Some Factors Affecting the Cold Pumpability of Crankcase Oils

The cold pumpability characteristics of a group of commercial premium crankcase oils were evaluated at 0 and -20 F in a test stand engine. A test procedure was developed for these evaluations which gave results that compared favorably with those obtained in two popular makes of test cars at 0 F.

In a second, more detailed, phase of this study, the effects of fourteen factors on the cold pumpability of several crankcase oils were investigated. The data from both phases were then analyzed to determine if an oil's cold pumpability in an engine could be predicted from its CCS viscosity, Brookfield viscosity, GM pour time, or ASTM pour point.