Marvel Mystery Oil revealed ...

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I a thread over on iBoats, there was an ongoing discussion of a iffy engine. One of the posters said something about adding Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO). Got a rash of stuff back, but this was interesting:

MMO contains solvents such as such as kerosene, naphthalene, xylene, acetone or isopropanol. It always kills me that there's always people that think MMO (and other Snake-oils) are some kind of special double secret magic sauce that does something remarkable in an engine when added to either the oil or the fuel ...

Another poster responds:

Some years ago, MMO was added to fuel in an aircraft engine and the NTSB had the following to say about it at http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...02LA181&akey=1

According to the FAA inspector, the additive that was added to the fuel was Marvel Mystery Oil. An empty 1 gallon can of Marvel Mystery Oil was found in the operator's trash. Instructions found on the can stated that the correct ratio for mixing with fuel was 1 part additive to 100 parts fuel. The contents of Marvel Mystery Oil were 74 percent mineral oil, 25 percent stoddard solvent, and 1 percent lard.

Well OK, maybe you should not use MMO in an aircraft engine or aircraft fuel, but in an oil burner/beater, why not ...

The Stoddard Solvent will free stuff (
laugh.gif
), and the lard will be poor mans AutoRX (bio-oils), so that's cause to go get some all by itself. I think it's a bargain for what it does
smile.gif


I have used it on and off for decades on oil burners and rough running engines. About 75% of the time it'll help in one oil change interval.

I have moved on to BG109 and my fix in a can
smile.gif


But under some circumstances, I'd grab a can of MMO and go for it again
laugh.gif
 
WD-40 isn't a real 'lubricant', it's a 'water displacement' compound.
It has an oily component though and works as a light lube in some cases. Its overused, though that's my opinion.
 
If you have sludge up engine it is much safer to use a flush designed for use at idle rather than a drive around oil scourer like MMO. If your engine is sludged up an oil scourer can easily dislodge the sludge and block the oil filter or even the oil pump intake screen.
MMO is also going to thin out the oil which is not good news if your oil is already on the thin side. I definitely would not use it if you are using an Xw20.
Liqui Moly are the best company in the oil additives game and they do make a drive around oil scourer in additive to their popular idle flushes, BUT their PDS has a specific warning that when used in a badly sludged up engine the sump and oil pump intake screen should be cleaned first and the driver should avoid high RPM's.
 
99% of additives are witches brews of light-medium hydrocarbons.

Only good stuff is PEA/Glycol-Ether based.
 
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MMO is a nice light weight oil and has it's purpose. WD40 was never much much use to me until I got a winch on the Jeep. It's good to keep the cable from getting too wet with moisture
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
I use WD-40 mostly for soaking the adjustable wheel hardware on my lawn mower. That sheet metal will rust away. Mine's still intact.


Give Boeshield T9 a shot. WD40 can't whiz on the same sidewalk as T9 when it comes to preventing corrosion on metal components.
 
Heh heh I usually sneer at snake oil. Heck, I purposely buy store brand stuff because it doesn't support an advertising staff. But I have have fallen hook line and sinker for MMO. Believe me, it doesn't "scour". I totally get the Mystery. The wintergreen smell evokes nostalgic memories of liniment used on horses and humans. Salacyllic acid,aka aspirin, for cars. Smells trigger memories of when they were last smelt. 5-6 bucks for a qt of stuff that evokes nostalgia? I use it religiously in my OPE gas. Is the decline in carb trouble a coincidence? Thats another mystery I thin out out the 20w50 for the winter with a pint of it. Read the label. Used as directed, its harmless at worst.
 
FWIW, the Techron Fuel Injector Cleaner that is slightly cheaper than the PEA-laden Fuel System Cleaner has a <50% dose Stoddard solvent according to its MSDS (and is less than 10% PEA). The way those things are written is weird to me, the FIC is also <80% light distillates, so take your guess as to what the actual typical dose of Stoddard solvent is.
 
I have used MMO for many years and all the old time mechanics still use it..
I have used MMO on many engines that had stuck valves or lifters over the years and saved people thousands because of it..I won't argue with anyone about MMO because everyone has their own opinion about it. If you like it use it ..I do...If you don't like it don't use it.

I use it in my lawnmowers snowblowers and generator's gas tanks also and when the power went out last year i have the same generator installed on my house that my two neighbors have all installed around the same time mine automatically started up within a couple of minutes and theirs did not start , Period!
 
Yeah, it's odd - but many folks have not used it and never will ... Those of us that have been around for a while know what it's good for and reach for it when needed. I'm with you. Use it when it's needed, before tearing down an engine if you can help it
smile.gif
 
I use MMO in everything I own thats gas powered as I have a bulk tank that I mix it in. My carb/valve issues have all but disappeared.
 
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
I a thread over on iBoats, there was an ongoing discussion of a iffy engine. One of the posters said something about adding Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO). Got a rash of stuff back, but this was interesting:

MMO contains solvents such as such as kerosene, naphthalene, xylene, acetone or isopropanol. It always kills me that there's always people that think MMO (and other Snake-oils) are some kind of special double secret magic sauce that does something remarkable in an engine when added to either the oil or the fuel ...

Another poster responds:

Some years ago, MMO was added to fuel in an aircraft engine and the NTSB had the following to say about it at http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief2.asp?...02LA181&akey=1

According to the FAA inspector, the additive that was added to the fuel was Marvel Mystery Oil. An empty 1 gallon can of Marvel Mystery Oil was found in the operator's trash. Instructions found on the can stated that the correct ratio for mixing with fuel was 1 part additive to 100 parts fuel. The contents of Marvel Mystery Oil were 74 percent mineral oil, 25 percent stoddard solvent, and 1 percent lard.

Well OK, maybe you should not use MMO in an aircraft engine or aircraft fuel, but in an oil burner/beater, why not ...

The Stoddard Solvent will free stuff (
laugh.gif
), and the lard will be poor mans AutoRX (bio-oils), so that's cause to go get some all by itself. I think it's a bargain for what it does
smile.gif


I have used it on and off for decades on oil burners and rough running engines. About 75% of the time it'll help in one oil change interval.

I have moved on to BG109 and my fix in a can
smile.gif


But under some circumstances, I'd grab a can of MMO and go for it again
laugh.gif



IIRC that airplane issue was down to way too much MMO being added to the fuel (the link you provided doesn't work for me). I've never tried MMO so I can't speak to its efficacy but I don't think you can use that as an example of why not to use MMO. Any additive used in sufficiently high quantities is going to have negative effects.
 
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