Originally Posted By: fdcg27
+1
Here's are a couple of little data points that anyone can find on this board using the search tool.
We have a member here who owns an engine shop in Dayton, OH.
He has stated that of the engines his shop tears into the ones run on Valvoline oils are typically very clean.
I can tell you personally that Valvoline Maxlife 10W-40 worked very well in my old BMW, although the Maxlife formulation of that time did contain moly. I can back this up with a UOA, which I posted in August 2012 in case anyone wants to view it.
There may be reasons beyond cost that have Valvoline continuing with their sodium add pack. It may offer advantages not obvious to us.
Any oil formulation involves trade-offs. It's not all good in all ways.
Thank you fdcg27; I want and try to stay out of oil brand name wars, as stated above I do many tear downs here, not due to wear-outs, but other reasons, (overheated, wrecks,engine swaps with performance upgrades, etc.) over the past years (50 plus) i have noticed the high mile engines that seem very clean in every area, (i try to find out what oil the owner had been using) and the crankshaft mikes out at non detectable wear and can be reused at std-std,with minimal bore wear, have been on a oil with sodium add pack. This is not a made up post, its fact. Dont discount sodium as just a filler.