Marvel Classic Motor Oil

[jason78613]

Newbie here, just bought a 1938 Ford Standard and runs great. I'd like to keep it that way. I've seen some posts touting Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO), which I will start incorporating, but has anyone tried using their Marvel Classic Motor Oil, specially formulated for classic cars? Looks like it may be a new product as I can't find much info on it.

https://www.marvelmysteryoil.com/pro...sic-motor-oil/

[drolston]

It is probably a really good product for old flatheads, with increased zinc for our flat tappet cams, and detergents to prevent sludge build up. But at $9.00 per quart, plus shipping, it is a little expensive. My solution is to use one quart of Valvoline TR1 racing oil for the zinc, and four quarts of any other good oil for the detergent and other additives.

I put about half a pint of MMO in the gas at each refill to keep those valves from sticking. Which they absolutely will do.

[alanwoodieman]

Kendal 20w50 or valvoline 20w50, put mmo in gas tank according to directions

[39portlander]

Originally Posted by alanwoodieman

Kendal 20w50 or valvoline 20w50, put mmo in gas tank according to directions

"a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down", on my "non modern" vehicles and yard equipment I add several tablespoons of MMO on every fill up. Big Blue my 77 F150 and the 39 seem to also like the 20-50, it good stuff.

MMO does it help? well.... it make me fell good

[VeryTangled]

Originally Posted by 39portlander

MMO does it help? well.... it make me fell good

Put me down for another one who uses it in the fuel tank. But I honestly believe it's snake oil and I feel like a rube for doing it.

[mfirth]

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I knew a guy who worked for Delta airlines....they used MMO in all of their ground vehicles.

[51 MERC-CT]

Just wonder how many millions of vehicles never used MMO and never had problems either real or imaginary.

[Jacques1960]

In addition to the above uses, real or imagined, its minty freshness also makes a solid case for use as a beard conditioner.

[alanwoodieman]

ever had a stuck valve in a flathead? if you did you would swear by MMO! if it is snake oil, but be a good snake

[Charlie ny]

Shell Rotella 20-40....sourced at Walmart + a swig of MMO.
Charlie ny

[Tim Ayers]

Seriously asking: Is MMO the same thing as ATF? Smells and looks the same. I put a splash of cheap ATF in all my lawnmowers a few times a season. Never had issues with these little flatheads since doing this.

[JSeery]

Tim, not sure it is the same, but it is most likely similar. It is not magic, it is just a lubricant.

[Jacques1960]

I believe MMO has its roots as a sewing machine oil, but not sure. Like others, I add this to fuel (non ethanol) along with some synthetic lead (which I understand is not necessary, but old habits are hard to break).

[Ron Pilger]

Call me a believer. MMO worked to loosen up stuck valves in a 36 Ford LB engine parked for thirty years. I add 5 ounces at every oil change to my high-mileage 2008 GMC Sierra pick-up and there is a very noticeable difference in valve train noise. I add a couple of capfuls to every small lawn and garden equipment engine, both 2 and 4 cycle. Snowmobiles and Honda minibikes, too. No carb issues, whatsoever.

[tubman]

I found some Marvel Mystery Oil at the local Dollar General. I looked the bottles over good to make sure it was the real thing and had not passed the expiration date (there was none). I bought all 6 pint bottles they had for $3 each. I used one to add some to the gas and oil in my '51. The original seal was intact. I have run into factory sealed cans of Sea Foam there for the same price in the past.

I wonder what's up?

[Jacques1960]

Seafoam - now there's a product that can bring even a two stroke outboard back from the dead

[Charlie ny]

MMO not magic ? I have some really old MMO my dad bought a long time ago....he passed in '56....A tin can of it and a glass bottle of it. The magic in this case is he touched the containers. Dad explained MMO is very viscous and seeps into places other
lubes cannot......MMO, it's a cult thing I guess.
Charlie ny

[34PKUP]

Originally Posted by tubman

I found some Marvel Mystery Oil at the local Dollar General. I looked the bottles over good to make sure it was the real thing and had not passed the expiration date (there was none). I bought all 6 pint bottles they had for $3 each. I used one to add some to the gas and oil in my '51. The original seal was intact. I have run into factory sealed cans of Sea Foam there for the same price in the past.

I wonder what's up?

Walmart has it in 1 gal. containers for $15.87, that's about 33% less than $3 per pint.

[JSeery]

Originally Posted by Charlie ny

MMO not magic ? I have some really old MMO my dad bought a long time ago....he passed in '56....A tin can of it and a glass bottle of it. The magic in this case is he touched the containers. Dad explained MMO is very viscous and seeps into places other
lubes cannot......MMO, it's a cult thing I guess.
Charlie ny

Very good explanation! I guess it is magic!!!

