[Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil

Thu Feb 9 13:01:40 MST 2017

Just bought some here in Michigan from O'Reilly's Auto Parts, on sale for $4.99/quart or $24.95/5qt jug.

Mal Hickok
BJ7 & BJ8
Richland, MI

-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
To: warthodson <warthodson at aol.com>
Cc: healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thu, Feb 9, 2017 1:39 pm
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil

That's a little harsh, Gary.  

After my initial post, I did some googling and found some      anecdotal 'evidence;' here's just one example (from our LBC      brethren):

http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?1,3222905

You can 'research' yourself by googling 'valvoline vr1 20w-50      banned in california;' it appears others have thought the same.

I have no prefabricated agenda; I'm doing an expensive engine      rebuild for my BJ8 and want the best oil possible--for a      reasonable price--for the engine when I reinstall it (my cam lobes      and tappet faces were seriously worn).  I'd been buying VR1 for a      while when the local parts house told me 'we pulled it off the      shelves.'  My engine builder--when asked if VR1 was a good oil for      older, flat tappet engines said 'Yeah, but you can't get it in      California.'  So, I got curious (and, in the meantime, bought 3      cases online). 

Banning VR1 made no sense, since other brands--Castrol, for      one--still claim 'adequate' ZDDP for older, flat tappet engines,      and the consensus seemed to be that many 20W-50 oils still had      sufficient ZDDP since they weren't likely to be used in newer cars      with catalytic converters, but that's the 'reading' I was getting      from several sources.  I had resigned myself to buying online and,      with a full case order you can get free shipping from Amazon at a      better price than the parts house anyway.

I will confess to being a bit predisposed to assume the 'banned'      scenario; several products which I've found to be effective--3M's      adhesive remover, for one--appear* to be NLA in CA, and I think      the best upholstery adhesive I know of--Weldwood--hasn't been seen      on shelves around here for a while (I buy qt bottles from my      upholsterer, who buys 5-gal cans from, well, I don't want to know      where).  I'll also confess to a poor choice of wording in my      previous post--I was speculating and should have made that clear      for the nuance-challenged.

Full Disclosure:  I'm a native Californian--fourth-generation, to      be exact--and have mixed feelings about some of my state's      political actions (but have defended some of them on several      occasions).  I can attest to a dramatic improvement in our air      quality over my lifetime, and we have a ways to go.  I also have a      background in chemistry--both educational and in the workforce--so      I understand the dangers of some compounds--halogenated      hydrocarbons in particular--being let loose in the environment, so      I stride both sides of the environmental arguments.  It should be      noted CA does not require vehicle inspections--a serious tax and      hassle, IMO--and the state did us old car owners a solid when it      eliminated the smog check for pre-1968 cars. 

I still don't have an answer as to why VR1 was pulled from store      shelves, but has now reappeared.  Either there was a      misunderstanding--possibly* with the SAE rating system--or,      possibly* Valvoline changed the formulation to comply*.

Bob

    * NOTE: PURE SPECULATION ON MY PART.

On 2/9/2017 7:55 AM, warthodson at aol.com      wrote:

Or maybe you are fabricating a wholly unsubstantiated          scenario to fit with your own personal beliefs &          prejudices? 

Gary Hodson

-----Original Message-----
          From: Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
          Cc: Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
          Sent: Thu, Feb 9, 2017 9:33 am
          Subject: Re: [Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil

          Well, my local parts house--the same one that pulled it off          the shelf a 
          year or so ago--now has its back on the shelf for ~$7/qt.

          It appears this was a bureaucratic overreaction/SNAFU to some          
          regulations that may or may not have had an effect, or maybe          Valvoline 
          changed the formulation to comply.

          bs

          On 2/8/2017 12:21 PM, David Masucci wrote:
          > Are you guys referring to the full synthetic, or the          conventional version of this oil!
          >
          > Sent from my iPhone
          >
          >> On Feb 8, 2017, at 10:38 AM, Bruce Steele <healeybruce at roadrunner.com>          wrote:
          >>
          >> I checked at my local NAPA in Brea, CA just a couple          of weeks ago, and they
          >> have it.
          >>
          >> Bruce Steele
          >> Brea, CA
          >> 1960 BN7
          >>
          >> -----Original Message-----
          >> From: Healeys [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net]          On Behalf Of Bob
          >> Spidell
          >> Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2017 3:46 PM
          >> To: Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
          >> Subject: [Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil
          >>
          >> Anybody know why this isn't available in California          any more? Yes, it
          >> supposedly has high levels of ZDDP, but to my          knowledge only the 20W-50, as
          >> do other 20W-50s that are still available. My local          parts house told me a
          >> while ago they 'had to pull it off the shelves,' and          my engine builder says
          >> it's NLA in California, but he sells Kendall 20W-50,          which claims high ZDDP.
          >>
          >> AFAIK, it can still be 'imported.'
          >>
          >> Bob
          >>
          >>
          >

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