Marvel Mystery Oil Disrepute

[GAHorn]

Aww, a little bit of kerosene in your gasoline never hurt anyone.

Your right David, it probably hasn't. In fact rumor has it the airlines used it (MMO) in round engines by the 55 gal drum.

Personally I find it a pain in the butt to buy and store Stoddard solvent, red dye and winter green, and then mixing them in the right proportion is tedious. Much more convenient to buy MMO in a nice red bottle.

I have it on good authority (one of the lead mechanics working for Delta in those days) that they got caught using it on the big radials and fined by the feds over it.
They experienced better dispatch-rates than their competitors due to more freedom from fouled spark plugs/stuck valves (who turned Delta in to the feds over it.)

I suspect but have no proof that MMO might have a touch of phosphate in it. (TCP, tricresylphosphate is a common "extreme-pressure" additive in some gear oils, etc. It is also the anti-lead additive in Alcor TCP, and was widely used in/after WW2 to avoid lead deposits in high performance auto and aircraft engines. If true, it might help explain the favoritism toward MMO that some radial operators profess. Either way, it's not an approved additive by any authority or mfr'r.)

[hilltop170]

I have a picture I took myself of an active duty FAA Airworthiness Inspector pouring it into the gas tank of his personal plane. I'm saving it as a get out of jail free card if I ever get busted.

[rickyricky2]

Many years ago I saw a gentleman on the wing of his skyraider pouring MMO into his oil tank. I said "MMO ?" And he put his finger to his lips and said "shhhhh". This was the flight line at an airshow.
We used to mix it 50/50 with 5-56 and put it in a spray bottle and spray it on bare blocks or heads. This would keep them clean and shiny but oily.

[GAHorn]

That reminds me of a story told me directly by one of the pit-crewmembers for Indianapolis winner A.J. Foyt who was sponsored by many products including STP oil treatment. The crewmember said that "A.J." authorized STP to be used as a lubricant on his wife's car door hinges so that he could say truthfully in the advertisements "I use it regularly."

(For those curious, the magic potion in STP is a zinc compound which works effectively as an anti-scuffing agent. The problem with it these days is that the zinc poisons the catalytic-converters and will lead to auto-inspection EPA-system failures that can be pretty costly. P&W and others forbid it in aircraft engines because it kills certain types of bearings in aircraft engines.)