Marvel Mystery Oil

[sherpa]

A friend gave me a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil? I remember it from the 1960's but I have never used it. Where do you use it and what is it good for?

 

[groundcover]

As grandma would say " Good for what ails ya "!
have a friend that straight gassed her blower, over heated and shut down. Mixed some marvel in with 2 stroke gas and she's using the blower to this day .

 

[DJ54]

I use it in all of my old garden tractor engines from the 50's, 60's & 70's that were designed to run on leaded gas. Just a cap full when it came in the metal quart cans added to the gas, it lubricates and prevents exhaust valves from sticking. I also add it to the oil for the same reason, and to help keep internals clean.

I first used it back in the 70's in a Ford 1 ton truck w/6 cylinder. I'd asked the machinist who worked the head for me about Stellite valves, and he suggested using MMO. he used it in his racing bike at the strip. He's the one that told me it's great for the older engines designed to run on leaded gas, and it's upper cylinder lubrication properties.

What really made a believer out of me was when a neighbor girl had an older big box store riding mower with a B&S vertical shaft engine would stop running after an hour or so in hot weather but start back up after it cooled down. She called wanting me to come fix it. I just assumed it was vapor locking but when I tried to start it. it turned over very fast like no compression. I pulled the small cover off at the base of the valves and saw the exhaust valve was stuck open. Came back home and got my can of MMO. By the time I got back, the valve had freed itself. Replaced the cover and added a good capful of MMO to the gas and told her to run it and call me if it does it again. She called me 3 hours later pretty happy it never stopped on her the rest of the day. She then got her own can and added to the gas before mowing and never had any problems with it for the next 4-5 years running it. She done flat wore the mower out after that amount of time, so replaced it.

I use it mainly in older single cylinder air cooled engines but will add it to oil in new to me small farm tractors I collect/use to help clean things up and lubricate the upper cylinders. Gotta' believe it helps to free up/clean piston rings too. Some claim using detergent oil in older engines that has only had non-detergent oil ran in them since new will plug up the return ports. I've never personally had that problem.

With newer engines today and oils out there on the market, don't know that I'd use it in them. But it is great for older engines pre-unleaded gas.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I still use MMO. I add a splash to my oil every oil change in my '97 Chevy p/u to keep the lifters happy.
Sometimes oil 'fixes' are still the best.

 

[Captain Dirty]

Bicycle chains, throttle cables, anywhere a light, lubricating oil is desired. It doesn't seem to attract as much dust and gum up as crankcase lube oils do.

 

[dodge man]

I have a can on the shelf but wouldn’t use it in an engine. I’m not a big fan of products that make a lot of claims. I bought it because I found a home made recipe for gun cleaner and oil and it was one of the ingredients. It works great for that.

 

[Hughman]

I used it to winterize an inboard boat engine.

 

[John0829]

I do not normally go for snake oil products and considered MMO as one BUT it is definitely not snake oil. I now add it to every storage can of gas I have. I use Eagle Safety cans for my gas storage, they seal tight and have no worries about leakage during transport that happened occasionally with plastic containers. I keep about 50 gallons of gas on hand for the tractors, mowers, etc. and before I started adding MMO the gas would go bad. I had used MMO in the past for sticky valves as mentioned and since I had some on the shelf, that was getting pretty long in the tooth, decided to add it to the storage cans. Mainly to get rid of it. Best move I have ever made, have not had a can of ethanol laced stuff they call gas go bad since. I NEVER, at the end of season/use, run the carbs dry and leave the tanks full and even after some of the engines set for a year with the tank of gas they fire easily and run smoothly.

As an added bonus, that surprised me, I added some to the tank of my old 1992 GMC K3500 flatbed with a 7.4L for some valve noise and noticed that the gas mileage seemed like it was up. I keep meticulous records on all my vehicles pertaining to every drop of gas or oil added to them and after several tests running tanks of gas with and without MMO added it happened every time that the mileage was up by 1 to 2 miles per gallon with the MMO added. Doesn't sound like much but going from 10 mpg to just over 12 on that truck makes a worthwhile difference to me.

 

[5030]

I use it for air tool oil, won't gunk up air motors and it's less expensive than IR air tool oil.

