Marvel Mystery Oil vs. Two-Stroke Oil?

[max2cam]

Okay, here's the deal:

Suppose a guy wanted to use top-end oil in an older 4-stroke engine that was made for leaded gas. Maybe oil in the gas helps the valves and maybe it doesn't, but this guys thinks it helps.

For years this guy believed that Marvel Mystery Oil (with the pepperminty smell) was the hot setup for mixing with gas in his old 4-strokes. Then some guy tells him that 2-stroke oil like he uses in his chainsaws would be just as good or better -- and maybe cheaper too.

So I guess the question comes down like this:

Does using an oil/gas mix in a older 4-stroke help protect the valves and valve seats?

What the heck is in Marvel Mystery Oil anyway? And is 2-stroke chainsaw oil as good or better if you're going to use some oil/gas mix in your old 4-stroke?

Please jump in!

 

[Newfie]

Is "this guy" related to "I have this friend"?

 

[max2cam]

Gosh, maybe "this guy" did write a book.

You never know....

I found this:

"The major ingredients (of Marvel Mystery Oil is) naphtha and wintergreen, have been around for decades as solvents and cleaners."

Sounds like Marvel acts as strong detergent that actually might loosen combustion chamber deposits, plus I guess that it's supposed to lubricate too.

Regular 2-stroke oil doesn't seem to have that strong detergent property.

 

[hokiebob1]

Oil in older 4 strokes will not help the seats.

 

[sedanman]

A friend of mine (a real person, I SWEAR!) is a retired engineer from Texaco, THey couldn't figure out what was in Marvel Misery oil.

 

[max2cam]

Originally posted by hokiebob1
Oil in older 4 strokes will not help the seats.

Hmm..."this guy" won't like hearing that, but I myself have long wondered if oil actually could substitute for the cushioning effects of lead.

However, I'm sure "this guy" will say that top-end oil must help in some way, like the valve stems or rings and plus using it makes him feel better.

 

[glens]

Hahaha!<blockquote>"<b> (with the pepperminty smell) </b>"</blockquote>brought to mind images of a fake commercial on Saturday Night Live decades ago where Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin are neighboring housewives and one brought home from the market a can of scent you spray into the carburetor.&nbsp; The one sprayed the stuff to show the other, who was on her hands and knees at the tailpipe with her face in the cloud, sniffing.&nbsp; I can't for the life of me remember which one did which; was it Gilda at the tailpipe?

Glen

 

[bwalker]

Does using an oil/gas mix in a older 4-stroke help protect the valves and valve seats?

No, but it could cause depsoit issue that me lead to pre ignition.

MMO, is a light hydrcarbon and a fragrance. It will do nothing to clean deposits from a combustion chamber.

friend of mine (a real person, I SWEAR!) is a retired engineer from Texaco, THey couldn't figure out what was in Marvel Misery oil.

Most college chem labs can find it whats in anyhting by using a gas spectrometer. A bigge like Texico has the ability to know what exactly is in MMO right down to the plant that produced the solvent.

 

[scottr]

Oil

Max, thirty years ago a friend of mine claimed that ATF would do the same for the upper cylinder of your car as Marvel Mystery Oil. How would you prove one way or another? Another friend used ATF to pour into the carb to suposedly help his tired 350 chevy. Both of these guys admitted to eating paste in the third grade.

 

[eyolf]

It sure is a powerful drive we have to just pour some magical potion into an engine and fix everything right up. Yes, sir.

The worst thing is there are occasional reports of people who had maybe a stuck ring, poured in magical mystery juice, went out and flogged their machine mercilessly and "cured" the problem. We conveniently forget about the other ones who break that stuck ring and lunch a motor.

Marvel mystery oil works nice when you need a real light lubricant that smells nice. There's a guy in a town near me with a "fixit" shop, works on stuff like sewing machines, old clocks, all sorts of stuff. He cleaned and timed my mom's sewing machine a while back, and told her to use MMO 'cause it's light and smells nice. She had apparently "fudged" and used cooking oil a few times to lube the old machine....LOL!

 

[Bills Oak]

Marvel Mystery Oil

Marvel Mystery oil has Naptha, peppermint oil, & a type of by product of Cod Liver Oil in it. plus chemicals & petroleum balancers to enhance shelf life. It is very, very high in detergent levels, about 5 times that of ATF. It has been used by many race car mechanics for years in race car fuel in very limited quantity to ensure valve lubrication at super temps & high revs, about a constant 9000 RPMs. I would imagine that if it was used in two stroke motors like chainsaws, blowers, etc that run at constant high speeds in limited quantity like a few drops per tank full it might help with lubrication somewhat but then you will have a pollution factor problem. Bottom line is that it's main purpose is to be used in 4 stroke engines that are gummed up bad & you need to get something in the motor quick that will clean as well as lubricate well..

 

[jokers]

The lead isn`t supposed to cushion the valve seats as I understand things, it lubes the valve stems and guides. Whether or not MMO is a good substitute, I don`t know.

Doesn`t anyone else remember top end oilers?

Russ

 

[bwalker]

It seems that I could package up some Bennies slippery eel oil, make some outragous BS claims backed by nothing and some sucker would buy the stuff. Oh, ya you can run it at 100:1 in your saw,lol.

 

[bwalker]

http://msds.pdc.cornell.edu/msds/msdsdod/a122/m60896.htm

 

[hokiebob1]

The lead in fuel didn't have anything to do with seals or valve stems-first and foremost, it was an octane enhancer for the fuel that had a secondary benefit of allowing the engine manufacturers to get away without using hardened exhaust seats.

As for the above comment about using a gas spectometer to find anything in anything, thats a stretch. There are many techniques to break down additive packages for components and determine what type of basestocks are in formulated oils, and it takes combinations of all of these, plus the experience of someone who has formulated in the past or at least understands the components that make up fully formulated oils. You may get results that suggest certainly levels of elements, but you really have to whittle it down to determine what types of bonds hold them together, etc, then determine the likely sources for these components. In short, it ain't that simple. As for it containing naptha-naptha is nothing more than a heavy solvent-similar to kerosene.

I wouldn't put it into my gasoline-I suppose it would help promote intake valve/combustion chamber deposits, and wouldn't do the catalyst any good either if there are any phosphorus-containing additives in it.

 

[Lawn Masters]

I have never heard of MMO till today, but I'd more likely use a full synthetic oil in the older gas engines, IF I were to even dare to run an older gas powered engine at all. I'd more likely replace the engine with a newer one that I know is capable of doing whatever is needed to be done, then I'd put the older one up on a shelf as a conversation piece. Those antique engines are getting harder to find nowadays, so I'd just as soon not run it and put anymore wear on it than is already there. Its not my engine so I cant tell anyone what to do and force it to happen, no matter how much I would like to.

 

[tony marks]

well u have done discovered my secret
ben. i done harvested all the eels from the local fishing holes.. so when u get in to production ,,send me a case .
moneys no object . heck im rich an dont owe nothin no more.. think ill godn to one o them off shore gamblin boats an double my money.... nah..u know what they say about a fool an his money..
but that was then ,not now.