Valvoline Restore & Protect

[buster]

From all available information that we have, which oil would clean varnish faster and more completely:

[1] An Ester + AN based Group V Synthetic

or

[2] Valvoline Restore and Protect.

LOL I couldn't tell you. It really depends on the balance of the formulation. You'd have to test them. In theory it appears the more solvency you build into the oil the less likely you'll ever have deposits. To clean existing deposits appears to be no easy feat, to be almost impossible. Valvoline Premium Restore used an oil with 50% POE and some AN to clean. That's a heck of a lot of ester to achieve an aggressive cleaning. Oils that contain premium group V will run cleaner as they say.

 

[Four Rings]

From all available information that we have, which oil would clean varnish faster and more completely:

[1] An Ester + AN based Group V Synthetic

or

[2] Valvoline Restore and Protect.

Good question, but I think we lack the data to answer. As stated by others, each situation will be different, too.

As we see more use and reports, the picture may be clearer.

 

[4WD]

LOL I couldn't tell you. It really depends on the balance of the formulation. You'd have to test them. In theory it appears the more solvency you build into the oil the less likely you'll ever have deposits. To clean existing deposits appears to be no easy feat, to be almost impossible. Valvoline Premium Restore used an oil with 50% POE and some AN to clean. That's a heck of a lot of ester to achieve an aggressive cleaning. Oils that contain premium group V will run cleaner as they say.

This what Valvoline provides as an example:

View attachment 225874

A question as long as it is wide - my stuff is pretty young (90k) so I did EC30 and now VRP … but if I had an old high mileage 4 banger - that’s an easy and ideal engine for a piston soak + whatever else on follow up lubes/filters - and surveillance as you see fit …
I don’t see a V8 as easy nor ideal for a piston soak …

 

[CarlB]

The car
-2008 Subaru Forester Sports XT w/ VF48 turbo, 285k miles.
-185k miles on this OEM short block.
-Fresh turbo rebuild
-Eats 1qt of Rotella T6 5w-40 every 250 miles.
-Noticeable pre-ignition at low RPM, car falls on face and bucks if you add load below 2,500 rpm. You have to gently get over 2,500RPM, then it runs normally. My assumption is the blowby contaminated oil is just entering the combustion chamber. Could be via ring seal, breathers or combination of both.

The compression is pretty consistent except for cylinder #1 at 135PSI where the others are 145-150PSI. My plan was initially to just buy an OEM short block, have the D25 heads rebuilt and rock on for another 180k miles. I've tried soaking pistons by putting B12 into the cylinders, but this being a boxer engine makes that peculiar. Cylinder #1 spark plug has noticeable contamination.

Out of curiosity, I figured before I spend $2200 on a new short block from Subaru I'd try this liquid mechanic. I'm 1,000 miles into running 5w-30 Restore & Protect and the car has required 1.5-1.7 qts of total top off in 1k miles instead of 4 qts (1qt per fill up). Immediately after changing to R&P the misfire improved dramatically, no longer immediately falls on its face. The misfire improvement I'm assuming is the old oil was EXTREMLY contaminated, so any fresh oil would have helped.

It's too early to call it, but something has changed in this cars oil consumption after swapping from Rotella T6 to R&P.

 

[Sandstorm]

The car
-2008 Subaru Forester Sports XT w/ VF48 turbo, 285k miles.
-185k miles on this OEM short block.
-Fresh turbo rebuild
-Eats 1qt of Rotella T6 5w-40 every 250 miles.
-Noticeable pre-ignition at low RPM, car falls on face and bucks if you add load below 2,500 rpm. You have to gently get over 2,500RPM, then it runs normally. My assumption is the blowby contaminated oil is just entering the combustion chamber. Could be via ring seal, breathers or combination of both.

The compression is pretty consistent except for cylinder #1 at 135PSI where the others are 145-150PSI. My plan was initially to just buy an OEM short block, have the D25 heads rebuilt and rock on for another 180k miles. I've tried soaking pistons by putting B12 into the cylinders, but this being a boxer engine makes that peculiar. Cylinder #1 spark plug has noticeable contamination.

Out of curiosity, I figured before I spend $2200 on a new short block from Subaru I'd try this liquid mechanic. I'm 1,000 miles into running 5w-30 Restore & Protect and the car has required 1.5-1.7 qts of total top off in 1k miles instead of 4 qts (1qt per fill up). Immediately after changing to R&P the misfire improved dramatically, no longer immediately falls on its face. The misfire improvement I'm assuming is the old oil was EXTREMLY contaminated, so any fresh oil would have helped.

It's too early to call it, but something has changed in this cars oil consumption after swapping from Rotella T6 to R&P.

That's actually pretty remarkable.

 

[CarlB]

That's actually pretty remarkable.

Yeah, I'm watching it diligently, because it could be total coincidence. Or it could be that the R&P is harder to vaporize than the T6.

 

[Sandstorm]

Yeah, I'm watching it diligently, because it could be total coincidence. Or it could be that the R&P is harder to vaporize than the T6.

