Marvel's Mystery Oil

Some interesting facts I saw on the net about MMO.

After World War I, the Marvel Carburetor Company (Marvel-Schebler Carburetors since 1928) produced carburetors for automobiles and aircraft. Some of these encountered problems with clogged jets, prompting Burt Pierce to formulate a blend of chemicals and petroleum to clean and maintain them. Marvel claims the oil creates a top ring seal producing higher compression, preventing blow-by on power strokes, resulting in more power. Supporting evidence is not provided.

The Marvel Oil Company was initially based in Chicago, moved to New York in 1941 and was purchased by Turtle Wax Inc. in 1999, returning to Chicago.

According to the company, the name Mystery Oil comes from Pierce's answer to the question, "what kind of oil is this?" to which Pierce would respond, "It's a mystery!"
 
I use MMO and it does work. Un-stuck a valve in our '36 Ford Flathead from today's dry gasolines. Dump a pint in the Model A doesn't hurt a thing.

Another better cleaner/stabilizer, better than SeaFoam (which I too used for years) is Gumout's Fuel Stabilizer with PEA. Lucas puts one out too.

The nitrogen cleaner in those products really clean carbon deposits in your engine. You get the same type of cleaner in Shell V-Power Nitro gasolines and also in Chevron's Techron. Run a few tank fulls of that thru your car and see the difference.

The Ford dealerships will do a nitro cleaning on the new cars when they reach 100K miles to keep things clean on the top end, mostly as a result of owners using stuff like the cheapo Pilot-Love's-Speedway crapo gasoline trying to save a buck:p They have the fewest detergents in their gasoline to save a penny or two at the pump and lure you in.
 
My perception of the 2 products.


Seafoam - Mostly a cleaner/thinner, analogy would be paint thinner with oil based paints.


MMO - has both cleaners and light weight lubricants.


Correct?
 
Originally Posted by History
I absolutely love California, it is a beautiful place where you could snow ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon. The place is on my mind all the time, seriously. I love the NC mountains but I hate and I do mean HATE the humidity here. I want to live in California so bad but the people who have control of the state make sure I will not anytime soon.

I agree, born and raised here. Smog is much better now than in the 50's, in spite of many, many more people here. However, I'm not happy with CA politicians! But then Moreno Valley is many miles from here, about 50!
 
TerryH said:
A good part of the population of California came from somewhere else....would be nice if more swore not to come here.....
And I have never heard of MMO being banned here....not sure where that got started!
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It would be even nicer if California people would stay there and not move to our states
 
Crude oil is refined by using a cracking tower,a crude way to refine crude is to heat it,the lighter distillates rise to the top,the heavier to the bottom.

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Naptha and its derivatives are at the top of the crack,the lightest compounds in crude..it has a high solvent capacity,basically it cleans really good,but is very aromatic,means it needs to be stabilized with additives to keep it from evaporating and to reduce its flammability. there are no 'wizards' in it just sound chemistry.
 
You may be reacting to a warning, as a result of California Proposition 65, which will inform you that Marvel Mystery Oil contains chemicals which may be, in some way harmful. The correct interpretation of this warning is that you should not pour Marvel Mystery Oil on your morning scrambled eggs, or use it to clean your child's baby crib. If you only apply it to your Model A, I expect your health will be perfectly fine.

P.S.:
- Please do not drink battery acid
- Please do not use gasoline as a coffee creamer
- Please do not use lead as a toothpaste supplement

Love, Your Nanny State
 
GPierce said:
Here is what is in Marvel Mystery Oil

https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/55/55144540-9f29-4eb8-84f6-946f582de009.pdf

Distillates, petroleum, hydrotreated heavy naphthenic

Stoddard solvent

Tricresyl phosphate

o-Dichlorobenzene

p-Dichlorobenzene
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Unfair to list this way! This implies equal parts of each, not the overwhelming amounts of distillates and solvents, and minute amounts of the others. You need to specify percentages, and the last three are down in the .1% range, while distillates and solvents are in the 99.9% range.

Ford, GM, Chrysler, et al don't recommend this stuff with modern oils and fuels.

Personally, I've got better stuff to spend my few $$ on, but I doubt using it in moderate amounts hurts anything.
 
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apbright said:
You may be reacting to a warning, as a result of California Proposition 65, which will inform you that Marvel Mystery Oil contains chemicals which may be, in some way harmful. The correct interpretation of this warning is that you should not pour Marvel Mystery Oil on your morning scrambled eggs, or use it to clean your child's baby crib. If you only apply it to your Model A, I expect your health will be perfectly fine.

P.S.:
- Please do not drink battery acid
- Please do not use gasoline as a coffee creamer
- Please do not use lead as a toothpaste supplement

Love, Your Nanny State
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You cant imagine my shear joy at finding a few quarts of acrylic enamel paint in the parts warehouse at work..when I asked about it they said "we cant sell it over the counter,but we will sell it to you at cost"..I'm going to paint my car right here in the peoples republic,squirting compounds known to the state of california to potentially harm .000001% of those who come in contact with it..gonna dance like a savage while I do it..
 
I use permanentely 0,5 % in the tank. But I use the vacuum-doser too.
The results are pretty, low hard ash in the combustion camber.
 
What does MMO smell like? We used to be able to get an Upper Cylinder Lubricant that smelled like almonds. Is it anything like that? I've never seen it here but I have asked for it. Only blank looks are the response but if it is so good, I'd like to give it a try. Transporting it might be a problem however. Is it labelled as flammable? I might check with my surface freight shipper whether he can transport it here.

BTW, for those who are thinking by adding a little oily fuel like Diesel fuel, DON"T. Distillate will ruin your engine in very short time, like maybe 100 miles, depending on concentration.
 
California- the state of many warnings: Saw a clothing iron with the following warning; "Do not iron clothes while wearing." You know somebody had to have done it!!
 
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