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

Marvel Mystery Oil (MMO) is an upper lube oil and is not normally a product to stabilize gasoline, however having said that I havbe used if for many years as a gasoline additive pimarely as an upper lube and as an engine fogger before storage, by pouring it down the carb. Many of our members use ATF for the same purpose.
I don't know about: So if you are a newbie to MMO and upper lubrication, you are free to make your own decision, Give it a try, the white smoke that comes out during the fogging smells much better than ATF! IMHO

Given the discussion about synthetic vs multigrade oils how often should the oil be changed in these vintage engines that see less than 1000 miles per year and/or less than about 25 hours of run time at idle speeds?

Due to moisture accumulation and exhaust blow by you should change at least once per year no matter what lubricant is used. It is far better to drain when hot, than not!

No, Chipper, not for you. For me. All those neutrons, protons and electrons making up all those assorted molecules has about done me in. Might as well get someone to hang me.

Anyway, I've noticed some Bardoyl( sp) signs still around. Never used any. What was it supposed to do?

As for me, on the oil issue and my 41's its Wal-mart brand as long as the little round sticker has the same letters as the major brands and is available in 10-30.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on all the chemistry making up our oils and lubricants. It makes for interesting reading. Does too!
Charlie

While we're on the subject, I have another question:

a. Drain your engine oil when it's hot?
b. Drain your engine oil when it's cold?

I drain mine when it's a warm day but the engine cold. Reason, I think I remove more of the old oil that way.

I can see doing it hot, but when I think about it, it seems you stand a better chance of leaving more old oil behind that way.

What is the consensus on this delimma?
Charlie

BTW: Please don't just say "hot" but in addition give your reasoning for doing so. I expect that if I were to ask around that the numbers would be about 99-1 doing it hot instead of cold. Why?

Simple, hot oil moves easier.

Ray,
That may be, but it is not a sufficient reason.

All you have to do is wait a little longer for cooler oil to drain from the pan. And, if the engine has cooled to ambient tempreture, then the more oil has had time to drain down sufficiently to collect in the pan and in turn out the plug hole.

Now that is simple. Is too! And, makes sense. Does too!
Charlie

BTW: An added feature for the cooler tempreture method is that you don't loose the plug in the pan 'cause the hot oil burns your fingures causing you to drop it. No more searching through the oil to find it. Simple!

BTW2: Maybe things arn't as simple as they appear sometimes.

BTW3. I don't expect to win on this. Grin

Hot oil has recently been circulated, which carries with it the moisture, particles and other crud that might be in the engine. The faster it drains the more of that nasty stuff goes out with the oil. Simple enough for you, Charlie? Yes I know that a small amount of oil may have to travel from the head and other parts of the engine to the pan to drain away but because it is hot and runny it does it with ease.

Come on Charlie! You should do better than THIS:
drain it hot or cold? If you just want to get to 10,000 posts hey take 9,999 of mine, I am through with most of them anyway!

...about once a year....

By the way, rather than idle the engine, either drive it long enough to heat the engine & drive train to operating temperature, about a 30-40 minute drive in winter Or don't start it at all! It is better on the car because that way you will heat up the water of condensation in the crankcase, the exhaust system and the transmission enough that it is vaporized and blown out, rather that making more condensation, that stays and grows and stays some more in the systems.

Hey Man if you don't know where your electron is at any given nanosecond, how the heck do you keep up with anything smaller than a Quark?

BTW: If I would have just eddited these three posts into one I would now have 2 less posts! WEIRD!

Chipper: "Hot oil has recently been circulated, which carries with it the moisture, particles and other crud that might be in the engine. The faster it drains the more of that nasty stuff goes out with the oil."

I was about to give in and say you all wuz right and then, low and behold, Chipper comes along (again) and makes my point for me. Exactly and Simply. Note:

If "hot oil has recently been circulated and carries with it the moisture, particles and other crud that be in the engine" then where does it end up"? In the oil pan! Of course! Makes sense to me.

"Faster it drains"? Faster is a relative term. I didn't say to drive the car in a freezer and wait 'til the oil turned to the consistency of molasses. No, just to give it time to drain down real good. That means not hot but much closer to ambient temperature. It may not drain out the plug holt as quite "fast" but fast enough and take with it essentially all the stuff you don't want left behind.

MrMack: That's ok about the multiple posts. That's what I'd do if I was trying to reach a higher number, which I'm not. And, I'm sure you're not, also. We're getting older. Let's face it.

Your posts have always made sense to me. That's why I still wavering on this subject. It's just that I haven't read any better logic on it than my own. Imagine that. Grin.

Thanks, Chipper, now I'm back to cold. (another relative term.)
Charlie

BTW: My coupe needs its oil changed. It hasn't been driven in a week. I'll keep the wrench and drain pan handy so I can do it as soon as I decide if I should drive it and recirculate the crud or not.

BTW2: Chipper, "tag." You're it! :Again:

If you really want to get all the crud out, drain your oil "cold" and then pull the pan and clean it... Gives you something to do with all that excess time you have. And you get to look up inside your engine to see how things are looking there. You can check clearances and the alignment of the oil troughs and such. Sounds like a good winter project!

Sure wish I had an engine to worry about like that.....

Yep, your relativeity dissertation on cold and colder is a good point. Right now in Texas cold is quaffing a 60 degree Colorado Koolaid whilst you are sitting under a shrinking mesquite tree when the temperature is a Real 105 degrees F. Hot is when you burn your lips on chili laced with some of them hot peppers I grew in my garden a couple of years ago, right before quaffing that 60 degree brewski and then you chase the chili with a fresh hot cup of Folgers Classic Roast.
I remember colder, but just vagely!

OK, everybody. I been puttin' you on. Maybe.

Anyhow, it's time to end my insistence on something I know the whole world is of a different opinion. Pretty soon folks will think I'm as nutty as i seem. I know, I know.

Accordingly, I hereby give. Uncle! I capitulate.

For the record I think it is good to drain the engine oil when it has had time, after a good warm up, to sufficiently drain down to the pan and is still hot enough to flow good so that you get as much crud out as you can.

Charlie

MrMack: Do you use habinaro (sp) peppers in your chili? It's my understanding that they are hotter than chili's and even hotter than cayenne. We eat cayenne's with collards over here where barbeque is pig. Cow is too expensive and road kill has been taken over as the barbeque of choice in Tennessee. Grin!

I always drain my oil after a long trip with my old cars and new cars and I let it drain all night. That's the best way, I think, to drain the oil and after thousands of miles my engines are clean just like new. I let the plug go into the drain pan and recover it in the morning when the oil is cold....

OKAY....I'll be the one to bite. Why do you put the plug in the oil pan? Is there a joke here somewhere?

A. To let it age in oil
B. It's to hot to hold on to
C. So you won't forget where it is
D. To see if you can pour the oil out without
dropping the plug in the trash.
E. All the above


Just teasing,I had to do it.

I also often drop the plug into the oil drain pan because of one or more of wawuzit(aka Steve)'s reasons. Don't often leave it draining overnight as I have to do it outside (not enough room in the shop to leave it that long) and/or the air movement causes the last several drops to be blown outside the pan. Is that only an old man's problem?

I think you drop the plug in the pan becouse you just need an excuse to get your hands dirty, nice and oily to impress the *chicks* admiring that "He man" under the car. If im not mistaken, they like oily things.



Seriously, i just remove the plug and try to catch it before it falls and set it on the shelf. That IS, with the oil warm...not HOT. I wont even touch the engine when it's hot. I dont normally like to be burned. It doesnt really feel good.

I will add
(f) arthritis
to Steve's suggestions.
Tony