Marvel Mystery Oil???

[austinsailor]

I'd most certainly change the oil and filter. Even if it looks good on the dipstick, it's been settling for years. There may be water at the bottom of the pan and you'd never know. Condensation could have left a lot in the bottom and it won't show on the stick.

[Bingster]

Good point. Thanks.

[newwife]

Since this started with the Marvel Mystery Oil, I'll add my two cents. I have used it several times to add in thru the sparkplug holes to soak the pistons before manually turning/freeing an unknown engine.  I bought the plastic, approx 1 qt bottle. A year later I picked up the bottle to use some and the cracked and fell apart. This was stored inside the garage in sunny California. I like the stuff but they need a different bottle.

[Bingster]

How did it work on the cylinders?

[newwife]

worked great. I just put some in a 218 and let sis overnight.  This engine had been left outside for 20 years according to the owner. Turned over very easily. I am not sure it wouldn't turn without the marvel because I didn't try it. but this engine was pretty rusty and crusty.  I had to cut half the head bolts off because their heads were rusted to half their size. 

[Bingster]

Nice testimony for MMO.

[mrwrstory]

​This a bit OT but for those interested in motor oil chemistry as might apply to your old engine, check this link.  It goes on & on & on but are some nuggets about zinc and "seal swelling".  May be of interest to some.  

http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-tech-performance/3078239-quaker-state-s-new-defy-motor-oil-lab-test-and-wear-test-data.html

Edited May 23, 2016 by mrwrstory

[Geekay]

Having read quite a few recommendations I have bought some Marvel mystery Oil. Could not find it in Oz so bought it on line from US.

When a went to use it I discovered the bottle has no instructions on how to use it. Just says " Add to gas and oil".

No where on the bottle does it say what dilution e.g one bottle of 16 fl oz to 10 gallons or similar.

Surely I do not pout it neat down each cylinder?

I assumed a bottle goes into a full tank but how many gallons in a "usual" full tank?

And Oil? Why would you add it to oil? Is that US for Diesel?

The bottle has written on the front "Vea Atras Para Espanol". Why is there Spanish on the bottle? Is that where it is now made or are there a lot of Spanish only speaking Americans that use it?

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

not much of a testimony that a lubrication product will allow the container it is in to dry and crack.....but then, so does the Meguiars polish bottle...

 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Plymouthy Adams

[Jerry Roberts]

Here is what it says on my bottle of MMO  ;   When you do an oil change put in 20 % MMO . when you fill your gas tank put in 4 oz . for a 10 gallon tank .   I don't put  anywhere near that amount in my vehicle . 

[ptwothree]

Rislone is another product that I used many years ago to free a stuck intake valve.  It was stuck open with lots of popping back thru the carb.  Engine had sat idle for many years.  

Got the engine running at 1500 rpm and slowly poured the Rislone into the carb eventually stalling it out with the last 1/3 of the bottle.  Fired it up the next day, someone thought the house was on fire and called the Fire Department!.  Would probably be doing hard time if did that today....BUT it was worth it as that thing ran great.

Awwwww.......the good 'ol days!

[linus6948]

I use Sea Foam that I`m told was developed by the inventor of MMO, legend has it he sold his formula for MMO and got involved with boats and developed Sea Foam. They have a motor treatment and a tranny treatment, I understand the difference between the two is the concentration of ingredients, supposedly the same formula but the tranny tune is stronger. 

I buy the engine treatment by the gallon when it goes on sale and use it in the fuel of all our vehicles, it extends the life of the fuel and keeps fuel injectors clean. It will also do a fine job on cleaning gunk out of an engine, I add 8 ounces to the crankcase and drive for 10-15 miles or so and then dump the oil, it does an amazing job.

[rallyace]

In response to the sealing of welch plugs...clean the surface in the block until you don't think it can get any cleaner and then clean it again. I use a small wire brush on a die grinder but a brush in your drill works just as well. Once clean you can spray with brake cleaner to remove any oily residues. I take a piee of steel wool and polish the sealing surfaces of the welch plug and clean with brake cleaner too. I use aircraft shellac gasket sealer on the mating surfaces and then install making sure they are well dimpled. Knock on wood, I have never had a leaker using this method.  As far as MMO, the stuff scares me on a bypass filter engine. There are far too many nooks and crannies for sludge to build up and the MMO will break the deposits free. Stay with non-detergent oil until you can do a full rebuild and get the block boiled out and magnafluxed. Once you know you have a clean, crack free block you can use modern detergent oils.  FWIW, a detergent oil does not 'clean' it holds the contaminents in suspension. The earliest detergent oils were called suspension oils but the name was quickly changed to detergent oil by recommendation of the API as it lead to confusion at to its purpose. Some eople thought it was for oiling suspensions

[meadowbrook]

I know this is one of those topics that has many opinions, but I will share what I experienced.

1- I got my 1950 Dodge Meadowbrook with the original 230 with 70,000 miles after it sat for 12 years. I initially heard about the detergent vs non detergent oil thing about loosening sludge and ruining the engine. That makes sense, so I ran it for a couple of years. Then I realized that by the 1960s, detergents started to be used on oils and since this car was used all the way till about 1995, I suppose it had used standard available oil since most folks don't know about this concern. So I pulled the pan, cleaned it (it was not that sludgy), and started to use Valvoline VR1 20W50. It has the zinc and is readily available. That was 2 years ago. No issues so far.

2- On the issue that the detergent oil keeps the dirt in suspension so the bypass filtered 230 will pump this through out the engine, damaging it, I am a bit skeptical because I am also an air cooled VW fan and they never had an oil filter and use detergent oils without issue. At least my 1965 VW has the original engine and it still runs great.