Recommend an Xw40 equivalent to Valvoline Restore and Protect
- Thread starter OM617YOTA
- Start date
I didn’t realize they made a 10W-40 in the XL. Wonder why they don’t make an SS 10W-40.
Patman
Staff member
Because 10w-40 is not a big seller anymore and the people who do still want it are extremely unlikely to be doing the extended intervals that AMSOIL Signature Series is made for
I can’t see the point of getting exotic with an engine that’s pushing 30 years old. Castrol GTX 10w40 @ $25C for a 5L jug is good enough.
Patman
Staff member
My point is that not many people run 10w-40 anymore. Even on here you will find very few people using it. They have so many great choices in 5w-40 and 0w-40 that it renders 10w-40 somewhat obsolete. What car in the last 20-30 years even mentions 10w-40 in its owners manual?
An example of that is the last 3, 6.6L duramax trucks I’ve bought. The owners manuals state either 5w40 or 15w40, but expressively not 10w40.
That makes absolutely no sense to me, so to protest I bought two 20L pails of Duron 10w40.
Another example is both my lawn tractors, one JD and one Kubota that both have the 726cc Kawasaki engine. The owners manuals recommend either 10w40 or 20w50, but no mention of 15w40.
I’d bet that 75% of lawn tractors run 15w40, even though it’s not a recommended grade.
10w30 is another grade that could be called obsolete by some, replaced by 5w30 in most cases. While a non synthetic 5w30 isn’t something that I’d buy, if the cold start protection of 5w vs 10w is not required, why pay more for a redundant winter grade?
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
I've seen online that 10w40 Valvoline Restore and Protect is available online in Australia and New Zealand. Also available in AU & NZ brick and morter stores. I suspect it might also be available in South America, Middle East and Africa, but they don't have as much Internet presence.
I'm not sure how (or if) the OP could obtain it in North America. Perhaps a vacation to AU or NZ? However, the Toilet Safety Administration would probably freakout and confiscate it at the airport when you try to bring it home.
I once tried to bring a tube of automotive grease into USA from Canada. The Toilet Safety people freaked out, confiscated it, and acted like they just stopped a terrorist plot.
I'm not sure how (or if) the OP could obtain it in North America. Perhaps a vacation to AU or NZ? However, the Toilet Safety Administration would probably freakout and confiscate it at the airport when you try to bring it home.
I once tried to bring a tube of automotive grease into USA from Canada. The Toilet Safety people freaked out, confiscated it, and acted like they just stopped a terrorist plot.
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Carlostrece
$100 Site Donor 2025
Ya. I don't understand that either. You raise a valid point.
If 5w40 synthetic and 15w40 conventional are both recommended for an engine, then logically it seems to me that 10w40 should also be fine for that same engine.
There is no “protection” against fuel dilution, no oil can do that. You simply start with a thicker fluid that you’re mixing gasoline with, which will (eventually) succumb to the same fate as a thinner oil, and by the very same mechanisms.
You must have had red flags like political bumper stickers for the border people to even look at you let alone search your vehicle.
The secret to going through international borders is to keep your mouth shut a just answer the questions without the smart Alec remarks.
Nevertheless, I view restore and protect as just another marketing ploy to separate people from their money. It isn’t going to magically rebuild the engine.
Walmart ST 10W40 is C$24.88 for 5 litres which works out to about $16 USD. Add a filter and taxes and you can do an oil change for under $30.
I should have written “protection from the effects of fuel dilution.” You just start with a more viscous oil so the viscosity dilutes to a 30 weight worst case scenario.
I’d also point out that higher quality VIIs won’t succumb to the negative effects of fuel dilution as easily or quickly as lower quality.
I can’t comment on this at the molecular level, but I think we can all agree that HPL’s Premium Plus oil almost certainly exceeds anything available on shelves, and it diluted out of grade just the same as anything else in my Ascent.
Personally, I think I may have found the culprit for many Ascents going out of grade so quickly; in addition to only direct injection, the oil cooler on the Ascent is the same one as on the WRX and is massively oversized, as even at 80mph on 85* days the oil does not reach 212* or higher. The last OCI was almost the same mileage, but I purposely went out of my way to get the oil temps way up at least once per week, and… the car turned in its best fuel % reading so far (all GCMS).
All I know is, for the severe service profile my wife does on this thing, 7k+ OCIs, and 5%+ fuel dilution every test so far, HPL is holding up great in everything even if it is falling out of grade, which is absolutely expected with this much fuel.
If you really want to run Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w30 to clean it up, this what I'd do and run 5qts of Valvoline Restore and Protect and a pint of Schaeffer EP Moly and top the other .5qt with whatever you have around. The EP Moly will raise the grade to a 40 at minimum and be fine. The EP Moly is what I'd do if I ever run it in my 460. I run Xw40 in it (and every truck I've used for towing our camper) to lessen burning while towing. Only time I burn in the truck is when towing otherwise loss is minimal.
I've ran 5/10w40 with the EP Moly in my 350 sbc for several years and even when close to 0°f , she fires right up.
Sludge isn't metal, so Valvoline Restore and ProtectEP moly claims to bond to metal and Valvoline Restore and Protect claims to clean metal. Who wins ?
Buy one quart of their engine cleaner - mix with your favorite XW-40 - and work on cleaning up your truck.
That product is crafted for precisely your use case.
All the 10w40 I've seen in the wild has been gas engine oil. That might be the reasoning behind specifically prohibiting it, even though a 10w40 that otherwise met specs is obviously just fine.
If the Mobil 0w40 Euro oil doesn't clean to my liking (I'm not looking for pristine like a lot of folks), something like this is the plan. Might also grab some Valvoline Restore and Protect in 5w30 and mix a couple quarts with Xw50 and see how it goes.
Given the mistreatment and lack of maintenance this poor truck had before, I suspect my regular and frequent oil changes with a good quality oil will clean fine and let it last as long as it's going to last.
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