[Krylon32]

Back in the old days when I farmed we had several propane irrigation engines and they all had MMO overhead oilers that were vacuum operated and injected MMO into the propane that we kept full of MMO to stop sticky valves. Seemed to work?

[Jeff/Illinois]

I'm a firm believer in MMO in the gas tank, use it in all of our old Fords. I never used it until I stuck a valve in the Flathead, and MMO brought it back plus the engine ran a lot smoother. Today's gasolines are very dry, they don't lubricate like gasoline did years ago.

Good stuff. Also Kendall GT-1 20W50. It has ZDDP if that is your concern, otherwise you can buy a bottle of ZDDP from any old car parts supplier and dump it in with your favorite motor oil at oil change time.

Two older guys that had a real old Skelly service station next door to me as I was growing up, and these guys were mechanics from the 1920's thru 1970 when they retired, at this same service station that had old pumps out front, SWORE by Pyroil gas and oil additives. They used it in all of their customer's cars I think the yellow can (they were about the size of a tomato juice can) was for motor oil and the green can was for the gas tank.

I haven't seen that stuff for at least 50 years I think it came out of Wisconsin.

[rotorwrench]

The stuff is a mix of plain mineral oil and a solvent. If you smell a whiff of it, you can detect the solvent odor. This stuff's claim to fame is simply how it reacts with hard carbon deposits. It takes it a little while but it will soften hard carbon to the point that it will not longer hold a bind between a valve stem and a guide. This is what it was made for and it is still used to this day on engines that had problems with sticking valves for one reason or another.

It was popular in general aviation for all the owners that had the small Continental engines of the 4-cylinder air cooled variety from the A65 through the O-200 series as well as several others. They loved to stick valves and the MMO was the cat's meow to get them to stop and it still is.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by 34PKUP

Walmart has it in 1 gal. containers for $15.87, that's about 33% less than $3 per pint.

Gallons are a little unwieldly to handle. Maybe I should have kept the old pint bottles and repackaged it.

[tubman]

It is my understanding that any motor oil that has a "50" in it's viscosity (e.g. 20W50 mentioned above) has adequate zinc in it. When I was racing my dirt car with the hemi, I used Mobil 1 15W50 that had 1200-1300 ppm zinc, just like the bad old days.

I will admit I haven't checked lately.

[r_reed]

i'm a believer. had two stuck valves that made a big clatter. soaked in MMO, burned it off, as i drove away in a cloud of smoke the clatter went away. been doing 4 oz per 10 gallons ever since , 8 years?, no recurrence. and yes, it smells good.

[Floyd]

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Rotorwrench is the prize winner for today!
With just a wee bit of chemistry background, I am always skeptical of any snake oil type products. However there are a few that are good and have been proven over many decades. One of which is MMO. Think back to the real old days when motor oil was poorly refined (lots of long chain molecules) and cold running conditions ( moisture in the oil) and you got sludge in the bottom and carbon buildup in the top. Fuel from even worse with lots of Sulphur.
MMO is made up of light oil, mineral sprits and versions of dichlorobenzene which is the main solvent which is known for softening carbon deposits and releasing them from metal surfaces. A form of boron is included as a detergent ( think ole timey Borax). The oil of wintergreen (the smell you get from MMO ) is Methyl salicylate and among many uses has properties of a penetrating oil and releasing corrosion on metallic surfaces. Put it all together with a colorful dye and you get a very useful product . A more modern product for today's fuel injection engines and especially DFI engines is the carbon cleaning solvent from Lubrizol which is the material marketed as Techron , a very good product.
MMO is still a good product for many applications. It does work and does no harm.

[MGG]

Add me to the list of believers. It freed up valves in three of my engines. (Two Ford flathead V-8s and a Case tractor).

[40 Deluxe]

[QUOTE=drolston;1941661]It is probably a really good product for old flatheads, with increased zinc for our flat tappet cams, and detergents to prevent sludge build up. But at $9.00 per quart, plus shipping, it is a little expensive. My solution is to use one quart of Valvoline TR1 racing oil for the zinc, and four quarts of any other good oil for the detergent and other additives.

Almost all modern oils still have some zinc, more than enough for a flathead (unless you have a top dollar race engine with extremely high valve spring pressure). Some of the very newest, like GF-6 or 7, may not be, but most oil ratings require backward compatibility. We don't want these newest oils anyway, because they have a viscosity rating in the range of 0W-16.
Any oil sold at Wal-Mart or anywhere else will work just fine in any street flathead, even one with a mild performance camshaft. I've noticed lately that non-detergent oils are labeled "not for use in engines" and are often labeled as "compressor oil".

[40 Deluxe]

---

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by tubman

Gallons are a little unwieldly to handle. Maybe I should have kept the old pint bottles and repackaged it.