Or that it could be that VRP has done something to your impeded piston rings.

 

[jtay2024]

Sounds too good to be true that it did anything instantly. Will be interesting to see whether you get any compression back on cylinder 1. (Only likely if it's caused by sticking rings though as you can't rebuild worn material).

On another note, It's interesting to think that not only may this oil be cleaning up piston rings that are sticking (low force rings being the worst), it may also then be actively preventing contamination of the oil as the piston rings themselves beging to work correctly again and start sealing properly. That would stop cylinder gasses getting down into the oil and contaminating it.

 

[CarlB]

Or that it could be that VRP has done something to your impeded piston rings.

That's the part that's hard for me to believe. The original short block did have stuck rings upon disassembly, but I couldn't really determine if that was from a bent ringland pinching them or deposits alone. Chicken or the egg scenario.

I'll post back as we add more miles. If the consumption rate of sub 1.5-1.7qt per 1k doesn't improve further after a few oil changes I'll be replacing the short block.

Update for clarity: The oil control ring specifically was what was totally compressed and stuck on the previous engine.

 

[Bill7]

I made the mistake of accumulating a huge oil stash, over 3 years worth of Full Synthetic High Mileage 5W-30 oil.
The reason this was a mistake is you never know when some new unforseen oil breakthrough will occur (like Valvoline Restore and Protect), and you have to wait 3 years to deplete your stash before it makes sence to buy more oil.

 

[caseywalt39]

I just put this in my 2020 Crosstrek. After using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum for years in multiple cars, I thought the same thing. It smells like sulfur and cereal. Very strange smell. Car also seems to run a little bit quieter.

I'm definitely not taking the intake manifold off just to investigate, but I'd like to see if it cleans the intake valves. If this oil cleans GDI valves via the PCV system it's a true game changer.

Just finished my R&P oil change on a 2018 Subaru Outback. Some quick observations. Valvoline R&P is much darker than the Valvoline EP. Also smells like no other oil I’ve used. Reminds me a little of gear oil but not as strong.

 

[buster]

Yeah I'd love to know if it can reduce or mitigate IVD's.

 

[Dave1027]

I just put this in my 2020 Crosstrek. After using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum for years in multiple cars, I thought the same thing. It smells like sulfur and cereal. Very strange smell. Car also seems to run a little bit quieter.

I'm definitely not taking the intake manifold off just to investigate, but I'd like to see if it cleans the intake valves. If this oil cleans GDI valves via the PCV system it's a true game changer.

Isn't that what Valvoline's "Modern Engine" oil was supposed to do? I don't remember the Lake Speed youtube mentioning GDI intake valve deposit reduction. Just pistons/rings.

 

[Four Rings]

I made the mistake of accumulating a huge oil stash, over 3 years worth of Full Synthetic High Mileage 5W-30 oil.
The reason this was a mistake is you never know when some new unforseen oil breakthrough will occur (like Valvoline Restore and Protect), and you have to wait 3 years to deplete your stash before it makes sence to buy more oil.

Haven’t we all, brother? Haven’t we all?!?

 

[odie]

I just put this in my 2020 Crosstrek. After using Pennzoil Ultra Platinum for years in multiple cars, I thought the same thing. It smells like sulfur and cereal. Very strange smell. Car also seems to run a little bit quieter.

I'm definitely not taking the intake manifold off just to investigate, but I'd like to see if it cleans the intake valves. If this oil cleans GDI valves via the PCV system it's a true game changer.

. Wonder if removing the PCV valve ( especially D.I. ) to see if gunky before using R&P and then check it for cleanliness somewhere down the road . That's if possible .

 

[Just a civilian pilot]

Yeah I'd love to know if it can reduce or mitigate IVD's.

If you one of those lucky owners with high oil consumption, it won’t hurt to give this product a try.

 

[Scott S]

I made the mistake of accumulating a huge oil stash, over 3 years worth of Full Synthetic High Mileage 5W-30 oil.
The reason this was a mistake is you never know when some new unforseen oil breakthrough will occur (like Valvoline Restore and Protect), and you have to wait 3 years to deplete your stash before it makes sence to buy more oil.

I have several cases, of 5W20 Costco synthetic sitting in my garage, that I don't even use anymore.. LOL, I used it for a short period of time and then stopped, and went to Mobil 1, and then just recently I bought 5W30 Valvoline EP.

 

[Mewbs]

I made the mistake of accumulating a huge oil stash, over 3 years worth of Full Synthetic High Mileage 5W-30 oil.
The reason this was a mistake is you never know when some new unforseen oil breakthrough will occur (like Valvoline Restore and Protect), and you have to wait 3 years to deplete your stash before it makes sence to buy more oil.

Offer free oil changes to your friend and neighbors.

 

[Scott S]

I only have about 2,000 miles on the Mobil and I'm probably going to drop it just to put the Valvoline in LOL

 

[53' Stude]

If you one of those lucky owners with high oil consumption, it won’t hurt to give this product a try.

Doubt it would’ve helped my 09’ Camry with the garbage 2AZ-FE and stuck rings problem