marvel mystery oil??

[Jeanie]

Is it good? what's it good for?

I've been told that it's good to prevent sticky valves....

 

[jesse]

Is it good? what's it good for?

I've been told that it's good to prevent sticky valves....

It's what old people use because their dad used it. Nobody knows what it does, afterall, it's a mystery.

What we do know is that you shouldn't add a quart to each tank of gas else you get a NTSB report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020916X01610&ntsbno=NYC02LA181&akey=1

 

[Jeanie]

Good read. Thanks, Jesse.

 

[Bobcat1]

Is it good? what's it good for?

I've been told that it's good to prevent sticky valves....

I've seen it used for that on a Champ once.

 

[dmccormack]

A quart in a Champ tank??!?!



The more common use is a few ounces per tank.

I've had no valves stick. I've also had no water buffalo attacks.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Once upon a time, long long ago, I used to work in a building that also had the fuels and lubricants group for one of the larger U.S. based auto companies. One of the guys in that area had two file cabinets. One had a sign that said "good stuff" that basically had brand name motor oils next to the sign. The second had a sign that said "garbage, schlock" and had a collection of the additives you find in the wishful thinking isle at the local auto parts store. MMO was not on the first cabinet.

 

[dmccormack]

Once upon a time, long long ago, I used to work in a building that also had the fuels and lubricants group for one of the larger U.S. based auto companies. One of the guys in that area had two file cabinets. One had a sign that said "good stuff" that basically had brand name motor oils next to the sign. The second had a sign that said "garbage, schlock" and had a collection of the additives you find in the wishful thinking isle at the local auto parts store. MMO was not on the first cabinet.

I find your lack of faith disturbing....

 

[kyleb]

A quart in a Champ tank??!?!



The more common use is a few ounces per tank.

I've had no valves stick. I've also had no water buffalo attacks.

You use a quart if you're trying to eradicate mosquitos.

To cure cancer, you pretty much have to immerse yourself in the stuff.

 

[Tom-D]

My youngest kid designs and builds Spectrographic analyzers, (electron bombardment type) and I sent her a sample and asked what it was.

She said it was a light oil, red dye, and oil of wintergreen.

when added to the fuel tank it will in theory raise the BTU per pound of the fuel. dye it red, and add a very good penetrating oil.

When added to the oil tank, it will lower the viscosity of the oil in the tank, add a red dye, and add a very good penetrating oil.


Does it do any good? many say yes.
Does it do harm? The FAA says no.

 

[ScottM]

It is great with Diet Dr. Pepper.

I used it with my high mileage Jeep because my dad swore by the stuff. Who knows.

 

[Gary]

Is it good? what's it good for?

I've been told that it's good to prevent sticky valves....

It's pretty good at loosening rusty bolts.

Mostly a mid-grade base lubricating oil, mineral spirits and dichlorobenzene.

http://www.turtlewax.com/res/msds/MM010-4.pdf

Gary

 

[EppyGA]

We used it to CC the heads on the Legends Car.

 

[jesse]

I used it with my high mileage Jeep because my dad swore by the stuff. Who knows.

My point exactly.

 

[wanttaja]

I use it, and it works. Haven't found a single elephant in the hangar.

Actually, I *do* use it, on the advice of the old-tyme A&P who used to annual my airplane (and used it in his own small Continental).

Ron Wanttaja

 

[denverpilot]

For yet-another opinion, recent articles in the Cessna Pilot's Assn magazine say MMO is not that useful.

On the other hand, I know one person who swears by it in his O-200 powered C-150.

Bush however swears by CamGuard in his recent oil articles in the CPA magazine. But he also pushes straight mineral oil which doesn't have any additives.

Certain additives are probably useful in aviation. And straight weights in Denver can be problematic in winter, and you start needing to do oil changes by calendar month, not hours flown, as the weather changes happen in the Spring and Fall.

A multiple-viscosity oil (really a misnomer... The oil is one light viscosity, the additives make it behave differently when heated), really makes more sense in this climate.

Then add in (pun intended?!) the rumor that CamGuard is basically the additives already in AeroShell 15W50.

So, if you're a straight weight oil fan, you can get the benefit of those additives.

Adding more CamGuard to AeroShell's synthetic blends supposedly won't do all that much, other than increase the amount of additives that are already in the bottle.

Big shrug from here. Plenty of engines have made TBO and beyond with all types of oil, additives or none.

Flying 'em regularly, treating them right, changing the oil often-enough but not too often... Seems just fine.

Or as grandpa used to say, "Clean oil and filters are cheaper than a new engine."

 

[Anthony]

If MMO had anything worthwhile the oil companies would be putting it their oil. As Tom siad it lowers viscosity. Its basically a thinner and great for loosening bolts like Gary said.