I buy it by the gallon and fill an MMO quart bottle as I use it, from the quart bottle

[Jeff/Illinois]

Originally Posted by tubman

It is my understanding that any motor oil that has a "50" in it's viscosity (e.g. 20W50 mentioned above) has adequate zinc in it. When I was racing my dirt car with the hemi, I used Mobil 1 15W50 that had 1200-1300 ppm zinc, just like the bad old days.

I will admit I haven't checked lately.

Never knew that

[RKS.PA]

Got so motivated by this thread, I just got back from garage after putting 4oz. of MMO in the '47 tank!!!

[Pete]

I use Marvel Mystery Oil in my shop air tool line oilers. Keeps the air tools lubed and does not eat out the flex lines.
I had an old uncle that used to put one drop on his scrambled eggs. Said he liked the smell and it kept him regular..
I wouldnt use it in any automotive application.

[Jack E/NJ]

RKS>>>Got so motivated by this thread, I just got back from garage after putting 4oz. of MMO in the '47 tank!!!>>>


Wow. 4 ozs! That's a whole 0.2% if the tank was full. You musta been really motivated. 8^) Jack E/NJ

[flatford8]

I pour it out of a gallon jug into an unmarked container I carry in my trunk. When I’m filling up at the gas station people ask “What’s that your pouring in your tank?”....I tell ‘em it’s my grand ma’s arthritis tonic.....”want a swallow?”..... nobodys taken me up on it yet.....but yes, I ad some every fill up.......Mark

[JeffB2]

Interesting videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tROrnSQX7NY This guy has done all sorts of tests on motor oils and additives so I asked him what he thought about MMO preventing Ethanol Damage in older cars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX-h62PUu0o As you can see in the pictures here: https://www.google.com/search?q=etha...w=1343&bih=648 I'll post an update when I hear back from him.

[paul2748]

Based on what I saw written by a noted YBlock engine builder, any oil with a "30" or more in it has enough zinc. He uses Valvoline 10-30 conventional in most of the engines he builds. No supplement other than for break in..

Originally Posted by tubman

It is my understanding that any motor oil that has a "50" in it's viscosity (e.g. 20W50 mentioned above) has adequate zinc in it. When I was racing my dirt car with the hemi, I used Mobil 1 15W50 that had 1200-1300 ppm zinc, just like the bad old days.

I will admit I haven't checked lately.

[flatjack9]

Count me as a non-believer. I built my engine about 25 years ago and have many miles on it. Like 60,000 or so. Never has see a drop of MMO and I use 10W- 30 oil.

[GB SISSON]

I recently placed a 210 cu in cummins 6 cyl turbo diesel into my '47 tonner. When it was on the run stand I filled the 1 qt fuel tank with various 'fuels' just for fun. It ran great on diesel, loved peanut oil, but it ran and started best and idled super smooth with no smoke at all on 100% MMO. Yes, I run a few ounces in my flathead's gas tanks. (And the tonner's)

[RKS.PA]

Originally Posted by Jack E/NJ

RKS>>>Got so motivated by this thread, I just got back from garage after putting 4oz. of MMO in the '47 tank!!!>>>


Wow. 4 ozs! That's a whole 0.2% if the tank was full. You musta been really motivated. 8^) Jack E/NJ

Yup, Jack, the directions on the gallon jug say 4oz. for each 10 gallons of gas. That's about what I have in my tank now. Don't want to get to "radical" or "motivated" with these things like Pete's old uncle above who put it on his scrambled eggs!!

[corvette8n]

I think I have a sticky valve, can I slowly dump a little mmo down the carb at at about 1500rpm, or would it be better to just put it in the tank?

[5851a]

Originally Posted by Floyd

Rotorwrench is the prize winner for today!
With just a wee bit of chemistry background, I am always skeptical of any snake oil type products. However there are a few that are good and have been proven over many decades. One of which is MMO. Think back to the real old days when motor oil was poorly refined (lots of long chain molecules) and cold running conditions ( moisture in the oil) and you got sludge in the bottom and carbon buildup in the top. Fuel from even worse with lots of Sulphur.
MMO is made up of light oil, mineral sprits and versions of dichlorobenzene which is the main solvent which is known for softening carbon deposits and releasing them from metal surfaces. A form of boron is included as a detergent ( think ole timey Borax). The oil of wintergreen (the smell you get from MMO ) is Methyl salicylate and among many uses has properties of a penetrating oil and releasing corrosion on metallic surfaces. Put it all together with a colorful dye and you get a very useful product . A more modern product for today's fuel injection engines and especially DFI engines is the carbon cleaning solvent from Lubrizol which is the material marketed as Techron , a very good product.
MMO is still a good product for many applications. It does work and does no harm.

