VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 oil additives

Anyone use oil additives? Some of the old timers are telling me to use Marvel Mystery Oil. The old coupe doesn't use any oil that I can tell. These guys say everything just works a little smoother.
Comments?

Wynn's and MMO are both good, I think. MMO is the only one I use though. I don't usually put it in the gas tank so I'm probably not max benefits out of it.

I've seen these little gadgets on parts counters with the enclosed case and two different kinds of oil in them. You know, the ones where you turn the geared wheels and note the smoothness of the product being offered over the regular motor oil. I never buy that stuff.

Yep, its MMO for me. Nothing else to the oil.

I don't think STP really gives any lasting benefits. My understanding is that it just becomes oil after a few hundred miles.

I'm no chemist.
Charlie

BTW: The mess of parts I bought a couple years had some MMO in it. Two glass bottles of it with MMO labels.

Just use modern 10W-30 oil. It has all the additives your engine will ever need.
Marvel Mystery Oil is a highly refined oilmwith the viscosity of Kersosene. Can be used in sub-zero weather to thin out the oil and it is also a solvent good for things like sticking rings.....other than that it is not necessary unless you want to thin out your present oil for some strange reason.
STP thickens the oil and is the same prodict the makes 10W oil into 10W-30.

I agree, no need for additives needed in oil today. S.T.P. will thicken the oil and the wiper rings cannot wipe the oil off properly causing oil to burn.

I dont make it a rule to use any additive exept for Sta-bile. It's suppose to help presurve your gas but...the way they make gas today...i think it just slightly retards the break down into varnish.

I use lucas oil in the chevy...it's a thickener...and thats just becouse it cushions the rod knock on the number 3 journal of which i cannot currently do anything with.


I do like Sta-bil...and lucas oil does EXACTLY what it says it does, but the rest of the oils that magically does this or that are purley just snake oil. (Something to sell). MMO is good if you've got some stuck rings.

Well Charlie, I am or was a Chemist (retired a bunch of years ago). Spent several years working on automotive chemicals so have some both book and practical experience. In the 70s we spent a considerable amount of time analyzing a vast array of automotive products. The vast majority are over hyped and only have minimal benefit. Miracles are hard to come buy!

Sta-bil is a good product. It does indeed offer additional protection to the 1-4 month stability of gasoline (either with or without ethanol added). Ethanol does attract water and affect some seals and hoses. It is not the primary cause of gum and varnish formation! unsaturated hydrocarbons are! The anti-oxidant (BHT) in Sta-bil is the most cost effective AO that can be used.

'nuf science talk for today or your eyes will surely glaze over.

So...what's the verdict on Marvel Mystery Oil? Is it any good? Sounds like you're a professional, I'm buying in on it so far...Grin

Nobody knows if it is any good or not.....That's why it's
called "MYSTERY" Oil.

BTW....I Love It, You can use it to slick your hair back for that special night out with your lady, for that Mysterious look...ED

It won't be a mystery very long. I put a half quart in the crankcase yesterday. If the engine blows ,I'll post photos.

I've used it to free up a engine that is stuck and had good results. Back when we were dirt track racing and running alcohol we would add it to the fuel. I also use it in my air tools.
Don

MMO is a good product. Basically a light oil with a few beneficial additives. I use ATF as it is less expensive and has close to the same properties.

If you mean that I got paid to do the job then I was a professional. Still give chemical advise like I use to but don't get paid. Does that mean I am no longer a professional? or a seasoned professional?

In that case you are NOT a professional.

1.
following an occupation as a means of livelihood or for gain: a professional builder.

Since you didn't gain,that means you lost.You gave out information free at your own expense.


If it makes you feel any better..THANK YOU...grin

Now that is where you are dead WRONG! I did gain! Gained an appreciative recipient and also the feeling that I helped someone in need. Now in my book that is more of a gain than receiving a few pieces of nearly worthless paper.

I think MMO is a product that is produced for Marvel Comics for Captain America like performance. Possum juice works just as well. The good oil is full synthetic.

I stand corrected..you're right.

MOST oils these days have enough additives to more than protect any engine.
I prefer to use the long term oil producer brands though their "fully synthetic" types I have doubts about. I also use a diesel type oil in all engines as most of the "sludge" is taken out with the filter (when fitted).
Tony

Wasn't there a study done on the wear of engines in the NY City taxi using regular motor oil and those using synthetic and finding there was almost no difference?
Charlie

There have been many studies of motor oils both hydrocarbon and synthetic. Synthetic has two advantages over hydrocarbon, longer drain intervals and a little less rolling resistance (teensy bit higher gas mileage). The disadvantage is that some additives are less soluble. In the past 20 years additives have been found to essentially eliminate any significant difference in additive performance.

The cost/benefit comparison still favors hydrocarbon in most cases. However, that is not as clear with the hydrocarbon/synthetic blends.

I've read than most synthetic oils today are simply chemically modified mineral oil but don't know that for a fact. This seems to support that it's possible to do so. If it's a fact that most "synthetic" oils are only modified mineral oils, it would seem to be a bit of false advertising.

I will try to keep the chemistry lesson simple to understand. Hydrocarbons, mostly from crude oil or gas, are the feed stocks to chemical plants. It is the separation of the compounds and modification that produce both the mineral oil based lubricants and also synthetic lubes. The major difference is the number of steps taken in production and amount of other stuff contained in the mixture. Mineral oils contain a mixture of many compounds, while synthetic based oils contain much less. They are similar but different.

I don't consider this to be any more false advertising than any other as there are real and valuable differences. I continue to use mineral oil based lubricants particularly in my old Chevys. The cost/benefit is just not there for me yet. As the price difference changes I may decide to change.

Two other advantages of synthetic oils ae they flow better (faster) in extremely cold weather and oxidize (thicken) less in hot weather driving. The later permits longer drain intervals in hot weather driving.
While I use synthetic in my modern cars I feel that todays conventional oils are more than adquate for the "old" cars. Certainly many times better than oils from the 1960's - not to mention the "basic" oils of the '30's.

Chipper,
Thanks for the chemistry lesson.

Your sentence in an earlier post, "In the past 20 years additives have been found to essentially eliminate any significant difference in additive performance" makes little sense to me. What were you trying to say?
Charlie

BTW: Please don't try to tell me that at any given point in time you can determine where an electron is or has been but not both. I don't understand that either. Grin

Charlie,
No base stock oil by itself has the properties necessary to pass the requirements of the auto companies. So additives to improve performance in tests (and in the real world too.) are blended into the base stock. It is these additives that produce the SL or SM grade oils that we use today. These VI improvers, acid scavengers, corrosion inhibitors, anti-oxidants, anti-wear additives boost the performance of the base stock. Most were developed for mineral oil base lubricants over 80+ years. Many had limited solubility in synthetic lube base stock. So our chemist friends developed new additives for the synthetic basestocks. One of our VCCA members here in Texas was one of those researchers.

Somebody get a rope!
Charlie

Tow rope? I hope! Wouldn't want to think you meant harm to anyone particularly me.