MMO will not go in my gas tank nor in my oil sump, ever.

 

[pmanton]

It's also good for growing hair

Paul
N1431A
2AZ1

 

[ebacon]

But Brawdo has electrolytes.

 

[Steve Foley]

It's what old people use because their dad used it. Nobody knows what it does, afterall, it's a mystery.

What we do know is that you shouldn't add a quart to each tank of gas else you get a NTSB report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020916X01610&ntsbno=NYC02LA181&akey=1

• The pilot reported that the airplane had 3 fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 18 gallons.
• Instructions found on the can stated that the correct ratio for mixing with fuel was 1 part additive to 100 parts fuel
• the red color was from an additive placed in the fuel tank, at a rate of one quart for each refueling.

I don't think the MMO was the primary cause. The makers of MMO say the correct ration is 100 to 1. That would be a quart for a 25 gallon tank. This was a quart in an 18 gallon tank.

It sounds like the cause was a tired engine:

Examination of the engine revealed low compression on all cylinders, ranging from 44/80 to 5/80. Air bypass was noted on all exhaust valves

 

[SkyHog]

I don't think the MMO was the primary cause. The makers of MMO say the correct ration is 100 to 1. That would be a quart for a 25 gallon tank. This was a quart in an 18 gallon tank.

It sounds like the cause was a tired engine:

I think it would be 1 quart of MMO in 100 gallons of fuel....or 1/4 quart in 25 gallons. This is more than 4 times the recommended amount.

 

[tonycondon]

I think it would be 1 quart of MMO in 100 gallons of fuel....or 1/4 quart in 25 gallons. This is more than 4 times the recommended amount.

1 gallon MMO in 100 gallons of fuel would be the proper ratio, or 1 quart in 25 gallons.

 

[Witmo]

1 gallon MMO in 100 gallons of fuel would be the proper ratio, or 1 quart in 25 gallons.

MMO recommended rate is 4 ounces in 10 gallons of fuel or .4 ounces per gallon. 25 gallons of fuel would get 10 ounces of MMO. One quart (32 ounces) is over 3 times the recommended amount.

 

[tonycondon]

MMO recommended rate is 4 ounces in 10 gallons of fuel or .4 ounces per gallon. 25 gallons of fuel would get 10 ounces of MMO. One quart (32 ounces) is over 3 times the recommended amount.

i was going off the statement earlier that the proper ratio was 100:1

 

[Steve Foley]

MMO recommended rate is 4 ounces in 10 gallons of fuel or .4 ounces per gallon. 25 gallons of fuel would get 10 ounces of MMO. One quart (32 ounces) is over 3 times the recommended amount.

The 1:100 ration came from the NTSB report.

Instructions found on the can stated that the correct ratio for mixing with fuel was 1 part additive to 100 parts fuel

 

[Dan Thomas]

Mineral oil in gasoline reduces its resistance to detonation. I sure wouldn't put much MMO in a tank of fuel.
http://www.cmclinnovations.com/print/cmcl_user_story_07_knock.pdf

Dan

 

[Lawreston]

My 1979 Harley Davidson XLCH was designed to use leaded fuel. During the following years it got to a point that only Sunoco seemed to have leaded fuel. The HD dealership recommendation was to use a proper mixture of MMO. For that stylish but PITA 2.5 gal. "peanut tank" I would carry one of those 35mm plastic film containers filled with MMO. Though I sold the machine in 2002 it's still running for the current owner.

For my plane? I'm not messing with the 100LL in my tanks. Erring on the side of caution, I guess?

HR

 

[Palmpilot]

It's what old people use because their dad used it. Nobody knows what it does, afterall, it's a mystery.

What we do know is that you shouldn't add a quart to each tank of gas else you get a NTSB report:
http://www.ntsb.gov/aviationquery/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20020916X01610&ntsbno=NYC02LA181&akey=1

From the report:

"The Manager of Aerial Signs reported that he had told his pilots to not use Marvel Mystery Oil any more. In addition, he talked to the mechanics, and they had not added it and the pilot reported that he had not added it."
​

Sounds like it's a Mystery how the stuff got in the tank.

 

[Witmo]

The 1:100 ration came from the NTSB report.

Wouldn't be the first time an NTSB report had mistakes. A friend of mine had an accident in 2009. It took two years for the final report to be published and it was full of inaccuracies.

 

[RyanShort1]

Wouldn't be the first time an NTSB report had mistakes. A friend of mine had an accident in 2009. It took two years for the final report to be published and it was full of inaccuracies.

I reckon I know of what you speak. Not surprising.

Ryan