Replacement for Valvoline SAE 30 VR1 Racing

Hi all,
I am hoping for an oil recommendation to replace Valvoline 30W VR1 Racing. I have been using this oil since I built my engine and really don't want to change, however Kommiefornia in all their brilliance have banned this oil:rolleyes. I even tried buying it off Amazon and couldn't do it, they won't ship to my address. Anyway, if someone could recommend a replacement that I can buy in Kommiefornia I would appreciate it.

RiverBound should be able to take care of you.

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?85707-How-good-is-Lucas-oil&highlight=lucas+oil

eBay?

ATKpilot said:

Hi all,
I am hoping for an oil recommendation to replace Valvoline 30W VR1 Racing. I have been using this oil since I built my engine and really don't want to change, however Kommiefornia in all their brilliance have banned this oil:rolleyes. I even tried buying it off Amazon and couldn't do it, they won't ship to my address. Anyway, if someone could recommend a replacement that I can buy in Kommiefornia I would appreciate it.

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I just got it at O'Reilly's on Wednesday. You got a link to the ban? Makes no sense they would ban it. It's not approved for on road use which is why they classified it as a "racing" oil.

rivrrts429 said:

I just got it at O'Reilly's on Wednesday. You got a link to the ban? Makes no sense they would ban it. It's not approved for on road use which is why they classified it as a "racing" oil.

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Oreilys stocks it. I have a commercial account with them. Right on the bottle shows it not api certified. It's not banned and won't be.

Waffles said:

eBay?

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Yep, found a place on ebay this morning that had no issue with shipping to CA so I bought a case with free shipping :thumbup:
I was talking to a guy a NAPA and he said they had 5 cases and had to ship them back to the factory.:grumble:

rivrrts429 said:

I just got it at O'Reilly's on Wednesday. You got a link to the ban? Makes no sense they would ban it. It's not approved for on road use which is why they classified it as a "racing" oil.

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They call it "obsolete":rolleyes So this means Valvoline VR1, Brad Penn and Redline oils are not supposed to be for sale in Kommiefornia. The rumor is that Valvoline is repackaging VR1, I would assume the others will follow if they think it's worth it. I just went on Summit and it looks like they will ship to CA.
It seems that they did this because people are to stupid to look in the manual as to what oil their car needs. Since any of us that use this type of oil know which end of a screwdriver to use they should still sell it a as specialty oil.

California AB-808 Automotive fuels and products.

California Bans Sale of Obsolete Motor Oils

March 2, 2016

California this year began prohibiting the sale of engine oils and lubricants considered obsolete by American Petroleum Institute standards. The regulation outlaws sale of several specifications of oil previously permitted by the state, the newest being API SH.

The bill makes amendments to various sections in the California Business and Professions Code regarding the sale and labeling of lubricant products. The law now requires that engine oils and lubricants meet, at minimum, one active API classification, one active sequence of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) or one active original equipment manufacturer specification.

The current API classifications for gasoline engines are API SJ, SL, SM and SN. The law further states that the API, ACEA or OEM specification and the viscosity grade of the lubricant must be clearly labeled on the product.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture?s Division of Measurement Standards, which regulates weights and measures and oversees quality and labeling of lubricants, reported that it and the law?s author, California assembly member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Calif.), engaged with lubricant stakeholder groups on the impacts of the mandate and received no objections to the final bill.

A spokesman for the CDFA told Lube Report, ?Outdated specifications will be amended or deleted.? He added that the department is currently communicating with lubricant producers, wholesalers and retailers about the products that can no longer be sold in the state.

Two representatives from industry groups gave Lube Report their opinion on the legislation, which went into effect Jan. 1.

Tom Glenn, president of the Petroleum Quality Institute of America,said he supports the legislation. He understands that oils under the API SA classification ?continue to have a place in the marketplace as compressor oils, jack oils and some small engine oils,? but added that applications are limited.

?I think there are some applications for SA that are still legitimate, but [SB through SH] are obsolete, and they really have no place in the market now,? said Glenn.

Banning the sale of obsolete engine oils in the state represents some issues for lubricant manufacturers that provide specialty oils, said Jeffrey Leiter, legal counsel for the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association, of Leiter & Cramer PLLC. While the legislation specifies the performance standards for engine oils, Leiter noted that it does not detail what standards specialty lubricants must meet.

?For example, there are some ILMA member companies that produce specialty lubricants, like racing oils for high-performance cars on tracks and hot rods, where in many instances the oil marketer will overtreat the products with additives, so it doesn?t neatly fit within an API [or ACEA] specification,? Leiter explained.

According to Leiter, many ILMA members produce and market engine oils deemed obsolete because of consumer requests or because they need to have products that compete with those of other manufacturers. He added that antique car clubs, which prefer to use obsolete classifications on their engines, also expressed concern over this legislation.

