Marvel Mystery Oil

[Paul Schooley]

Just wondering what exactly is in that stuff that makes it so special besides the red color. Anyone (yes, please mechanically inject some humor here) know for a fact what that stuff is besides plain ol oil????

[Chuck Miller]

Great question Paul...

Not sure ... but it seems to be the only 'snake oil' that really does do something ...

The consistency seems somewhere between fine sewing machine oil and ATF, but smells a little like toothpaste ...

I've put about a half a cup in the oil and gas about 4 times a year for the last 17 years ... It's been recommended by more then a couple of old mechanics...
And, it's what these mechanics put in the MFI pumps when they store them...

Go figure...

Cheers,

[jaudette3]

I went by my old shop today and they were doing an oil change in a Ferrari. The "special" Ferrari oil was $25.00 a quart. Smelled a little like olive oil -- must be virgin olive oil.

Someone mentioned something about 911's being pretentious. We are the poor folks from the wrong side of the tracks compared to Ferrari owners. Wouldn't trade places with them though.

John Audette

[Paul Schooley]

Sooooooo...if a guy had a 2.7L engine that sat in a car in a field for 10 years and when opening the engine lid found the intake manifolds full on the head with water, filling it with marvel mystery oil might help unseize everything inside?

[Chuck Miller]

Hey, it can't hurt...

Here's the problem as it's been explained to me...

The reason it's so important to start and run our cars regularly is that being a horizontal 'flat' motor, the lubrication settles to the bottom of the cylinders ....
The longer it sits the dryer top of the cylinders get, mix that with a little condensation, and the 'unlike' metals of the cylinders and rings, and you get a condition where the initial 'hand turnover' just might cause the rings to move on the bottom of the bore and stick on the dry top of the bore and snap...

Sorry, not much help Paul

[304065]

MMO was developed in 1923 and its exact formula remains a "mystery." However, I would guess that it includes a light viscosity mineral oil which lowers overall viscosity, some serious detergents to pull dirt into solution and some sort of octane booster to counter the effects of the first two when you add it to your gasoline.

[70SATMan]

Request a MSDS sheet on it. They are required to provide it if requested. Won't tell you the exact formula but, will list ingrediants.

[304065]

Good call, Michael! Through the magic of online MSDS:

Ingredient # 01
Ingredient Name BENZENE, 1,2-DICHLORO-
CAS Number 95501
Percent 0
Ingredient # 02
Ingredient Name MINERAL SPIRITS
CAS Number 8052413
Percent 0
Ingredient # 03
Ingredient Name NAPTHENIC HYDROCARBONS
CAS Number 64742525
Percent 0

[lkadams]

For my VW Vanagon (with a flat 4) MMM is the key to getting the hydraulic lifters to pump back up after it's been sitting for a long time. Half a liter in the crankcase, drive it for 500 km or so, then change the oil and they will be happy campers again. Dunno what's in it, but it's both mysterious and marvellous...

[Zeke]

Years ago I had a job pumping gas here in CA (hey, It old you it was years ago ). Gut comes in with a sticky lifter, tap tap tap......... Mechanic says put some MMO in it and if it doesn't stop in 5 minutes, I'll buy it for you. It was a safe bet, I gusee, 'cause it stopped.

On the engine that sat. I have purchased two so far that have sat and got water in them. Both had pretty good bottom ends and cam towers/chain boxes, but the heads were a disaster. And, on both, a couple of cyls were etched by rust on the bottom side so as to be useless (one biral and the other CI). I wouldn't attempt to revive that motor unless you don't care.