Valvoline Restore and Protect

[Panda87]

Do the Pentastars have cam actuator screens or filters you can pull and check? After running EC30 in one of our BMWs, there were tiny hard black pieces to clean off the anti-drainback valve and actuator screens (just like the stuff you'd find in the oil filter). The passages to them are after the oil filter of course. I wonder if Valvoline Restore and Protect would loosen stuff in the block passages and leave hard little pieces the same way or if it would all just dissolve and flow through.

From the filter C&Ps I’ve seen of engines running Valvoline Restore and Protect, any deposits or “chunks” seem to get broken down fine enough to be caught in the filter, but not identifiable to the naked eye. However, like you, I’ve noticed that HPL (both EC and PCMO) have liberated more visible chunks and grit in my Ford 5.4 3v.

 

[wjs7]

The photos really do looks great. It is so clean that if you opened a poll here, we absolutely would jot have guessed such milage.

I am curious, why did you opened it up though?

Oil leak from valve cover gaskets. I’ll allow that as acceptable maintenance at 200k miles

 

[GW.]

Oil leak from valve cover gaskets. I’ll allow that as acceptable maintenance at 200k miles

Just turned 40k on my Jeep 3.6. I hope to reach your mileage someday!

 

[wjs7]

From the filter C&Ps I’ve seen of engines running Valvoline Restore and Protect, any deposits or “chunks” seem to get broken down fine enough to be caught in the filter, but not identifiable to the naked eye. However, like you, I’ve noticed that HPL (both EC and PCMO) have liberated more visible chunks and grit in my Ford 5.4 3v.

The Pentastar has a cartridge oil filter which I inspect at each oil change. This engine has never exhibited metal flakes captured by the filter and only pin point sized bits of dark particles (carbon bits?) when using Valvoline Restore and Protect. The oil filter I’ve used at each change was a Fram Ultra Synthetic

 

[Panda87]

The Pentastar has a cartridge oil filter which I inspect at each oil change. This engine has never exhibited metal flakes captured by the filter and only pin point sized bits of dark particles (carbon bits?) when using Valvoline Restore and Protect. The oil filter I’ve used at each change was a Fram Ultra Synthetic

Thanks for the personal experience data! Any pics of those filters?

 

[demarpaint]

I would like to see the first time use here with the Mobil1 Advanced Clean to slowly clean with oil.

Sit tight I'm sure pictures will be coming soon, the product is still fairly new.

 

[wjs7]

Just turned 40k on my Jeep 3.6. I hope to reach your mileage someday!

My Avatar picture shows current condition at nearly 200k miles. Daily driver and off road trails, too. The product MaxlOne (no affiliation with the company) does amazing things to a vehicle exterior

 

[wjs7]

Thanks for the personal experience data! Any pics of those filters?

No, my hands are all oily when holding them. Perhaps at the next change I’ll set up a video camera to analyze the filter

 

[altaylar]

Oil leak from valve cover gaskets. I’ll allow that as acceptable maintenance at 200k miles

Very fair. Makes me wonder if a high milage oil would give you some more life there, but if you plan to keep the car, no need to bother with that kind of a temporary fix

 

[panthermike]

Since changing to Valvoline Restore and Protect at about 187,000 miles, this particular engine is mechanically quieter and after 10,000 miles of Valvoline Restore and Protect no longer exhibits cam chain rattle at engine startup. I suspect Valvoline Restore and Protect has done a good job cleaning the variable valve timing parts in addition to the rest of the engine internals.

Wow looks great thank you for sharing. Consistent oil changes plus Valvoline Restore and Protect for the win! Jeep looks fantastic to, can tell you take care of it.

I had a similar experience with my '03 Corolla. Was having startup noise for about a year and within a few hundred miles on Valvoline Restore and Protect it was 90% eliminated. Stopped completely after 1500 miles. I did change the tensioner which I had already bought at 2000 miles into this first interval (incredibly easy to do).

 

[redwolf4k]

I restore and protect my wallet by not buying this stuff. Hundreds of thousands of miles on the cheapest API oil I can find. Usually Traveller, Supertech or Kirkland depending on sales.

 

[buster]

I restore and protect my wallet by not buying this stuff. Hundreds of thousands of miles on the cheapest API oil I can find. Usually Traveller, Supertech or Kirkland depending on sales.

Keep doing what you're doing....if it ain't broke....

 

[tired]

I restore and protect my wallet by not buying this stuff. Hundreds of thousands of miles on the cheapest API oil I can find. Usually Traveller, Supertech or Kirkland depending on sales.

Which vehicles?

 

[cryptolyme]

I restore and protect my wallet by not buying this stuff. Hundreds of thousands of miles on the cheapest API oil I can find. Usually Traveller, Supertech or Kirkland depending on sales.

this is basically the same price

 

[altaylar]

this is basically the same price

I mean i respect frugality for sure, but the price difference between Valvoline Restore and Protect / Mobil 1 ESP vs kirkland is about $12 per 5 quart. If one does 5k mile oci, that makes 20 oil changes in 100k miles, or about $250 savings in oil by going the cheapest decent oil vs (arguably) best OTS oil.

Personally I respect the argument for both sides. For me though, that price difference over 100k miles is a little above a diagnostic fee one would pay to a mechanic around here. So i see it as a cheapest insurance

 

[tired]

this is basically the same price

Exactly. I respect people trying to save a buck where they can, but must be careful not to be penny wise and pound foolish.

 

[CleanSump]

Exactly. I respect people trying to save a buck where they can, but must be careful not to be penny wise and pound foolish.

Exactly.
How is one being frugal by purchasing Kirkland or Supertech plus a quart of makeup oil every 1-2 thousand miles?
The Kirkland/ST cheap stuff isn't going to help oil consumption and will cost as much or more in the long run.

 

[TrainDancer]

I decided to try Valvoline Restore and Protect 0w-20 in my 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid (A25A-FXS) with 64,000 miles. It had 2,000 miles on the existing 0w-16 Mobil 1 which I sent off to Blackstone to get a reference before switching to Valvoline Restore and Protect. I then ran it with Valvoline Restore and Protect for 4,900 miles and took another sample. Blackstone reported no issues, even though the the viscosity increased. Toyota wants 0w-16 for that engine, but says you can run 0w-20 in a pinch until the next oil change. I'm happy to run Valvoline Restore and Protect 0w-20 for another three changes at least, and will continue testing.

I cut open the oil filter (MicroGard Select MSL10332 from Vietnam) and documented no sparkles with some tiny carbon specks in the bottom of the media folds. There was no evidence of carbon in the filter I examined before running Valvoline Restore and Protect. This is exactly as expected, these tiny specks are probably from the piston ring groves.

Blackstone also reported that fuel dilution went down from 0.5% to a trace and insolubles went from trace to 0.1%. I'd think that this is also what one would expect if Valvoline Restore and Protect is working on an engine with 69,000 miles. So far, things are looking good.

 

[altaylar]

Exactly. I respect people trying to save a buck where they can, but must be careful not to be penny wise and pound foolish.

Penny wise and pound foolish
Never heard of that before, but love it

 

[ZeeOSix]

Blackstone reported no issues, even though the the viscosity increased. Toyota wants 0w-16 for that engine, but says you can run 0w-20 in a pinch until the next oil change.

If Toyota says it's OK to run 0W-20 for a whole OCI then it's OK to run it all the time. Toyota says that to make CAFE happy ... trying to convince you to use the thinner oil. Your case shows that even engines with relatively low miles and seem "clean" can have deposits that can be removed.