Valvoline Restore & Protect

[Green Ninja]

what mileage should I change it out at, 3k?

 

[IveBeenRued]

I haven’t posted here in years but saw this super long thread and wanted to add my read world test into the mix. I don’t have any pictures but I am currently starting an OCI of the Valvoline Restore & Protect in my 2011 Forester. This is one of the early oil burning FB25 engines. Low compression in at least one cylinder and running this oil to see if it might help clean the rings and fix the compression issue / oil burning. Burning about a quart of every 700 to 800 miles currently. I am not expecting anything major but had nothing to loose except the money for the oil.

If it doesn’t help, I will be replacing the engine soon.

I will update once I get some miles on it. I have 45 miles on the OCI so far.

Best of luck. I’m 1000 miles into my first full concentration VRP oil change on my 2012 Impreza with the FB20. I had done a 50% VRP/50% RGT 2000 mile interval prior to this and I’m already seeing significantly less oil consumption. I was having to put in .5 quarts every 1K miles but so far she’s holding steady.

 

[Furious]

I’d sell that thing and get a 16 year old something safer. The 2004 and up F150’s are much safer.

2004 and up F150s are much more unreliable. The 5.4 3v is a garbage engine.

 

[Mewbs]

what mileage should I change it out at, 3k?

leave in til 5K or until the Maintenance Light reminder lights on. Just swap the filter half way and top off if you are concerned. Just my honest opinion and course of action. Check the dipstick often per XXX miles driven.

 

[ClutchDisc]

Best of luck. I’m 1000 miles into my first full concentration VRP oil change on my 2012 Impreza with the FB20. I had done a 50% VRP/50% RGT 2000 mile interval prior to this and I’m already seeing significantly less oil consumption. I was having to put in .5 quarts every 1K miles but so far she’s holding steady.

That gives me some hope as that engine is very similar to mine and from the same era. Although mine is using a lot more oil than yours. Time will tell!

 

[BlakeB]

2004 and up F150s are much more unreliable. The 5.4 3v is a garbage engine.

I wasn’t advocating that he should get an 04+ F150, but if he’s gotta have an F150, I’d rather put my kid in a less reliable but safer car any day of the week. Im not a Ford guy, but a properly cared for 3V 5.4 is capable of 200k+ miles. I wouldn’t knowingly and purposefully put my kid in a 97-03 F150, would you? Crash performance doesn’t matter until it does, then it’s the only thing that matters in that moment. The difference in the two body style trucks of the same make/model is the difference in dying (or having life altering injuries) in a crash and walking away with minor/non life threatening injuries. A teenager is more likely to wreck a vehicle than they are to wear it out, in my opinion.
There’s just no excuse to be made for the 97-03 F150’s crash performance. Take a look at the 2001 Tundra for example, a comparable truck from the same era…

For some reason they decided to do the small overlap crash test on this body style of tundra many years later… and it performed better than I expected, especially given its age and the time period in which it was designed and produced. The small overlap crash test is a tough one. There are a lot of vehicles much newer than it that don’t perform much if any better in the small overlap crash test. Given the choice between say a 2001 F150 and a 2001 Tundra to put my kid in, I know what I would choose.

 

[OilStainedNapkin]

I haven’t posted here in years but saw this super long thread and wanted to add my read world test into the mix. I don’t have any pictures but I am currently starting an OCI of the Valvoline Restore & Protect in my 2011 Forester. This is one of the early oil burning FB25 engines. Low compression in at least one cylinder and running this oil to see if it might help clean the rings and fix the compression issue / oil burning. Burning about a quart of every 700 to 800 miles currently. I am not expecting anything major but had nothing to loose except the money for the oil.

If it doesn’t help, I will be replacing the engine soon.

I will update once I get some miles on it. I have 45 miles on the OCI so far.

Have you tried heavier oil in the past like 15w40? Gonna replace the engine soon anyway so might be worth a shot to get the burning down

 

[loneryder]

I’d sell that thing and get a 16 year old something safer. The 2004 and up F150’s are much safer.

Thanks a lot! I have an 01 150.

 

[BlakeB]

Thanks a lot! I have an 01 150.

My condolences….. maybe it’s time to upgrade?

