Valvoline Restore & Protect

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So, I only had the restore and protect in the engine for about 4,000 miles. The warranty was running out. I was hoping to see any kind of indication that cleaning was happening with these pistons out but this is what I’ve got. Updated pistons are going in now.

I really would’ve liked to see how it would have helped in this situation but this engine was consuming a quart or more every 1000 miles. I’m surprised that carbon didn’t score the walls.
 
View attachment 286779
So, I only had the restore and protect in the engine for about 4,000 miles. The warranty was running out. I was hoping to see any kind of indication that cleaning was happening with these pistons out but this is what I’ve got. Updated pistons are going in now.

I really would’ve liked to see how it would have helped in this situation but this engine was consuming a quart or more every 1000 miles. I’m surprised that carbon didn’t score the walls.
Are they letting you keep the old pistons? Would be interesting to see a comparison between HPL and R&P on a set of slugs with the same deposits on them.
 
Hyundai / Kia owners should probably use VR&P full time for a 4,000 mile OCI .
I would tend to agree but it seems there are a few folks here with those engines and the related issues that insist on always using some new “Frankenbrew” with mismatched viscosities and properties in hopes of finding some undiscovered cure when it seems VRP would be their best solution. To each their own, of course.
 
View attachment 286779
So, I only had the restore and protect in the engine for about 4,000 miles. The warranty was running out. I was hoping to see any kind of indication that cleaning was happening with these pistons out but this is what I’ve got. Updated pistons are going in now.

I really would’ve liked to see how it would have helped in this situation but this engine was consuming a quart or more every 1000 miles. I’m surprised that carbon didn’t score the walls.
Did the rings move freely?
 
2010 Tacoma 4.0
68,383 miles
OCI: 3,025 miles (2-4-25 to 6-27-25)
Out: VRP 5w30, Toyota 90915-YZZD3
In: 5.5 quarts VRP 5w30, 90915-YZZD3

I also sucked out and refilled the PS fluid with Supertech Mercon V and changed the engine air filter (SuperTech 3315).

This is the second fill of VRP. I cut open the filter and there was nothing crazy going on in there, just a little carbon in the pleats. There is a spot I can see down the filler neck that the varnish is starting to come off of. I couldn’t get my phone to focus on it, but there is definitely a little cleaning happening already. View attachment 286830View attachment 286831
 
View attachment 286779
So, I only had the restore and protect in the engine for about 4,000 miles. The warranty was running out. I was hoping to see any kind of indication that cleaning was happening with these pistons out but this is what I’ve got. Updated pistons are going in now.

I really would’ve liked to see how it would have helped in this situation but this engine was consuming a quart or more every 1000 miles. I’m surprised that carbon didn’t score the walls.
That engine needed more than just one run of Valvoline R&P for a 4000 mile OCI. That oil control ring is jam-packed.
 
View attachment 286779
So, I only had the restore and protect in the engine for about 4,000 miles. The warranty was running out. I was hoping to see any kind of indication that cleaning was happening with these pistons out but this is what I’ve got. Updated pistons are going in now.

I really would’ve liked to see how it would have helped in this situation but this engine was consuming a quart or more every 1000 miles. I’m surprised that carbon didn’t score the walls.
Which engine?

If you were getting a warranty replacement, hard to pass that up.
 
I have a friend that fixes up mowers and resells them. He came across a really nice looking cosmetically simplicity boroadmoore 50 with an 18 hp briggs vangard. My wife and I liked it and he gave it to me. Took it home and while he had changed the oil when he got it it was very dark and looked like crap. I changed the hydro oil,belts and engine oil after a 15 minute test mow, and the engine oil left about a 1/2 inch of sludge in the bottom of the drain pan. I dont think it ever had an oil change in the 1000 hours that was on it. I have never seen anything like it. It also smoked from the right cylinder and had a blown head gasket which i replaced. The cooling fins were plugged with leaves and dust and after cleaning them out, it ran well but would smoke on startup and when changing rpms, sometimes excessively. I had an old can of gunk engine flush and changed the oil 3 more times with about 4 or 5 ounces of engine flush added to 15w40 delvac. Every time the oil came out like black paint with sludge at the bottom of the pan. It still smoked at startup and on throttle changes.....

I have been changing the oil every time i mow with a few ounces of risolone for the last few months, for a total of 5 more changes and it is finally not leaving black sludge in the drain pan. But it still smokes like a freight train on startup and under load and drinks about 6 to 8 ounces of oil in about an hour of mowing.

I recently bought some restore and protect 5w30 for the wifes 150000 mile 2016 traverse which has had a steady diet of either penzoil ultra or QS ulimate 5w30 its whole life to see if it cleaned anything up. About 3 weeks ago i did the 6th change after the flush with the leftover restore and protect from the wifes oil change to see if it would free up the sticking rings from the cooked cylinder.

