of the freezer - the Super Tech High Mileage 10w30 was able to be easily sloshed in the QT.

Also - I poured some Super Tech 10w30 into a clean glass. Then poured a small amount of Super Tech High Mileage 10w30 in with the reg. oil - so these are both SuperTech conventionals and both 10w30 - the HM is very obviously several shades darker than the reg. Super Tech. (apparently a heftier add. pack).

All these Super Tech purchases won't go to waste - these will all be thrown in together in the crankcase of my "storaged" Sienna at it's next OC (the first time since I've owned it that it will see "conventional" oil).

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: widman
Now all we have to do is put the oil filter in that environment and see how it flows/doesn't flow through the paper.


That's what bypass valves are for.