But obsolete products, which contain less additives and/or lower quality base stocks, do not protect older engines as well as oils that meet newer specifications, said Glenn, even if it saves the owners some money.

?There might be a market for [obsolete motor oils], but that market doesn?t really understand that they are accelerating the demise of their vehicles by using these older- spec products,? Glenn explained.

Both Leiter and Glenn emphasized that current API classifications are backwards compatible with older engines and in fact may protect them better than the specifications that were developed for them.

They also agreed that obsolete engine oils should have their specs clearly labeled, with Glenn adding that they should not be sold alongside products with current specs, since they can confuse or even deceive consumers. ?If it?s obsolete, it shouldn?t be on the shelves,? he said.

Runs2rch said:

Oreilys stocks it. I have a commercial account with them. Right on the bottle shows it not api certified. It's not banned and won't be.

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It is. Just many of the auto parts stores are not up to speed. I bought some last year at Autozone, told the guy I was surprised they still had it. After explaining it was supposed to be banned, he said he was going to look into it. A month later he told me "you were right, we're not supposed to be selling it, but we were never notified". They no longer have it.

There was a thread in here about a year ago about it.

Wheeler said:

RiverBound should be able to take care of you.

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?85707-How-good-is-Lucas-oil&highlight=lucas+oil

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Lucas doesn't make a straight 30w. Not sure why an engine builder would spec 30wt. Most are running 20/50 or on occasion a 50wt is recommended.

http://www.mysinthetix.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=52

Riverbound said:

Lucas doesn't make a straight 30w. Not sure why an engine builder would spec 30wt. Most are running 20/50 or on occasion a 50wt is recommended.

http://www.mysinthetix.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=52

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Thanks for the link, this looks like it would be a good replacement. I am leary of switching oils ( I know, not a valid concern) because the engine has been flawless, but I think this would do it.

ATKpilot said:

Thanks for the link, this looks like it would be a good replacement. I am leary of switching oils ( I know, not a valid concern) because the engine has been flawless, but I think this would do it.

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The Lucas oil would do a fine job, and I think you may find it to be better quality than the VR-1. I have been using and recommending Brad Penn oils for the engines I build, but have been considering trying some of the Lucas.

obnoxious001 said:

The Lucas oil would do a fine job, and I think you may find it to be better quality than the VR-1. I have been using and recommending Brad Penn oils for the engines I build, but have been considering trying some of the Lucas.

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With your engine builds do you recommend or use straight weight oil or multis?

Last I heard, the ban hasn't gone "official" yet, but as you can see by the above post, they are definitely working on it.

O'Rileys got scared, and pulled all the VR1 off the floor, but they still have it in back. Last time we ordered it, we got it.

I really don't know if the ban has gone through yet, but most stores if you ask for the manager and want to buy some, they will sell it to you IF they have it.

VR1 had zinc in it, that's why they are trying to get rid of it!

There are still quite a few companies selling zinc infused oil. I'm sure riverbound can hook ya all up. :thumbup:

rivermobster said:

Last I heard, the ban hasn't gone "official" yet, but as you can see by the above post, they are definitely working on it.

O'Rileys got scared, and pulled all the VR1 off the floor, but they still have it in back. Last time we ordered it, we got it.

I really don't know if the ban has gone through yet, but most stores if you ask for the manager and want to buy some, they will sell it to you IF they have it.

VR1 had zinc in it, that's why they are trying to get rid of it!

There are still quite a few companies selling zinc infused oil. I'm sure riverbound can hook ya all up. :thumbup:

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They had 40wt on the shelf. I wanted 20 qts so they had there driver run to the warehouse for 10 more. I picked up all 20 that afternoon.

No idea what to think but the ban makes zero sense. Pretty soon they're going to be banning any car that has the potential to exceed the speed limit lol

rivrrts429 said:

They had 40wt on the shelf. I wanted 20 qts so they had there driver run to the warehouse for 10 more. I picked up all 20 that afternoon.

No idea what to think but the ban makes zero sense. Pretty soon they're going to be banning any car that has the potential to exceed the speed limit lol

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The problem is zinc and catalytic converters don't mix!

If you use zinc infused oil in a late model car, you'll be replacing your converter pretty quick.

Does it make sense now that they are calling it obsolete oil?

You know as well as I do some dumb azz will put ZR1 Racing oil in his Honda, just to try and make it go faster, then wanna sue for a new converter...

It's doesn't play nice with the O2 sensors as well.

It's the world we live in doncha know!

rivermobster said:

The problem is zinc and catalytic converters don't mix!

If you use zinc infused oil in a late model car, you'll be replacing your converter pretty quick.

Does it make sense now that they are calling it obsolete oil?

You know as well as I do some dumb azz will put ZR1 Racing oil in his Honda, just to try and make it go faster, then wanna sue for a new converter...

It's doesn't play nice with the O2 sensors as well.

It's the world we live in doncha know!

