Has anyone in here ever used this stuff? Was told by a mechanic that I know that it is great stuff for cars that will be sitting for awhile...what do you all think?

 

I don't think it would be a good idea, since your Crossfire uses Mobile 1 and it is a synthetic type oil. I have used Marvel in older cars that used petroleum based oil, and it seemed to help quiet lifter noise.

 

MMO is a "marvelous" product for all vehicles - especially older carbureted ones. I have used it in everything from a Citroen Traction Avant to a Maserati Khamsin. It internally lubricates carburetors, linkages, fuel delivery systems, etc., and is valuable when added to the oil supply (reduces carbon build up, deposits, etc.). I recently (just as I found a buyer !) had a head gasket go in my Khamsin (a '75) and had to pull and strip the engine - the interior was absolutely pristine! I attribute that to its diet of MMO and Mobil1. I had planned to add a bit to my X-Fire prior to the last oil change to flush out any deposits, etc. - but, senility struck and I forgot about it until I had the oil drained - oh well, next time! Oh... It smells great, too! As I recall it contains Oil of Wintergreen...

The link below illustrates one way this stuff can be used...

http://vwjudsonregister.tripod.com/oiler_page.htm

 

IMO, never put ANYTHING but the recommended oil in your crankcase, and the minimum recommended octane fuel in your fuel tank (well, maybe I'll make an exception for fuel stabilizer as it's a necessary evil for those that store our cars).

Basically, oil additives contain detergents and lower grade motor oils that can lead to sludge, increase windage losses, retain certain chemicals, or lead to deposits. Back to the oil sludge problem. Synthetics are great because they don't easily degrade, and have high thermal capacity. Adding some oil additive could degrade that thermal performance and lead to sludge (which is thick goo, and in a nutshell oil sludge destroys engines). A lot of higher performance engines use synthetic because it is able to cope with extreme temperature variation in such cases as a high position mini-cat, hot exhaust manifold/header as the result of retarded ignition timing, etc. You read that last part right - advanced ignition timing causes temperatures to increase in the combustion chamber, and retarded timing causes exhaust temperatures to rise. A lot of cars (even high performance ones) will retard the ignition on start up to heat up the catalyst sooner, as it must be hot to work properly. Once it is warm, the ignition timing will be advanced per the mapping in the ECU.

Fuel additives often fix one problem, but cause another. They often contain compounds that do not melt or degrade, sometimes things such as MMT (a manganese compound) or Ferocene (an iron compound) are used as octane boosters. These ALWAYS lead to deposits over time, which cannot be removed. Combustion chamber deposits (such as carbon, metallic compound build-up such as ferocene or MMT, etc) can lead to problems such as plug fouling (misfire code). If thick enough, they can cause burned valves (from coating the valves, which degrades their ability to dissipate heat). Sometimes, build up of deposit can cause local hot spots, which can cause pre-ignition. Pre-ignition, of course, kills engines.

If it's not recommended in the owner's manual, please don't use it. Or, if you've GOT to use it to satisfy some deep emotional need, please check with us first, okay? We'll talk you out of it.

 

It worked good on my bike that has a wet clutch that was chattering a bit. I would not run it in a new crossfire. No need to do so.

 

I agree with JUDDZ. No additives.

Regards
Ausfire.

 

I'd not be putting it in my crankcase. That said, Marvel is a wonderful general-purpose lubricant for just about anything else. I always keep a tin in the garage.

I even used to put it in the piston dampers of my SU and Zenith-Stromberg carbs back in my MG/Triumph/Jag/Morris days. Never found better for such things.

...sT

 

Thanks alot for the info everyone. I will stay away from it as far as the Xfire is concerned. Could try it though in the '79 Lil Red Express and the '77 New Yorker since they sit alot of the time...would that be acceptable?

 

You folks go on about how high priced an oil change is for the Crossfire. You folks ever think about not using Mobil 1, you know you can flush your engine and replace the synthetic type oil with a high end oil. It's not like this 3.2L is a really high performance engine, the compression is only 10.1. In the old days we never had synthetic oil and we were running engines with 11.5 - 12.1 compression, 98 octane, 365-427 hp, 4.10 rear ends. The oil we used was just fine. There are oils that will sludge up on you, but we knew which ones not to buy. I'm looking at flushing my engine an replacing the synthetic oil with a high end oil, if i ever get pass the 7,000 mile mark, so far since September 2005 I'm still below 1,700 miles.

 

I wholeheartedly disagree with the nay sayers on this one. MMO is the best thing you can do for your car. Added to the fuel supply, it acts the same as the "detergent" that all oil companies put in their pump gas. It will keep down carbon deposits on pistons, heads and plugs.

I has been long used in the aviation community as a gas additive to keep engines in pristine working order and prevent spark plug fouling. Do a search on the internet and you'll find very compelling evidence of its advantage...

