Marvel Mystery Oil - results were lacking

[sign216]

Oil change on a 25 yr old Tecumseh side valve snowblower engine.  Engine has splash lubrication, no oil pump.   As a change of pace I drained the oil, and refilled with only Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO).  I spun the engine over a few times by hand (spark plug disconnected) and then drained again.

The MMO was cloudy, but didn't have the 25 yrs worth of crud I was hoping to grab.  No visible particles.  A sidevalve burns a little dirty, and I was hoping the MMO would act as a solvent to pull debris out.

It didn't grab any more dirt than a regular oil drain would.

[oldbike54]

 Aren't you supposed to let it soak a bit ?

 Dusty

[sign216]

Aren't you supposed to let it soak a bit ?

 Dusty

More time might have helped, but on the other hand I was using pure MMO, which is above and beyond what their instructions call for (they say 20%, 1 qt out of 5).  And the engine was 25 yrs old, so there should have been stuff to bring out too. 

No judgement, just an observation.

[oldbike54]

More time might have helped, but on the other hand I was using pure MMO, which is above and beyond what their instructions call for (they say 20%, 1 qt out of 5).  And the engine was 25 yrs old, so there should have been stuff to bring out too. 

No judgement, just an observation.

 Not trying to be snarky , but the idea is to in fact mix it into the oil and run it for long enough to begin to work . Most solvents work that way , it takes time to loosen stuff up. Or maybe that old side valver wasn't too dirty .

 Dusty

[Triple Jim]

I'd try some straight mineral spirits instead of oil with some mineral spirits.

[twowings]

MMO needs to sit for awhile...

[Groover]

50/50 MMO and ATF was the concoction used in the R/C hobby field to loosen and prevent gumming in small engines.

[kevdog3019]

No dog in the fight here, but I'd mix with oil as Dusty suggests and run it awhile. I don't see how putting something in and taking it out is going to do much of anything. You need splash/heat/etc. to work gunk free I'd think.

[oldbike54]

No dog in the fight here, but I'd mix with oil as Dusty suggests and run it awhile. I don't see how putting something in and taking it out is going to do much of anything. You need splash/heat/etc. to work gunk free I'd think.

 The women folk are right , men can't read or follow instructions , or more accurately, WON'T do so 

 Dusty

[PJPR01]

On the same subject, a friend of mine has suggested actually putting a bit of Marvel Mystery oil into the gas tank every so often...about a quart of oil into a 20 gallon gas tank.

Anyone else do this in the past to clean out gunk in the injection systems of cars or motorcycles?

Thanks!

[sib]

Hey, I thought that religion, politics and oil are off limits here.

[sign216]

MMO needs to sit for awhile...

I'm going to try that at work.   Tell them I need to sit for a while, or nothing effective will happen.


But seriously, things that make solvents work better are time, concentration, and heat.
I had only 10 min of time, but 100% concentration. 

MMO's effectiveness is like a Rorschach test; you see what your mind says you see.
 

[oldbike54]

 Probably better than having 10% concentration 100% of the time 

 Dusty

[Triple Jim]

I completely disagree with the idea of putting something in the engine that will dissolve the sediment and sludge, and then running it for a while.  Either put a solvent in (mineral spirits would work much better than "Mystery Oil", going by the MSDS), slosh it around, and dump it out, or leave the sediment and sludge where it is.  I would not want an oil and sludge/dirt mix circulating around the inside of any engine I own.

The same thing is true with automatic transmissions.  You may have heard the recommendation for old ones that have never been serviced:  Leave it alone and keep running it, don't put in a cleaning additive, stir up all the gunk, and expect the transmission to come out better.

[alanp]

Not trying to be snarky , but the idea is to in fact mix it into the oil and run it for long enough to begin to work . Most solvents work that way , it takes time to loosen stuff up. Or maybe that old side valver wasn't too dirty .

 Dusty

I'm with Dusty on this one.  You should run it with the 20 % mixture and then let it sit for a few days.  Then run it again t pot warm it up and drain.  My brother is in a Model A Ford group and they all swear by the stuff for those old engines.  And from what I have seen, there is something to it, at least on old engines and your blower qualifies. 

[StuCorpe]

PJPRO1 - I don't think it was as high as a quart to 20 gallons. I had MMO injectors on two vehicles way back when (mid 1950's). This was an adapter plate at the base of the carburetor with a line back to a bottle (1 quart) of MMO. Had to refill the bottle about every 4 tanks of gas. The outlet of the bottle had some kind of valve in it (don't remember very well) that varied the output to the carb depending on speed and load. I haven't seen one of these devices since 1960. I worked at an auto parts store and we must have sold at least a hundred of them around this area. They were called Marvel Inverse Oilers and said to be for upper cylinder and valves.

[chuck peterson]

If all else fails, read directions...

[sign216]

I completely disagree with the idea of putting something in the engine that will dissolve the sediment and sludge, and then running it for a while.  Either put a solvent in (mineral spirits would work much better than "Mystery Oil", going by the MSDS), slosh it around, and dump it out, or leave the sediment and sludge where it is.  I would not want an oil and sludge/dirt mix circulating around the inside of any engine I own.

The same thing is true with automatic transmissions.  You may have heard the recommendation for old ones that have never been serviced:  Leave it alone and keep running it, don't put in a cleaning additive, stir up all the gunk, and expect the transmission to come out better.

I'm with Triple J on this. 

And...I see one legitimate use for MMO.  Adding it directly before an oil change.  The solvent thins out the oil so it drains out better.
Don't you often feel that you're only getting 80% of the dirty oil to come out?

[Lannis]

On the same subject, a friend of mine has suggested actually putting a bit of Marvel Mystery oil into the gas tank every so often...about a quart of oil into a 20 gallon gas tank.

Anyone else do this in the past to clean out gunk in the injection systems of cars or motorcycles?

Thanks!

That's what it's for.   You put some in the gas to help out the fuel system, and some in the oil to help out the oil system.

I do it whenever I have it on hand.   I've never scientifically evaluated whether it's helping or not, but I've always imagined it's helping and don't have any hard evidence to the contrary, so I'm going to keep on using it.

Just read the directions.   Anything with an old-fashioned label like that bottle has is BOUND to be good ....

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

That's what it's for.   You put some in the gas to help out the fuel system, and some in the oil to help out the oil system.

I do it whenever I have it on hand.   I've never scientifically evaluated whether it's helping or not, but I've always imagined it's helping and don't have any hard evidence to the contrary, so I'm going to keep on using it.

Just read the directions.   Anything with an old-fashioned label like that bottle has is BOUND to be good ....

Lannis

Yeah, if it costs money and makes claims, it must be good stuff.  Maybe it will help the cooling systems of liquid cooled bikes.  How about tires?  The MSDS is available online, in case you want to see what you're paying for.

[Lannis]

Yeah, if it costs money and makes claims, it must be good stuff.  Maybe it will help the cooling systems of liquid cooled bikes.  How about tires?  The MSDS is available online, in case you want to see what you're paying for.

AGIP oil used to come in such beautifully styled, smoke-colored bottles ... I'm really sad that ENI oil isn't packaged like that.   It MIGHT not be as good .... !

One of our well-known list members here with a shed-full of nice bikes keeps his fuel tanks full all the time with gas with a pint of kerosene per tank mixed in.   Never a problem with tank rust, bikes not starting, carbs clogging ...   MMO MIGHT be kerosene with some red dye and good-smelling stuff in it.   Works for Hoppe's #9 ....

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

As I said, you can see what's in it from the MSDS.  It's about 98% oil and "stoddard solvent" (AKA mineral spirits, AKA Varsol, AKA paint thinner)

It has a tiny amount of tricresyl phosphate, which I remember being implicated in engine damage in older 2-strokes when Shell put it in their gasoline back in the '70s.  Also a tiny bit of moth balls (paradichloro benzene and orthodichloro benzene)

https://www.turtlewax.com/docs/default-source/2015-msds/mm12r-50094-0315-sds

[oldbike54]

 Well , at least S 216 won't have a moth problem this summer 

 I never use any kind of additives , never had an oil or real gasoline related failure . However , if you must use additives , at least follow the instructions .

 Oh , wait , there were a couple of well used vehicles bought years ago that had a paraffin build up from running (redacted) ,made from Pennsylvania grade crude oil . Whatever that is , like it's better than Oklahoma oil 

 Dusty

[jacksonracingcomau]

PJPRO1 - I don't think it was as high as a quart to 20 gallons. I had MMO injectors on two vehicles way back when (mid 1950's). This was an adapter plate at the base of the carburetor with a line back to a bottle (1 quart) of MMO. Had to refill the bottle about every 4 tanks of gas. The outlet of the bottle had some kind of valve in it (don't remember very well) that varied the output to the carb depending on speed and load. I haven't seen one of these devices since 1960. I worked at an auto parts store and we must have sold at least a hundred of them around this area. They were called Marvel Inverse Oilers and said to be for upper cylinder and valves.

I had something similar but different brand, Redex I think, I do remember it had UCL for upper cylinder lubricant written on it, always thought it odd cos it was on a side valve, not much went on in the upper cylinder !.

But it looked good, nice plumbing. I'd have one on wall as garage ornament

[fotoguzzi]

no pics yet in this thread but I've got a YT.. listen to this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dv4EAfKLNXA

fixed it w/MMO.. I always thought it was snake oil but it really worked on the Olds.. stuck lifter?

[Sasquatch Jim]

 I would go with 50/50 Marvel misery oil and 20 weight.  Hook the plug back up and start it up.  Let it run under NO load until warm then shut off. let sit a couple days and run again until warm. (not hot)
 Drain it and refill with regular oil and you are good to go.
 Back in the sixties I knew a machinist who filled his old Jeep engine with kerosene and 20 % 10weight and ran it with no load for about a half hour at a faster than normal idle speed.  The then drained it and put in all 10 weight and ran it for another hour then drained it and refilled with his normal choice of driving oil.
 He had one clean oiengine.

[wirespokes]

ATF is highly detergent. Adding a qt before an oil change and running the engine for 15 minutes (when the engine is already warm) will clean things up a lot. ATF is somewhere between 10 and 20 weight.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Why attempt to loosen crud and or clean a  25 year old Tecumseh engine?

[sign216]

Why attempt to loosen crud and or clean a  25 year old Tecumseh engine?

Why?  Well I'm a fool. 
No, actually I've got a couple of bikes 25 to 50 yrs old, and the Tecumseh was a test.
The conventional wisdom is Not to use MMO on an old engine with an oil pump.  Thought is that any loosened crud might end up lodged in an oilway, blocking flow. 

Based on my results, that shouldn't be a worry, as it's not loosening much. 


But, MMO might have some value added to oil directly before an oil change, to thin it out and make sure all the old oil really leaves. 

[Lannis]

As I said, you can see what's in it from the MSDS.  It's about 98% oil and "stoddard solvent" (AKA mineral spirits, AKA Varsol, AKA paint thinner)

It has a tiny amount of tricresyl phosphate, which I remember being implicated in engine damage in older 2-strokes when Shell put it in their gasoline back in the '70s.  Also a tiny bit of moth balls (paradichloro benzene and orthodichloro benzene)

Sounds like a good mixture of arcane stuff.   No wonder things seem to work better and last longer with it ..... 

Lannis