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Pilots have sworn by MMO for decades. It can be added to gas or engine oil. It's supposed to be stoddard solvent, which is or was a dry cleaning solvent. It has been reported to free stuck valves, clean oil passages and clean carburetors and injectors. It has been used so long and so often in high displacement air-cooled aircraft engines that it is almost certain not to cause harm. Benefits are anecdotal, but enough to make me think there's something to it. It is not an approved additive, so I couldn't say that I used it even if I did. The only caution I can think of is the same one they say about changing from regular oil to synthetic oil -- go slow. In the early days of synthetic oil, people were cautioned to change over to synthetic oil one quart at time because it was so efficient a detergent that sheets of sludge in dirty engines would come loose and clog oil passages. If you have a high time engine which you suspect to be sludged-up, add a little and change the oil. Next time add a little more and change the oil, etc.
HarryN
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- Aug 28, 2011
- Messages
- 117
I have used it for at least 20 years. I use the recommended amount of 2 oz in a 5 gallon gas can. I have various engines sizes from push lawn mowers to ZTR's, tractors, 3 chain saws, weed eaters, trimmers, pressure washers, roto tiller, 3 generators... you get the picture. I try to use "real" gas at all costs. Can't tell you how many hundreds of 5 gallon gas cans I've used. I put the MMO AND same amount of sta-bil in every fill up. One of my generators was not used for 9 years. Just sat there with a full tank of my gas in it. After all that time, when I went to use it, 3 - 4 pulls and ran great. Was really figuring to have to do a full carb clean or replacement on it, but didn't need to - to my surprise! I have not had to replace any rubber gas lines either. If at all possible most of my small engines have an inline gas shut off. I turn them off and wait for engine to die for lack of fuel. I have never used MMO in the engine oil though. Now, I've never torn down an engine to compare it to a new one 15 years later, so what goes on in there with MMO I can't say. All I know is that it works for me and I'm probably the most skeptical guy on earth. I just don't believe most of the "marketing" BS out there. I just buy it at Walmart and if on sale I buy a bunch. The only thing I REALLY know is that if it doesn't work, It make me feel better and sure doesn't break the bank!! Good luck to you...
HarryN
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2011
- Messages
- 117
Bobcat.... I know you asked about using MMO as an engine oil "additive" and I didn't really address that specifically. But, I wonder if used as a gas additive, that the end result would be the same (as in my case) Assuming the quality of oil you use is good and changed regularly. I use the same Rotella 15w40 in every engine I have.
Almost no machinery or automobile or engine manufacturer recommends ANY additive in the oil. I would find it hard to believe that one additive could work wonders in both the oil and gas. So the only mystery about MMO is why people still use it. If you want your oil to perform better, buy better oil. If something that was added to the oil happened to free a chunk of sludge large enough to block an oil return galley, your engine would be in BIG trouble. Auto-Rx is possibly one exception as it works very very slowly and one needs a cleaning oil cycle followed by a rinse oil cycle. Possibly changing the oil filter half way through each cycle. And the stuff is expensive and needs to be ordered and the guy that invented it and sells it can be cranky at times. I have used it in 3 cars/SUVs and believe it has cleaned the engines. Its is suppose to clean sludge along with the ring pack, increasing compression. It conditions seals rather than swells them. Sometimes it causes a leak that latter goes away as the seal gets conditioned. Some of the before and after pictures get the valve train clean enough to eat off of. As far as a gas additive, use a PEA additive like Techtron or Regaine.
