[pmrphil]

Wow. I had a similar (bad) experience with the Valvoline tech line about 7 or 8 years back, apparently they haven't gotten any better. I went through 3 "techs" before I was able to speak with an engineer. He stated that the VV850 was a non-detergent oil, which was the reason it was labeled "not for street use", and told me it would only last for 300-400 miles. The VV205 is what he recommended I change to, as it had almost the same zinc content, but would resist heat and last a normal length of time for a street application.
OK, that part was factual, the part about oil being no good after 5 years strikes me as fictional - I'm currently using oil purchased in 2008 (got a killer deal and stocked WAY up) and have had no issues. And, yes, I have looked in the bottom of the bottle, and there is no separation or residue. And I don't shake it, either. It's very common for some additives to settle in the bottom of the pan, I see it quite often doing freshen ups. It doesn't seem to hurt a thing. I'd use it for sure, the VV850 was about the best oil I ever used in a race engine.