 

[IveBeenRued]

That gives me some hope as that engine is very similar to mine and from the same era. Although mine is using a lot more oil than yours. Time will tell!

I will recommend short changing your oil filter. On my 50/50 concentration run, my filter started making a tapping sound at startup at about the 200 mile make. I presume the bypass valve was opening. I changed it out for a fresh filter and it stopped the noise.

I’m at 1K on this OCI which is 100% VRP and the filter has been sounding fine thus far but I have a spare filter in the backseat along with my three claw filter wrench in case I hear that tapping sound again while I’m away from the house.

 

[ClutchDisc]

Have you tried heavier oil in the past like 15w40? Gonna replace the engine soon anyway so might be worth a shot to get the burning down

I did try a 40 weight oil. It made no difference. I already was using 5w30 over the recommended 0w20 by Subaru.

 

[ClutchDisc]

I will recommend short changing your oil filter. On my 50/50 concentration run, my filter started making a tapping sound at startup at about the 200 mile make. I presume the bypass valve was opening. I changed it out for a fresh filter and it stopped the noise.

I’m at 1K on this OCI which is 100% VRP and the filter has been sounding fine thus far but I have a spare filter in the backseat along with my three claw filter wrench in case I hear that tapping sound again while I’m away from the house.

Thanks! I do have a spare filter on hand.

 

[Jetronic]

I haven’t posted here in years but saw this super long thread and wanted to add my read world test into the mix. I don’t have any pictures but I am currently starting an OCI of the Valvoline Restore & Protect in my 2011 Forester. This is one of the early oil burning FB25 engines. Low compression in at least one cylinder and running this oil to see if it might help clean the rings and fix the compression issue / oil burning. Burning about a quart of every 700 to 800 miles currently. I am not expecting anything major but had nothing to loose except the money for the oil.

If it doesn’t help, I will be replacing the engine soon.

I will update once I get some miles on it. I have 45 miles on the OCI so far.

I hope it works out for you, but ring sticking can cause extra wear on the ring, bores and pistons so expecting a long term condition to reverse totally might not be realistic.

 

[ClutchDisc]

I am not expecting anything to be honest. But doesn’t hurt to try is my thought process.

 

[srfdude]

The fact that R&P doesn't have Dexos cert. was briefly asked in this thread, with no answer. What would be missing in oil properties without that cert? It seems just about every other consumer grade oil is blessed with that cert, but here not so much.

 

[kschachn]

The fact that R&P doesn't have Dexos cert. was briefly asked in this thread, with no answer. What would be missing in oil properties without that cert? It seems just about every other consumer grade oil is blessed with that cert, but here not so much.

It doesn't have to be anything missing.

 

[Triple_Se7en]

The fact that R&P doesn't have Dexos cert. was briefly asked in this thread, with no answer. What would be missing in oil properties without that cert? It seems just about every other consumer grade oil is blessed with that cert, but here not so much.

A Catholic priest at the Woodward Dream Cruise was blessing All Classic Car-Rides that pulled into his Parish parking lot last Saturday..... D1/G3 or not.

Our two Korean vehicles are possessed BTW. They get the deluxe treatment from Father - both holy water and sage incense.

 

[CarlB]

The fact that R&P doesn't have Dexos cert. was briefly asked in this thread, with no answer. What would be missing in oil properties without that cert? It seems just about every other consumer grade oil is blessed with that cert, but here not so much.

Just means they don't want to spend the money on achieving the certification and/or they don't want GM to learn any trade-secrets in this oil.

 

[BlakeB]

The fact that R&P doesn't have Dexos cert. was briefly asked in this thread, with no answer. What would be missing in oil properties without that cert? It seems just about every other consumer grade oil is blessed with that cert, but here not so much.

Just means they don't want to spend the money on achieving the certification and/or they don't want GM to learn any trade-secrets in this oil.

 

[kschachn]

Just means they don't want to spend the money on achieving the certification and/or they don't want GM to learn any trade-secrets in this oil.

Perhaps. Or it can be that one parameter slightly exceeds or underperforms, neither one of which makes it “worse” in any meaningful way. Some dexos requirements are not geared towards quality as such.