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Well put lol

I thought the work around was classifying it as a racing only oil, basically rebranding the labeling. The copy/paste post was the same one I seen a couple of years ago when the rumor about the ban began.

No idea what to think but it's not a new thing regarding VR1. Its at least a two year saga. For now I'm buying two oil changes worth every time I swing by O'Reily's. I'll go back to Brad Penn if it gets pulled.

ATKpilot said:

With your engine builds do you recommend or use straight weight oil or multis?

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In the past I have pointed a lot of people to a 20-50 multi weight, but now normally use a straight 40 weight on normally aspirated recreational engines, and straight 50 weight on forced induction or racing engines.

I like straight weight oils for a number of reasons.

I set bearing clearances that work well with heavier weight oils.

Most of my engines get run in warm climates.

A few years back I spent time on the phone with representatives of several of the major oil companies that I was interested in using. I had some interesting information from Torco that swayed me a bit against multi weight oils.

A simple demonstration I show people is to put a drop or so of the Brad Penn oil that I use on their fingertips and note that the oil adheres if you touch your fingers together and pull them apart. My own personal race engine was removed from my Schiada when I sold the boat, and sat in my garage for about 9 years, with the intake, timing cover and oil pan removed and sold to people who needed them. When I finally pulled the engine apart to freshen it up, the lack of wear after 6 years of racing and recreational use impressed me, not to mention that every surface still had oil protecting it, particularly the bearings.

Another thing is to compare the feel of a 20-50 against a straight 50, or even straight 40 wt.

I don't believe in firing up the boat (or car) and sticking your foot in the throttle, and sitting and idling with no load does very little to put any heat in the oil, the engine needs to run under a little bit of load to get it warm, and that also allows engine block and other parts to build some temperature and "normalize"

obnoxious001 said:

In the past I have pointed a lot of people to a 20-50 multi weight, but now normally use a straight 40 weight on normally aspirated recreational engines, and straight 50 weight on forced induction or racing engines.

I like straight weight oils for a number of reasons.

I set bearing clearances that work well with heavier weight oils.

Most of my engines get run in warm climates.

A few years back I spent time on the phone with representatives of several of the major oil companies that I was interested in using. I had some interesting information from Torco that swayed me a bit against multi weight oils.

A simple demonstration I show people is to put a drop or so of the Brad Penn oil that I use on their fingertips and note that the oil adheres if you touch your fingers together and pull them apart. My own personal race engine was removed from my Schiada when I sold the boat, and sat in my garage for about 9 years, with the intake, timing cover and oil pan removed and sold to people who needed them. When I finally pulled the engine apart to freshen it up, the lack of wear after 6 years of racing and recreational use impressed me, not to mention that every surface still had oil protecting it, particularly the bearings.

Another thing is to compare the feel of a 20-50 against a straight 50, or even straight 40 wt.

I don't believe in firing up the boat (or car) and sticking your foot in the throttle, and sitting and idling with no load does very little to put any heat in the oil, the engine needs to run under a little bit of load to get it warm, and that also allows engine block and other parts to build some temperature and "normalize"

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Thanks, appreciate the feedback and information:thumbsup

Auto Zone also carries it. No problem for me in Northern California. It is all I ever used. Boat motors usually do not see high heat due to the cooler lake water. I never use 50 weight because very high oil pressures are too hard on the distributor drive.
It is easy to hit 100 psi with 50 weight. Rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1000 rpm. You just don't need over 70 psi, hot, for the average high performance lake boat. The Zinc in VR1 is a big plus. My 2 cents.

Auto Zone also carries it. No problem for me in Northern California. It is all I ever used. Boat motors usually do not see high heat due to the cooler lake water. I never use 50 weight because very high oil pressures are too hard on the distributor drive.
It is easy to hit 100 psi with 50 weight. Rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1000 rpm. You just don't need over 70 psi, hot, for the average high performance lake boat. The Zinc in VR1 is a big plus. My 2 cents.
It is the same thing as leaded gas. It is for sale all over California. It will never be band either.

Rocket-J said:

Auto Zone also carries it. No problem for me in Northern California. It is all I ever used. Boat motors usually do not see high heat due to the cooler lake water. I never use 50 weight because very high oil pressures are too hard on the distributor drive.
It is easy to hit 100 psi with 50 weight. Rule of thumb is 10 psi for every 1000 rpm. You just don't need over 70 psi, hot, for the average high performance lake boat. The Zinc in VR1 is a big plus. My 2 cents.
It is the same thing as leaded gas. It is for sale all over California. It will never be band either.

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If you are running clearances set up for heavier oil, you will not see 100 psi. In the proper application, 50wt works well, and will not be giving over 70 psi hot. As I may have mentioned before, I have compared several of the better racing oils, and although the Valvoline is the "easiest" race oil to obtain, I prefer some of the other brands over it based on what I have seen in some of the many engines I have inspected, not to mention the oil itself when it comes out of an engine.