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Marvel Mystery Oil?

zuhl555

Full Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Messages
260
Okay, yesterday I was on the phone with my cousin who has a 97 Z71 Pickup with the venerable 350 in it. He said that on occasion he runs something through it called Marvel Mystrery Oil and it improves his gas mileage dramatically. HAs anyone ever heard of this? This seems like just another snake-oil to me? And if he is correct and it does improve gas mileage, how does it do it and what trade-offs are you making? I would think the injectors would not be too happy with oil funk running through them. Any thoughts out there?
 
There is a thread on here about fuel injector cleaners....some members posted in it about marvels mystery oil I think...
 
I never used in in the fuel but it free'd up a sticky lifter in my S-10!
..But so does ATF...
 
***CORRECTION) ***
Marvel Mystery Oil:
70%-80% Naphtha (lighter fluid)
20%-30% Mineral Spirits (paint thinner)

This is quite a good cleaner for sludge deposits, and would be a reasonable cheap choice for a solvent cleaner for a stripped down engine. The thought of using it in the engine lubricant gives me the cold shivers.
The best and cheapest injector cleaner is Berrymans B12 Chemtool in the metal bottles.
A safe and more effective (but fairly expensive) engine cleaner is AutoRX.
Alternatively, you could use one of the heavy duty Diesel engine oils rated CF-4 and SL (suitable for gasoline engines), such as Mobil Delvac 1 (now available in 1qt bottles as Mobil 1 Truck & SUV oil) or Shell Delo 400. These high detergency high quality oils are far superior in performance to almost all other oils, they do lack the API 'starburst' designation mandated by CAFE standards, however.
Delvac 1 routinely achieves 30,000 mile Oil Change Intervals or more on heavily monitored Diesel Truck fleets, so it would easily maintain it's excellent performance for the maximum 10,000 mile OCI on the Avalanche.
 
He did mention that it was used as a oil addative also, but he said that he, on his mechanics recommendation, mixes it in the fuel tank. And aparently it IS marvelous. If it is basically mineral spirits like Tree_Hugger said then I guess jt would be similar to running injector cleaner through?

How often do you run injector cleaner through on these engines? And what kind do you recommend?
 
zuhl555 said:
How often do you run injector cleaner through on these engines? And what kind do you recommend?
More infor on Fuel Injector Cleaner

http://www.chevyavalanchefanclub.com/cafcna/index.php?board=112;action=display;threadid=3742;view=all
 
I don't know if it;s just me but I would never use something with a name like that on my truck.
 
I've used it for years. In my previous vehicle, a 1996 GMC Suburban, I had 1000,000 miles on it when I had to have the head gaskets replaced (wonderful orange coolant). In having the work done, the mechanic remarked that my injectors and combustion chambers were spotless - like brand new.

I run Marvel Mystery oil through my fuel and oil. Learned it from my dad who ahs used it forever. It is amazing how long he makes a vehicle last.
 
I had a 1970 Buick Skylark convertible. It was about 15 years old when I bought it. It had a very worn engine and a very prominent knock. I added a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil to the crankcase and marvel of marvels in about ten miles it threw a rod. I would never put one drop of this stuff in my Av. :D:
 
Funny you should bring it up.. I've been meaning to buy a can for the Av, to add to the fuel.

When I owned an 87 RX 7 I added 4oz to the tank every fillup. I can't vouch for the mileage aspect (I always had my foot in it), but never had a intake system problem. I wouldn't add it to the oil, but I'm a true believer when it comes to the fuel additive aspect. I don't recall the gas to oil ratio, but it's on the can. Thanks for the reminder!
 
i keep bottles of this stuff. Marvel Mystery Oil has worked great for me. i use it in the crankcase and the fuel tank. it kept the carbon build-up in the intake of a '99 Honda Passport with 109,000mi. at a minimum. in fact so clean that there was no way they could charge me for the service at the dealership.
i have used the Berryman's as well. i tend to lean more to the Mystery Oil because of the lubricants it has. Berryman's has the right stuff to clean. i will not argue that point. i just like the fact that Mystery Oil can lube too.
 
Cool Rod said:
I had a 1970 Buick Skylark convertible. It was about 15 years old when I bought it. It had a very worn engine and a very prominent knock. I added a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil to the crankcase and marvel of marvels in about ten miles it threw a rod. I would never put one drop of this stuff in my Av. :D:
I wouldn't do that either in an old engine in that condition; you dislodged a ton of sludge no doubt, glogged the post-filter oiling paths and starved the journals. No doubt you spun a bearing and threw a rod! It would be like someone always using non-detergent oil for ages in an old engine, then changing to a high detergent!

The stuff works great, but I wouldn't add it or anything other than the approved oils for that matter, unless there is a reason or last resort, before an engine teardown. That's what I was ready to do in my old truck. Many oil changes since without it and the lifter is still ok.

Like was stated, it's a solvent base! Solvents clean things. You just had too much too fast.

 
I have used this stuff in aircraft engines to loosen stickey valve lifters,.. etc. It works great,... haven't given it much of a thought in the AV,... but as a preventative measure,... I think I may start adding some when I run it down to get the oil changed,.... just to keep the insides clean and buildup free....
 
I have for years used the product. Like others my dad showed me. I had a 68 Camero with a 327 and every now and then would get some tapping. I would add it to the oil in my driveway let the car run for 10 minutes at and idle. and then change the oil. New oil and filter not tapping. And for years I watched my father add it right down the carb till the engine chooked. He would then add the rest to the tank and let the car sit for a few hours and then take it for a drive. It would smoke like crazy when it started back up..but it ran great. Allthough I have't in a while I would have no problem adding it to my gas.
 
Marvel Mystery Oil is wonderful stuff...

Every fill up I add the recommended amount according to the amount of gas... and every oil change I add it...

21000 miles, no problems...

Grandfather taught me about MMO... Been doing this routine since I was a teenager...

66 Mustang
81 Trans Am
84 Prelude
95 S 10
98 4Runner
03 Avalanche

20 years of driving, never once have I heard evidence that MMO is bad...

Them old folks know something about cars...

 

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I know this is old news but I added MMO to a tank full last month for the first time trying it and the engine is running so much smoother. My mileage is extremely low ( 31,000 ) so I shouldn't have been in too bad a shape but there was a significant improvement. This stuff is amazing.  (y)
 
Been using this stuff since I was 18. 35 now. I've taken most of my vehicles well over 220k and they've always run like they only had 70k miles on them. Extremely smooth.
 
When I served in the USAF as a body/general purpose vehicle mechanic I was assigned to Eielson AFB. that's in ALASKA near Fairbanks.  Let me say that environment is pretty tough on vehicles! Tires can break at 70 below zero (f). I have maintenance stories that would curl the paint right off your truck!
The base was heated via a steam plant that was plumbed to every building on base; so we had PLENTY of distilled water for the radiators, the UN-treated water in AK. leaves much to be desired. It's FULL of minerals, it could probably float a horse shoe. So we didn't have the issues with that at all.
We put Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) in power steering pumps, in the hydralic systems of the heavy vehicles, plows, Osh Kosh trucks, truck mounted ribband blowers, buses, trucks, cars, everything. I know it went in to the hyd. oil but I'm sure it did not go into the gas unless WE put it there for a specific purpose.
Berrymans' can dissolve plastic carb floats (in motorcycles) so I like Sea Foam, it's gentle and when used regularly keeps the fuel system in tip top shape. The label describes it's use in oil.
 
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