That Techron can sometimes free up a resistance type fuel sender after a couple of cans.

[Zeke3]

Originally Posted by corvette8n

I think I have a sticky valve, can I slowly dump a little mmo down the carb at at about 1500rpm, or would it be better to just put it in the tank?

I would do both for a sticky valve, down the carb for immediate application to the problem valve and in the tank for preventative measure.

[Tim Ayers]

MMO seems like a wonder product. Any chance we could start a clinical trial to see if it fixes COVID?

[Pdstark]

How would a person know if he had a sticky valve?

[Holeshot]

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Originally Posted by pdstark

how would a person know if he had a sticky valve?

Lol

[Holeshot]

Originally Posted by flatjack9

Count me as a non-believer. I built my engine about 25 years ago and have many miles on it. Like 60,000 or so. Never has see a drop of MMO and I use 10W- 30 oil.

This.

But like the song says "If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad."

[Floyd]

Pdstark asks a real question. A valve, either intake or exhaust, will open because the cam shaft is going to push it up with solid force. The valve has no choice in this part of the operation. However when it comes time to close, only the spring force is involved in this action. Therefore if the valve is not moving freely in the guide, it may stick and close slowly or not close all the way. Now we have a situation of a valve that is slightly open at the wrong time. rough running, backfire , popping in exhaust can all happen depending on which valve is misbehaving . Many times it is intermittent ( always the most fun problem to chase down) and clear up depending on running conditions.
I will leave the discussion to those who have lots of experience in sticking valves, their symptoms and analysis.

[Jack E/NJ]

flatjack9>>>Count me as a non-believer. I built my engine about 25 years ago and have many miles on it. Like 60,000 or so. Never has see a drop of MMO and I use 10W- 30 oil.>>>




My scrambled eggs have never seen a drop of MMO for regularity either. But that doesn't mean I'm a non-believer. 8^) Jack E/NJ

[Phil Gillespie]

Here down under we are at a tremendous disadvantage. We do not have any MMO outlets
Often wondered why it cant be sourced here. Tried once to have it sent from USA but not able due to restrictions.
also have survived so far without it. just thought as an additive could be of use.
Phil NZ

[Ron Pilger]

if only something this Marvel-ous could be brewed up for sticky heart valves!

[Pdstark]

Thanks Floyd, much appreciated!

[Jack E/NJ]

PG>>>We do not have any MMO outlets>>>


https://www.u-buy.co.nz/search/index...dp?ref_p=dp-rp



https://www.u-buy.co.nz/search/index...ust/store/used


Seems pretty expensive. Probably due to environment police protection.



Jack E/NJ

[paul2748]

59 for a pint, 61 for a gallon ?????

[GB SISSON]

Funny, and I'm there with so many of you but this thread was started about a Motor Oil, not an additive. I had never heard of the motor oil that Marvel has introduced until this thread came out. I can fully see how something slippery added to today's gasoline (or oil) can help out with our vintage valve in block engines. Sometimes I add 2 stroke oil which is designed to be used in a combustion chamber to keep things oily. Today's low sulphur 'on road' diesel suffers from some of the same things. If this new Marvel motor oil is indeed superior I can see running it in my unfiltered woodie and panel truck. It's about 4.00 more per quart (16 bucks) and since I live on the new Martha's vineyard of the west coast, I pay that for a cheeseburger and a beer at the local tavern. Much better to dump that cash into helping my flatheads than to clog my few remaining arteries with beef fat and cheese.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

Wish we got MMO here in NZ but I add bit of Moreys upper cylinder lube to my tank.

GB

[arkusvt]

MMO is currently available in new england at walmart by the quart for $3.88. much less expensive than buying a gallon.

[flatford8]

“I pay that for a cheeseburger and a beer at the local tavern. Much better to dump that cash into helping my flatheads than to clog my few remaining arteries with beef fat and cheese.”....

I’m in the same boat as you!......I skip the cheeseburger and put the beer in my tank and MMO in the cars’.!!.......Mark

[fotoboydave]

We had an intermittent problem with a sticky intake valve on the Wright R-2600 14 cylinder rotary engine powering our TBM torpedo bomber. When it stuck, combustion gases would blast into the intake manifold, the engine would immediately die, and things got really quiet and scary. It would start right back up, but that doesn't make it ok. We fired it up on the ground and slowly fed Marvel Mystery Oil through the carburetor air intake. It seemed to help. A rebuild occurred in the near future.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

[Jeff/Illinois]

You can buy it at Farm and Fleet pretty reasonably

https://www.farmandfleet.com/product...stery-oil.html

[tubman]

One thing I have learned from this thread is don't buy the additive from your FLAPS!