Most people do a Berryman's B12 soak. That seems to be the default.
Why not Valvoline Restore and Protect for average Joe OCIs?
- Thread starter apollo18
- Start date
I used Berryman B12. Made sure each piston was centered as best i could. Put about 3 oz per cylinder. Barred the engine back and forth a little bit to distribute. Waited 4 hours, then manually hand cranked engine one full turn. Repeated the procedure 6 times over 24 hours. Yep, even got up in middle of night......
When I was done, I put towels around each spark plug opening and barred the engine over manually several times. Made sure all the liquid was out of each cylinder (boroscope.) Added an ounce of Marvel Mystery oil to each cylinder. Let it set for an hour or so. Popped plugs back in and let her rip. Took a little bit to get started, and when it did, lots of smoke! After a few minutes smoke went away. Drove it around the block a few times. Pulled into driveway and dumped the oil and filter. New oil and filter installed and new spark plugs installed. Worked absolutely fantastic.
Just a note, just checked the oil a few minutes ago and it's still firmly at the full line. It really worked well.
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Valvoline learned from that experience with their Valvoline Blue Restore & formulated the oil to be less aggressive initially so it won't clog the filter.
IMO if one was previously using conventional oil, or unknown prior owner maintenance history, or an engine that has a known potential sludge/carbon build up problem then I would stick with the owner's manual "severe operation" schedule (3-5K OCI) for the initial 4 OCIs with Valvoline Restore and Protect.
However, I would be comfortable doing extendednOCI beyomd that.
Although Valvoline doesn't market Valvoline Restore and Protect for extended OCIs, they tested it on Ford 2.3L turbocharged GDI 4-cylinder ecoboost engine with 4 × 10K miles OCIs.
Most people would consider a turbocharged GDI engine to be a prime candidate for "severe" vs normal operation maintenance schedule.
Yet Valvoline did 10K miles OCIs (per Ford's owner manual) for their 500K challenge with their conventional & synthetic oils, and 10K OCIs for the Valvoline Restore and Protect tests.
Patman
Staff member
Valvoline hasn’t done any 10k tests with Valvoline Restore and Protect. After doing the 500k runs with conventional and Valvoline synthetic then they did one single run with Valvoline Restore and Protect and it was around 150-200 hours of run time, not 10,000 miles worth.
How does any oil manufacture specify a mileage on oil? Are they assuming all engines are the same. They all have a ** and say follow your manual.
It’s all marketing.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Take two vehicles with a Pentastar - run 20k each on the new Mobil and the site darling - report back. Predictions?
I think everyone should run solvent in their oil. 
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
I think everyone should run solvent in their oil.
Which one? Does the synthetic MMO count as solvent?I think everyone should run solvent in their oil.
What? They did 4 OCIs with Valvoline Restore and Protect. They tore the engines down twice, once after two runs and then again after two more.
They always claim people are horrible eye witnesses
Patman
Staff member
That’s not what I recall from that video. I’m pretty sure they didn’t run 4 OCIs
I don’t even recall it being two intervals
I guess I should rewatch it
Same Here!
Agree!
Same Boat!
Let me know what you find out!I guess I should rewatch it
Patman
Staff member
I started watching the video again and at the beginning they said that they ran Valvoline Restore and Protect for 150 hours
But then he shows 4 used oil analysis reports. I think what he is showing is samples taken all from the same single interval. It shows a sample at 24 hours, at 72 hours, at 96 hours and then at 144 hours
Later in the video when he shows the pistons, he mentions that it was run for several intervals but I don’t think these pistons came out of the 500k engines. I think these are the same pistons that he showed in an earlier video where he visited Valvoline to talk about Valvoline Restore and Protect
But then he shows 4 used oil analysis reports. I think what he is showing is samples taken all from the same single interval. It shows a sample at 24 hours, at 72 hours, at 96 hours and then at 144 hours
Later in the video when he shows the pistons, he mentions that it was run for several intervals but I don’t think these pistons came out of the 500k engines. I think these are the same pistons that he showed in an earlier video where he visited Valvoline to talk about Valvoline Restore and Protect
Also, I think the recent videos (with Lake) did indicate that Valvoline ran an additional two OCI with Valvoline Restore and Protect on the 500k engines (after the first two OCI). I have not re-watched to confirm this but it's what I recall.
So 500k engine teardowns with Gears and Gasoline guys
2x OCI w Valvoline Restore and Protect on both engines
Teardown with Gears and Gasoline guys
2x OCI w Valvoline Restore and Protect on both engines (??)
Parts inspection with Lake
So 500k engine teardowns with Gears and Gasoline guys
2x OCI w Valvoline Restore and Protect on both engines
Teardown with Gears and Gasoline guys
2x OCI w Valvoline Restore and Protect on both engines (??)
Parts inspection with Lake
Such a flawed test running that conventional for 10k intervals.
The test should have been running the synthetic for 10k and the conventional for 5k - which is what virtually any manufacturer would have specced to begin with. I bet the results would have been much different running it this way.