 

I hope I don't hurt any feelings here, but you asked if anyone knew Marvel Mystery Oil. You got answers from some who do, and some who don't.

I need to give you a short history about me so you'll understand why I'm giving my opinion on this subject. My Grandaddy started his own automotive machine shop in 1929. Each & every engine custom built for the application it was going to be used for (not production rebuilding). I grew up in his shop, and built engines there for over 15 years. We have always hated any additives, Except MMO! I have seen first hand what additives can do to (or for) an engine.
Grandaddy used MMO since it first came on the market, and it is the ONLY additive that he would ever recommend to a customer. MMO can be used in 2 ways for an engine.
1- In the crankcase. It does remove or prevent varnish or sludge deposits in the engine (which by the way are caused by parrafin based oils and by short trip driving {point a to point b without time to heat the engine up good}.

2- In the fuel system. MMO does not boost octane at all. But it does remove or prevent carbon buildup on the valves and in the combustion chamber. Which is the main cause of detonation (preignition). MMO also does NOT leave any kind of deposits on valves. If you had the opportunity to disassemble a 283 chevy out of a 2 ton wheat truck with 320,000 miles on it that has used MMO in fuel and crankcase since it was new, you would be a firm believer also.
So, now that all that has been said, to answer your question. Yes. If you are storing your car for long periods, or driving a lot of short trips, it will help to run a little bit of MMO, in the fuel and the oil.
And for those with lifter noise (mine doesn't have this problem), unless it is a mechanical problem, try it you might be surprised.

 

I sure wish I had finished typing class in high school. when I started typing that previous post, HDDP hadn't posted yet.
Just an afterthought for those who are wondering, yes Grandaddy's gone now but my Dad & Brother are still building engines in his shop. I left town for personal reasons (Ugly divorce) and am building landing gear for a living now. But, to this date since 1929 they have had to warranty only 6 engines (pretty good record huh).
The way HDDP drives his Crossfire, if he hasn't blown it up yet you won't either. MMO is what helped him pass that cop on the last straightaway in Albuquerque!
MMO has NO adverse effects on synthetic oil.

 

BRAVO... Well written response... I have used MMO in all my race cars for 20 years... These are some internet quotes from well informed engine specialists.

Marvel Mystery Oil "combats internal motor rust and corrosion, lubricates valves, piston rings, upper cylinder walls, and eliminates valve sticking. Keeps rings free and reduces piston and cylinder wear. Also keeps fuel pump and carburetor parts clean, eliminating the need for frequent adjusting. Marvel Mystery Oil retards formation of power dissipating motor deposits, such as gums, varnish, and sludge."

The TCP/Marvel Mystery Oil option: These are most likely about the same thing, with small changes in the recipe, so as not to infringe on another's copyright. Both are high in detergents to do the cleaning job. Neither should be used for the first time on a high time engine; about half TBO or less should be the cut-off time, for first use.

IN OIL SYSTEM
Use one pint Marvel Mystery Oil about 5 hours before oil change. If screen type system, be sure to clean screen. Then, in the new oil, install one-half pint MMO. This cleans the carbon and sludge collected in the engine passages and crevices and hydraulic lifters, and stores it in the bottom of the oil kidney. Some will make it to the screen, but either place it will be removed at oil change.

IN THE FUEL SYSTEM
Use the directions on the back for amount to put in the fuel per gallon of fuel (4 to 6 oz. per 10 gallons of fuel). MMO goes through the carburetor as a droplet, broken up like the fuel. When it enters the combustion chamber and the gasoline ignites, it is vaporized and soaks into the carbon buildup on cumbustion chamber walls, valve guides, around the valve stem, and on the spark plug. It soaks into the carbon and eventually loosens it up and it goes out the exhaust system.

Now you know how it works, I will neither recommend or not recommend the procedure. Like Fox News says,"I report and you decide". I do know it will help when lifters start to be lazy and not do their job. When valves are beginning to stick, it will free then up. Some people swear by it, some people swear at it, but results is what really tells the tale.

 

Thanks HDDP and Rotten for the info. That was very informative. Guess I will give it a try in ALL of my cars and see what goes. Like you two this mechanic recommends the stuff highly so I must go with the experts and do it.

 

LOL... You're funny. The story about that video is my camera crew and I were in Albuquerque for 2 months shooting a movie and I rented Sandia Motor Speeday on July 4th to go play around on the track for the day, since we were sick of sitting around in our hotel when we weren't working. It turned out that the local prison is just down the road from the track and the back straightaway runs parallel to the highway. So, every time I ran down the back side of the track, a cop car was driving down the highway next to me. It was kind of a joke because I would be going 120+ and blowing by them on the adjacent road and waiting for them to turn their lights on... LOL

And BTW. I don't have a southern accent, I'm from California...

 

Stick with the stuff that works Mobil 1

 

Dude: it's an additive, not a replacement...