 

[Gator6x4]

I use 2 ounces of white bottle Power Service and 4 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in every 5 gallons of road diesel fuel That I use in my 4 pieces of diesel equipment.

 

[dodge man]

Don’t quote me on this but I have read that Stabil works by floating on top of gasoline and preventing air/moisture interacting with the fuel. I wonder if MMO works in the same manner.

 

[Gator6x4]

Don’t quote me on this but I have read that Stabil works by floating on top of gasoline and preventing air/moisture interacting with the fuel. I wonder if MMO works in the same manner.

To see how stabil or marvel mystery oil interacts with gasoline take a clear glass pint jar, fill it 3/4 full of gasoline than add either an ounce of Stabil or marvel mystery oil and see if you see any floating on the top of the gasoline. My guess is both will intermix with the gasoline.

 

[sherpa]

I use 2 ounces of white bottle Power Service and 4 ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in every 5 gallons of road diesel fuel That I use in my 4 pieces of diesel equipment.

I was wondering if MMO was good for diesel engines, thanks.

 

[sherpa]

This is all good information, I still have a few things I can use this can of MMO in, such as an older riding lawnmower, a couple old generators, my 3 diesel tractors plus cleaning my guns! Thanks.

 

[richied2003]

I definitely remember as a kid in the 1960s, my father had a construction company with heavy equipment, front end loaders, cable and hydraulic shovels, dump trucks etc, and distinctly remember his partner who was the mechanic using it. I still remember him saying it in his heavy Italian accent as I hung out in the garage on a Saturday. They used it in everything I think, but I was too young to know the details. Just thought it was a funny name for an oil. But like the testimonies here I’ve heard multiple people say it works. I’m gonna look for some, and now I wonder if Stabil is the same thing? It’s a similar color.

 

[Chris In Gallupville]

My old neighbor used it in his Ferguson TO 20 on the advice of the flat-out best mechanic Schoharie County has ever known…….”top cylinder lubrication.” I didn’t even know what in hell that meant but I knew enough to take advice from smart people so I started using it. Then another smart, careful, meticulous mechanic told me he used it for his air tools.

Now, I use it in my older 4 stroke gas tools (tiller, mower) and I’ve learned from this discussion that it might be good for my 2 stroke motors, too. I’ve got a lot of ‘em so starting today, they get a little kiss-good-night of MMO, too. I might even add a few ounces to wifey’s fancy German SUV (it could use any help for mileage it can get). I don’t think you’ll go wrong with MMO and if there’s a good chance to go right, do it.

Gun cleaning, too?? Who knew? I do. Now, at least. Carry on, All. Thanks for the info.

 

[JSanders10]

I've refinished several old (c.1880s) cast iron farm bells and used MMO to coat the cast iron pieces afterwards to inhibit rust. It works great. Just re-coat every 2-3 years.

 

[oldpilot]

Never used it myself, but there is a group of old-airplane buffs who swear by it:

That Marvelous Marvel Mystery Oil and other low-lead matters

Note the reference to "mogas" for old planes. I flew a Piper Cub that had been modified for automotive gasoline purchased at the terminal before alcohol was added. The engine sometimes quit at idle, including when coming in for a landing, which could really get the blood pumping. The flight instructors (who sat in the front seat) hated the smell of it, so the airport finally got rid of it and now has only 100 octane low-lead. I was sorry to see it go, because for a long time I would buy a couple gallons for my small (pre-alky) engines, lawnmower, snowblower, chainsaw.

 

[JONNY BOYYY]

A friend gave me a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil? I remember it from the 1960's but I have never used it. Where do you use it and what is it good for?

can unseize engines by squirting in spark plug holes or injector holes,, put a little in gas to refresh engine parts, remove head and pour it in the cylinders, squirt in engine of a old motor thats been sitting to prevent cracking rings when turning it over, and on and on ..its been around for decades

 

[scott_vt]

Good Morning Sherpa,
I think its a great product ! I use it in my old Wheel Horse C-125 single cylinder kohler garden tractor ! I also started using it in my 1930 Ford Model A every time I fuel it up !
I am impressed with its performance !

I am sure I will find other uses for it in the future !