Oil analysis
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 13,832
Likes: 1,550
From: Chesterfield VA
Valvoline does recommended VR1 for use in vehicles with catalytic converters but they don't say why. They don't note Boron. Lots of Zinc and Phosphorus (about twice what my Royal Purple shows after a couple thousand miles).
Unless you have another 3000 miles on the oil in the engine the results of a new soil sample may be misleading unless they're high. 3000 miles on the VR1 will be useful.
-- Chuck
Unless you have another 3000 miles on the oil in the engine the results of a new soil sample may be misleading unless they're high. 3000 miles on the VR1 will be useful.
-- Chuck
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 5,732
Likes: 632
Please DO NOT use a racing oil in a street driven car. Racing oils are for racing, not for street cars. Racing oils do not have calcium or other dispersants and detergents road car oils have that allows them to do 5,000 mile oil changes. Without dispersants and detergents you have nothing protecting your oil from oxidizing which will cause it to rapidly deteriorate. Racing oils are hard on the catalytic converter(if you have one) because of all the zinc and moly. I recommend you pick a good full synthetic oil, 10w30 and stick to it, don't switch up, consistency is key to avoiding headaches. Use racing oil if you plan on racing and don't mind changing the oil after your track day to a regular road car synthetic. Don't put Diesel oil in your engine either, they have too many detergents, these detergents have to compete with anti-wear additives, in a diesel where there's more soot and particulates from combustion, those detergents are fine they are consumed by the soot and particulates. Our gas engines burn much cleaner, you don't need that much detergents and dispersants, you want more anti-wear additives to handle the higher piston speeds.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 8,646
Likes: 145
From: Chapel Hill, NC
Just had mine done at 61K on 4,832 miles and a lot more months between most likely.
MY Copper was 5
Lead 6 (been chasing that for a while now will change at 3K or less miles to see if the higher miles was a contributor there.)
From 41K it's gone from 7 - 10 - 8 - (changed type of oil and viscosity) to 2 - 4 - and now 6. (2 was only on 1,863 miles)
I am going to likely check my rod bearings this summer or definitely this winter and plasti guage or just replace with new OEM's since I am in there.
MY Copper was 5
Lead 6 (been chasing that for a while now will change at 3K or less miles to see if the higher miles was a contributor there.)
From 41K it's gone from 7 - 10 - 8 - (changed type of oil and viscosity) to 2 - 4 - and now 6. (2 was only on 1,863 miles)
I am going to likely check my rod bearings this summer or definitely this winter and plasti guage or just replace with new OEM's since I am in there.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29,894
Likes: 5,435
From: Ontario Canada
Valvoline has an Advanced Synthetic oil, which is not the VR1 , that is what I would use, it is not a racing oil but they upped the moly levels in it. I use it in my daily drivers, good value and the new formula is very good.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 800
Likes: 277
Please DO NOT use a racing oil in a street driven car. Racing oils are for racing, not for street cars. Racing oils do not have calcium or other dispersants and detergents road car oils have that allows them to do 5,000 mile oil changes. Without dispersants and detergents you have nothing protecting your oil from oxidizing which will cause it to rapidly deteriorate. Racing oils are hard on the catalytic converter(if you have one) because of all the zinc and moly. I recommend you pick a good full synthetic oil, 10w30 and stick to it, don't switch up, consistency is key to avoiding headaches. Use racing oil if you plan on racing and don't mind changing the oil after your track day to a regular road car synthetic. Don't put Diesel oil in your engine either, they have too many detergents, these detergents have to compete with anti-wear additives, in a diesel where there's more soot and particulates from combustion, those detergents are fine they are consumed by the soot and particulates. Our gas engines burn much cleaner, you don't need that much detergents and dispersants, you want more anti-wear additives to handle the higher piston speeds.
so far I’ve been content with the Castol GTX, it has seemed to stabilize my previous oil loss (as others have stated too)
It’s only because of the OA that has me concerned with bearing wear (although not there yet).
it’s been 3k miles since my last analysis so I’ll be interested in the reading from this next one.
im going to run the VR1 10w30 full syn for 3000 miles and see how it analyses.
Last edited by Dibsen; Jun 14, 2024 at 03:26 AM.
Registered User
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1,562
Likes: 555
From: Munich - Germany
There are a handfull of racing oils out there wich can be used safely in a road car. It all dpends on the Zinc content wich could damage the Catalyst.
The Motul 300V racing oils are the most widely known racing oils wich are totaly fine to use in a daily driver.
As a example: I have asked a german manufacturer, ROWE, about their racing oils. They assured me that they are perfectly fine for road use, if i obey some rules: 1. Not to many short trips. 2. Oil change after max. 1 Year / 10.000 Km / 6000 Miles. If you obey this rules, you are fine. Here is VOA: https://oil-club.de/index.php?thread...tor-oil-5w-40/
That is just a example. If you want to use a more uncommon oil, like racing oil, you have to inform yourself, learn a little bit about oil and ask the manufacturer.
But you guys in the USA have the extremly high quality oils from Red Line, Driven and HPL available.
Here is place to ask: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/
And here is a very good book wich explains the basics:
The Motul 300V racing oils are the most widely known racing oils wich are totaly fine to use in a daily driver.
As a example: I have asked a german manufacturer, ROWE, about their racing oils. They assured me that they are perfectly fine for road use, if i obey some rules: 1. Not to many short trips. 2. Oil change after max. 1 Year / 10.000 Km / 6000 Miles. If you obey this rules, you are fine. Here is VOA: https://oil-club.de/index.php?thread...tor-oil-5w-40/
That is just a example. If you want to use a more uncommon oil, like racing oil, you have to inform yourself, learn a little bit about oil and ask the manufacturer.
But you guys in the USA have the extremly high quality oils from Red Line, Driven and HPL available.
Here is place to ask: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/
And here is a very good book wich explains the basics:
