my experience with restore....
I have an engine, that is probably the most infamous "ticker" on the planet... the 3.2L V6 found in isuzu troopers/rodeos honda passports, Opel MUs, jackaroos, etc etc (global equivalents)....
They have a non-adjustable hydrolic lifter arrangement. The "shims" (hydrolic lifters) wear out enough to start "tapping" back and forth somewhere around 150k for most of these engines. (my ticking started at about 148k, now have 173k on it)Ever since my tapping started I've been on an experimental rampage to find something that would quiet them down. (basically, needs to have some "cling" property to it, or be thick enough to bolster up the worn down parts, but at the same time not screw up the rest of the engine)...
Shortly after the ticking began, not understanding the design of the enguin- I thought it was a "sticky" lifter, so I did some "engine cleaner/flushes.(idle for 15 minuts with it in oil and then drain)" with each attempt the ticking got louder.
I found that STP had a very minimal effect, ran slightly quieter, running heavier weight oils has also quieted it down some.
MMO in the crankcase seemed to make it louder.
After taking a look at pictures of this type of engine and learning where the infamous tick was originating from, my results started to make since- heavier oils and addatives, could quiet down this type of problem, anything that cleaned off varnish (that previously served as a "bolster) or that thinned the oil made it louder.
Realizing the source of the sound, I was drawn to the claims by "restore" that it "fills" the gaps in worn down metals.
I was a half a quart low from burning (common on these engines also, even when much newer)... so decided rather than topping off with my regular oil, i'd throw it a dose of restore and see what happens.
(at this point, I was at about 155k, so I'd been ticking for ~7000 miles)
in 5 minuts I was sold. finally, silence. Litterally, in 5 minuts my tick was GONE. Within a week with this in the crank case I noticed reduced oil consumption and noticably better power.
continued my 2-3k change intervals, but included restore as a regular part of my changes every time. For ~10,000 miles, I was a happy camper with a silent engine again.
Then the ticking came back. even with the restore in the changes. Since ~165k, till now (173k) it's been ticking, and restore or no restore, it ticks. My oil consumption has gone back up and my power is back down. (though, some of the power loss latally may be the need for a new cat-converter)..
Here's what I'm thinking- Perhaps, "restore" will only "cling" to clean enguine parts, not varnished parts- so maybe If i did another "flush" (which I haven't done in over 20k), the retore might "work like a charm" again... or maybe it won't.
I can say, it definetally did something, for awhile. I should point out that- I have noticed a bit of carbon/sludge buiding up top. Might have been the restores fault (might also be from valave blowby, or again, too much backpressure from an old cat)...
In my opinion- it's not snake oil, but it's also nothing super special eithor. Might help a problem for a little while. But no addative can perminantly replace a worn out part.
