Thanks! Impressive
LSJr. The TRUTH About Valvoline's BOLD Engine Cleaning Claims
- Thread starter fantastic
- Start date
Thanks! Impressive
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
I mean, objectively, that makes total sense. What causes ring sticking is basically varnish/lacquer that builds up in the lands combined with coke that plugs up the oil control rings and their drains. So if they've got a mechanism that works on that combination, it's going to work on the same compound elsewhere in the engine.
Both of my current xB’s with the infamous 2AZ-FE have demonstrated oil consumption issues and the 2012 with only 80k miles (almost all at low speed) seemingly had varnish related compression issues in at least one cylinder. When I replaced the leaky valve cover gasket on it the varnish on the cams looked like a car with 200k. Both have gotten Berryman’s piston soaks and both are now running 0w-20 R&P.
I’ll be interested to see whether I’ll need to repeat the piston soaks in another 20k or if the oil will keep them clear.
I’ll be interested to see whether I’ll need to repeat the piston soaks in another 20k or if the oil will keep them clear.
Thanks for sharing. I also had similar dipstick varnish in my 2004 Sienna with dealership oil changes until 180k miles.
However, I am not sure if the dealership in FL used actual TGMO or anything they can find is the cheapest mineral oil 5w30.
My Corolla hybrid 2015 used 0w20 trully TGMO in Germany Dealership, the dipstick, top buffle and caps are squeaky clean.
I am afraid that is the case that TGMO was not the same in pre 2010 and post 2010, or simply dealerships were using different oil suppliers, not always TGMO.
API SM oil is known to have higher detergent than SL or SN, and I observed that the varnish was vanishing when I switch from mineral to whatever in discount fully synthetic Pennzoil, Castrol, Valvoline, or M1 in 2008-2015 time. I switched from 3k OCI mineral to 5k OCI group iii at the same time on Avalon 99, Sentra 99, and Corolla 01. That was the time when I decided not to switch back using mineral oil.
Last edited:
garageman402
$100 Site Donor 2024
Through 13 pages & 240 posts, nobody mentioned where LSJR said it was the "Tom Brady" factor that made this formula work. Tom Brady was not a super performer in his try-outs but how he worked with the team is what made him (& them) successful. Valvoline Restore and Protect does not have any stand-out ingredients that would indicate how & why it cleans so effectively, but the way it is formulated ("brewed", if you will) makes everything work together to achieve the desired result.
MolaKule
Staff member
Well, it does, but the chemistry doesn't show in a cheap VOA!
Once liquefied, and corrected for water content, Einstein brain "VOA" would not be so different from mine
Detergents remove varnish?
Most likely the combination of base oil and detergents, but I am not sure how fully synthetic base oil contribute on it besides it does not add new varnish as much as mineral oil. Generally speaking, solvent works fast, but increase wear like most engine flush products. I never use engine flush, so my only suspect is the detergent.
My obsservation was around 2009-2015, probably both API SM and SN time when most cars still have 3000-5000 miles OCI.
Last edited:
All oils have detergents but hardly any of them remove varnish. Detergents keep things in suspension rather than remove them.
Thanks @kschachn ! I agree about keeping things in suspension, but detergent also removes varnish/stains from surface too. It takes longer for detergent to remove stains compared to solvents. Or it could be the fully synthetic base oil itself works synergistically better than mineral oil, but I doubt it. My theory about fully synthetic oil clean engines is simply flux new varnish in vs varnish out.
What do you think VRP use that remove varnish quickly? It is able to break down the stain molecules and make it unstick from metal surface, without increasing wear rate.
I suspect it is a special kind of detergent that has enzymes-like properties that is able to break down varnish.
What do you think VRP use that remove varnish quickly? It is able to break down the stain molecules and make it unstick from metal surface, without increasing wear rate.
I suspect it is a special kind of detergent that has enzymes-like properties that is able to break down varnish.
Last edited:
Valvoline has stated in interviews that R&P’s cleaning comes from an additive. The additive was discovered in a lab in Mumbai India.
varnish is highly polar, detergents are mildly polar. The dergents are mildly polar by design, so they compete less with ZDDP and MoDTC. That limits their ability to remove varnish, or really excludes it.
I believe VRP uses a new type of dispersant that does the heavy lifting. But that's based only on there being quite a bit of boron, which can be part of the dispersant.
Valvoline stated that the additive was discovered in a lab in Mumbai? Or is that your addition.
My understanding was the cleaning effect was discovered during engine testing. It wasn't expected at the effect w are seeing. I believe they wanted something that could keep engines clean their whole life
- Joined
- May 9, 2023
- Messages
- 301
Funny how the old timers would add transmission fluid or even kerosene to oil to “clean” engines
I don't think it was that funny at one time, back then some ATF contained sperm whale oil which was a type of ester. Nowadays ATF is just similar to motor oil in that regard.
Kerosene is a lower molecular weight hydrocarbon which would indeed act as a solvent. You could still use that if you wish but there are better and safer choices these days.
My memory may be going but I swore that’s what I heard in an interview. I’ve watched so many at this point. The piston cleaning ability was a surprise in Kentucky.
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked