Marvel Mystery Oil

[graygun]

What is it composed of? Is it just just automatic transmission fluid that smells better (as I was once informed) ?

 

[Chuckbuster II]

Predates most Automatic Tranny's I believe (1923)

 

[sfhogman]

74% mineral oil, 24% stoddard solvent and 1% lard.
Mmmmm....lard. Just what I wanna use for a top oil in my Triumph.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Mystery_Oil

Jeff

 

[Rick Courtright]

74% mineral oil, 24% stoddard solvent and 1% lard.
Mmmmm....lard. Just what I wanna use for a top oil in my Triumph.....

Hi,

Jeff, you might be safe after all:

From the MSDS for MMO, it's a secret mixture of Naphthenic Hydrocarbons, CAS No. 64742-52-5, 70 – 80%
Mineral Spirits, CAS No. 08052-41-3, 20 – 30% and Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, CAS No. 00095-50-1, 0 – 1%.

Whatever it is, from both personal and anecdotal experience, it's a pretty good solvent, in both fuel and lubricating systems! And the exhaust never smelled like ribs on the barbie, or bacon, either!

Rick C

 

[737tdi]

Well, just going by the name it is a "Mystery". Just kidding, I have heard of and seen multiple uses for this stuff but me being a bit more anal I try to find lubricants/solvents/??? that are more aimed at exactly what I want a product to accomplish. I.E. If I want a additive for diesel I buy that product. If I want a cleaner, I buy a product designed to clean that application. If I want a penetrant I use KroilOil.

I guess it is kind of like "SeaFoam", some people swear by the stuff and I have used it but with varying results.

Sorry for the diatribe, just hate seeing folks destroy a perfectly good mechanical device because someone told them that "it will work great". JMO.

Karl

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Well hears my story and I'm sticking with it.
I bought a plane that had low compression due to setting. I added a couple quarts to a 8 quart sump and ran the engine hard for 25 hours. The compression came up to what it was new.
I sold the plane and that engine ran to 3000+- hours which is 1000 past recommended overhaul. And no the eng does not have to be overhauled at the recommended time unless you are Part 135 :wink:
Don't know if it was the MMO but IMOH it is great stuff.

 

[Big Rack]

I don't have a clue what's in it but I had a old Chev. van with 6 cyl. at who knows how many miles a intake valve stuck open, figured what the heck followed directions and added to the gas few miles later it released added some every 2-3 fills after for a couple of years.
Convinced me to run it and a octane booster in my Moto Guzzi 850T based on adjustments no valve seat recession.

 

[sfhogman]

Same thing with a friend of mine with a J3 Cub. I have no doubt it helped free the rings and maybe a stuck valve. He left it in the combustion chambers and engine oil for over a week before even moving the prop on the old girl...drained it, added fresh oil and she started on the first pull with little or no smoke. This after over a year in the hangar.

His story and I'm sticking to it!

Jeff

 

[any ruger]

Been using Marvel soaked rag to wipe down my guns for 25 - 30 years never had a problem.. I also like the smell!!!

 

[any ruger]

One more story . When I. Was in Vo tech we got a snowblower from a gov't grant from a Air Force base I think Grand Forks . The blower engine would not turn . I believe it was a Hall Scott gas engine. We pulled the plugs and dumped Marvel oil in the cylinders , online six . It sat for a month . We got it started and used all winter to clear the school parking lot to clear snow . Next year we got a gov' t surplus 6- 71 GM and put that in. The Hibbing airport used it for many years to clear snow.

 

[RugerHound]

Good stuff... I'd put it on my salad if I could eat it.

Great top end lube

Great anti-knock agent to slow down combustion

Fabulous stuff!

 

[Mobuck]

Daughter-in-law's Mustang had a serious problem of carbon in/on the throttle plate and intake. A regular dose of MMO has kept it carbon free for 2 years. My 98 K3500 has a problem with carbon on the throttle plate-again, a regular dose of MMO keeps it trouble free.
I'm not saying it's magic but if your problem requires a solvent based fuel treatment, MMO works fine.
BTW, No way am I putting this stuff in my oil.

 

[737tdi]

Well hears my story and I'm sticking with it.
I bought a plane that had low compression due to setting. I added a couple quarts to a 8 quart sump and ran the engine hard for 25 hours. The compression came up to what it was new.
I sold the plane and that engine ran to 3000+- hours which is 1000 past recommended overhaul. And no the eng does not have to be overhauled at the recommended time unless you are Part 135 :wink:
Don't know if it was the MMO but IMOH it is great stuff.

Jim, aren't you the one that chastised me for using a multi-tool to do some maintenance a few months ago? Is this not along the same lines :lol: ? I believe you said something like "proper tool for the job"? I am not disagreeing with you at all, it is a great lubricant/solvent, I just don't believe it is the greatest thing ever invented. People swear by WD40 but IMO there are just much better products out there. Whether it be for penetrant, lubrication or long term preservation.

I'm not picking on anyone here because it is a good product. There are just better directed products for singular applications. An example, the US Navy uses one grease to lube the catapults on aircraft carriers. They don't just grab any tube of grease, what they use is proven and it works. Same with commercial aviation, we use specific types of grease and oils for specific applications. We just don't throw a random grease on the flap tracks, or a random grease in/on the landing gear. We use a directed application lubricant.

Anyway, yes I went a little in depth but my point is, use the correct lubricant on your firearms or the may let you down. More with the AR15 and clones they may not cycle correctly, I have seen more failures to feed and failures to extract due to improper lubrication, same with some semi-auto handguns. JMO.

Karl

 

[Don Lovel]

My favorite gun cleaning and parts lubricating oil. Each of our vehicles gets a small bottle of it in the fuel tank right before cold weather, I always put it in my stored fuel instead of Stabil

 

[hesco]

My favorite gun cleaning and parts lubricating oil. Each of our vehicles gets a small bottle of it in the fuel tank right before cold weather, I always put it in my stored fuel instead of Stabil

Does it work better than stabil? Stabil doesn't work for me gas goes stale in a few months.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

But Karl I did use the correct tool for the job. You didn't That is one of the things MMO is made for. Gets rid of carbon and frees rings. Aircraft oil doesn't do to good of a job at that. :wink: I got a check for 6 new cylinders from Mobil Oil because I used their Aircraft Mobil 1. Yea the right tool

 

[graygun]

But Karl I did use the correct tool for the job. You didn't That is one of the things MMO is made for. Gets rid of carbon and frees rings. Aircraft oil doesn't do to good of a job at that. :wink: I got a check for 6 new cylinders from Mobil Oil because I used their Aircraft Mobil 1. Yea the right tool

The Mobil 1 trashed that engine?

 

[graygun]

I used it for the first time in the 1980 C-10 six recently because of noisy lifters...seems a little less noisy. I might replace them sometime. I have a old Onan 16hp and some old outboards that may get some MMO.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

But Karl I did use the correct tool for the job. You didn't That is one of the things MMO is made for. Gets rid of carbon and frees rings. Aircraft oil doesn't do to good of a job at that. :wink: I got a check for 6 new cylinders from Mobil Oil because I used their Aircraft Mobil 1. Yea the right tool

The Mobil 1 trashed that engine?

Yep sure did. Mobil Oil got out of the Aircraft Synthetic oil business because of it. It basically allowed sludge to build rather than clean it out. Cost them millions in eng overhauls :wink:

 

[Colonialgirl]

When I use to do Automotive paint touch-ups, I knew a couple of auto Wholesalers that SWORE by MMO to make "IFFY" engines perk right up.

 

[flyingron]

74% mineral oil, 24% stoddard solvent and 1% lard.
Mmmmm....lard. Just what I wanna use for a top oil in my Triumph.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Mystery_Oil

Jeff

Don't forget a small amount of wintergreen to give it the minty fresh scent.

 

[Bucks Owin]

I use it in fuel. Seems to keep injecters clean. My 350K mile Cherokee was idling rough, MMO in the gas smoothed that out in one day!

fwiw...

 

[Bull Barrel]

Big Rack, Guzzis require yak fat to run right.
Octane booster isn't needed in them. That is if the timing is set right and the advance weight springs aren't broken.

 

[ronto]

I love the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil in the morning! It kept my first car a '53 Chevy "cast iron wonder" running for years.

 

[graygun]

I love the smell of Marvel Mystery Oil in the morning! It kept my first car a '53 Chevy "cast iron wonder" running for years.

Does it smell like victory?

 

[Phoenix too]

Those who might have had a friend (always a friend, LOL) who stuck a Judson supercharger on their whatever it was - remember the ad? "Supercharged?" "Judson."

I can't speak for all, but a party I knew stuck one on his bug. There was a jug into which one was to put MMO so the poor thing would hold together. He did, and it did, for awhile...