LSJr. The TRUTH About Valvoline's BOLD Engine Cleaning Claims

[buster]

I have a friend who is doing the experiment on his 2009 Camry. He has/had an oil burner that had about 200,000 miles on it. It's the 2.4 or 2.5 liter engine that is so common for oil consumption.

I talked him into using the Valvoline just to see if it made any difference over the Castrol that he had been using. He had been using a higher viscosity grade than recommended (5w30 vs 0W-20) and he continued with the 5w30 in the Valvoline. He stated that he immediately noticed a smoother running engine and after the first drain interval his oil consumption had dropped to nearly nothing. He is on his second run and I dissected the oil filter after the first run and found absolutely nothing in the filter. Either the Castrol did a decent job of keeping things clean (excepting the piston rings) or the Valvoline simply dissolves the debris, but the filter was clean.

He's due for an oil drain before Christmas so I'll have another filter to look at. I think he's going over the 5,000 mile interval because his wife complains about him spending money on vehicle maintenance. If I ever find anything of interest I'll take pics and post them on here in the future.

As stated by Valvoine and LSJ, it really dissolves the carbon. You're not likely going to see large chunks. Being a consumer retail product, they had to water it down so to speak to make it idiot consumer proof.

 

[I<3oil]

So what’s the postulation on the secret sauce for what’s in it?

 

[buster]

So what’s the postulation on the secret sauce for what’s in it?

No one has a clue.

 

[CarlB]

This feels way more like an advertisement than even the first Valvoline Restore and Protect video. Hard to take people seriously when they do stuff like this.

Here's a summary:
Despite never looking into the engine, Lake jr shows how the dipstick has less crud on it, and thus uses this as conclusive proof Valvoline Restore and Protect lives up to its name.
Based on a used oil analysis of 5000 miles for Valvoline Restore and Protect and a 10k used oil analysis for TGMO 0w-20, which are almost identical wear, Lake Jr claims Valvoline Restore and Protect absolutely "protects". I just saved you 9 minutes.

The only thing conclusive about this oil from the video: It is non inferior in "protection" to 0w-20 Toyota oil. In a sample size of 1.

All the hype over this really makes me think twice about this oil. And I've used two jugs of it myself.

Example of what I mean by the marketing. From valvolines own website. One of dozens of reviews exactly like this. Now videos? LSJ went on a crusade against marketing hype in some of his other videos. What happened?

View attachment 251747

IIRC he averaged the PPM per 1k of all the samples of Valvoline Restore and Protect that they had received this year. Not sure that's a sample size of 1.

 

[I<3oil]

No one has a clue.

Hence the “postulation”

 

[GW.]

Lot of skeptics will continue to be butthurt by the fact Valvoline did create an oil that can clean very well when used as directed. Get your Klenex ready.

They’re not impressed because Mobil 1 can clean up spun bearings and fix bent push rods.

 

[Hermann]

No one has a clue.

Vinegar?

 

[GW.]

No one has a clue.

Even Valvoline says they stumbled upon it by mistake.

 

[buster]

Even Valvoline says they stumbled upon it by mistake.

Ah you're right I remember that. They were doing some testing and one of their concoctions yielded these results which lead to further testing.

They also emphasized that bench testing is often inconclusive in real world, so you really need engine lab + field testing, which they did both.

 

[I<3oil]

They’re not impressed because Mobil 1 can clean up spun bearings and fix bent push rods.

M1 ate my cookies and got my dog pregnant

 

[4wd]

Ah you're right I remember that. They were doing some testing and one of their concoctions yielded these results which lead to further testing.

They also emphasized that bench testing is often inconclusive in real world, so you really need engine lab + field testing, which they did both.

That seems logical bcs it was never expensive like VME …

 

[wpod]

The oil ring picture is weird.

The oil appears to have 100% cleaned the oil ring. But it also 100% cleaned the channel directly above the oil ring, but did not clean the piston between the two compression rings much, but again cleans the top of the piston.

Seems strange. If it has cleaning ability above the oil control ring, you would think there would be more cleaning at the lower compression ring.

?

How much oil is between the top and middle ring as compared to the oil and middle ring as well as the hardness of the carbon because the top and middle ring area is much hotter

 

[GW.]

How much oil is between the top and middle ring as compared to the oil and middle ring as well as the hardness of the carbon because the top and middle ring area is much hotter

You may be on to something. Seems to me that area might be the hottest.

 

[wpod]

The only real value this product can provide to "normal" users is less oil consumption or longer engine life. The life is really difficult to test for but the oil consumption should be measurable.

As my usual reply is how many people have worn out a properly maintained engine? The only engine failure so far in my life time was in an Olds3.8 engine running Amsoil oil and Amsoil filters surprise failure was cause by leaving out the roller cam anti walk [button] during assembly at the factory.

 

[We're Metals]

We block project farm but this guys videos keep showing up?

 

[SimpleSyrup]

So what’s the postulation on the secret sauce for what’s in it?

Very good marketing.

 

[dbias]

As my usual reply is how many people have worn out a properly maintained engine? The only engine failure so far in my life time was in an Olds3.8 engine running Amsoil oil and Amsoil filters surprise failure was cause by leaving out the roller cam anti walk [button] during assembly at the factory.

I’d say wearing out is not the issue for someone trying to control oil consumption. It appears to help with that and not harmful to the engine.

 

[SC Maintenance]

You may be on to something. Seems to me that area might be the hottest.

Top of the piston is hotest - its diretly facing the combustion chamber. It seems be be cleaned somewhat.

The area directly above the oil control ring is cleaned completely, but then abruptly stops. Makes no sense. If oil is getting above the oil control ring - it should be a smoother cleaning transition, not a hard stop. In my mind.

 

[wwillson]

The oil ring picture is weird.

The oil appears to have 100% cleaned the oil ring. But it also 100% cleaned the channel directly above the oil ring, but did not clean the piston between the two compression rings much, but again cleans the top of the piston.

Seems strange. If it has cleaning ability above the oil control ring, you would think there would be more cleaning at the lower compression ring.

?

Remember that the oil control ring groove has ports so the wiped oil can escape. There is movement of oil in the oil control ring groove, but there is no movement of oil around the compression rings, grooves, and lands.

 

[Astro14]

We block project farm but this guys videos keep showing up?

We don’t “block” Project Farm videos but we do restrict his oil tests because they are so poorly conducted.

He might as well compare them by taste for all the validity of his oil tests methodology.

Dozens of PF’s other tests are still in various threads on the forum.

But blatant misinformation has no place on BITOG.