I have ran the mower 5 times since then for about 30 minutes to an hour and added about 6 ounces of makeup oil twice to to keep the level full using it to tow a landscape wagon and mowing around my property. Today i started it up after sitting a few days and didnt get a single puff of smoke from it. Let it idle for a bit and throttled up and instead of the usual smoke screen i got a tiny puff then nothing. Mowed for about 15 minutes and towed a wagon hauling brush away and checked the oil. Still full, no smoke while running, but has a ton of fine black particulate moxed with the oil. Probaly gonna change it and the filter again after the next use with more restore and protect but i am amazed that it seems to have freed up the sticking rings already. This oil definately seems to have made a difference.

Just wanted to share, I think this oil is the real deal. I was amazed with the lack of smoke and the reduced consumption even with 5w30 vs the 15w40 I had been running. Will know more after another change and more time. Will update after more runtime.
 
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I have a friend that fixes up mowers and resells them. He came across a really nice looking cosmetically simplicity boroadmoore 50 with an 18 hp briggs vangard. My wife and I liked it and he gave it to me. Took it home and while he had changed the oil when he got it it was very dark and looked like crap. I changed the hydro oil,belts and engine oil after a 15 minute test mow, and the engine oil left about a 1/2 inch of sludge in the bottom of the drain pan. I dont think it ever had an oil change in the 1000 hours that was on it. I have never seen anything like it. It also smoked from the right cylinder and had a blown head gasket which i replaced. The cooling fins were plugged with leaves and dust and after cleaning them out, it ran well but would smoke on startup and when changing rpms, sometimes excessively. I had an old can of gunk engine flush and changed the oil 3 more times with about 4 or 5 ounces of engine flush added to 15w40 delvac. Every time the oil came out like black paint with sludge at the bottom of the pan. It still smoked at startup and on throttle changes.....

I have been changing the oil every time i mow with a few ounces of risolone for the last few months, for a total of 5 more changes and it is finally not leaving black sludge in the drain pan. But it still smokes like a freight train on startup and under load and drinks about 6 to 8 ounces of oil in about an hour of mowing.

I recently bought some restore and protect 5w30 for the wifes 150000 mile 2016 traverse which has had a steady diet of either penzoil ultra or QS ulimate 5w30 its whole life to see if it cleaned anything up. About 3 weeks ago i did the 6th change after the flush with the leftover restore and protect from the wifes oil change to see if it would free up the sticking rings from the cooked cylinder.

I have ran the mower 5 times since then for about 30 minutes to an hour and added about 6 ounces of makeup oil twice to to keep the level full using it to tow a landscape wagon and mowing around my property. Today i started it up after sitting a few days and didnt get a single puff of smoke from it. Let it idle for a bit and throttled up and instead of the usual smoke screen i got a tiny puff then nothing. Mowed for about 15 minutes and towed a wagon hauling brush away and checked the oil. Still full, no smoke while running, but has a ton of fine black particulate moxed with the oil. Probaly gonna change it and the filter again after the next use with more restore and protect but i am amazed that it seems to have freed up the sticking rings already. This oil definately seems to have made a difference.

Just wanted to share, I think this oil is the real deal. I was amazed with the lack of smoke and the reduced consumption even with 5w30 vs the 15w40 I had been running. Will know more after another change and more time. Will update after more runtime.
There seems to be a lot of evidence that this oil does exactly what the marketing malarkey says. Saw a Hyundai blowing smoke down the road the other day and wanted to knock on the window and let them know there might be a solution. The carnage some of those engines are going through.
 
I took View attachment 287129a picture of the sludge in the drain pan from the first change after i got it. The pics do not do it justice. It was like that for the next several changes.I honestly think it never had an oil change...
I agree. The photos never do it justice. I got a lot of fine particles of carbon out of my engine as well the first time I drained the VRP. Will be interesting to see how much continues to come out.
 
After having much success on my 2013 Honda Civic with 285k miles running VRP before it was totaled I’m now running it in the car I bought to replace it, a 2017 Ford fusion hybrid with 180k miles. Oil was black coming out when I bought it from used car dealer but it wasn’t as dark as expected when I drained the first 5k interval. On 2nd interval and mileage increased slightly with no oil burning in the second interval, lost about 1/2-3/4 quart on first OCI. Will do a c&P this time when I change the filter
 
I ran the mower today for about 30 minutes. Split some wood up for this winter and hauled it in the wagon. It didnt smoke at all on startup and did not smoke at all on throttle up. First time ever no smoke at all. I am amazed that it seems to have freed the rngs up. Oil is still at the full mark no need to add. Has a lot of black specs in the oil and it is turning dark fast. Almost has a red tint to it.. I will save the filter and cut it to post it on here. Will run one more time and change. I am betting the filter will be filled with gunk.
 
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