Hi Scotty,
I have a 99 Honda Civic manual transmission with only 12T km on the odometer which was not used by my father for the past 13 years. It was just sitting in his garage all this time.
Now that i want to start using the car, what will i need to do to ensure the car will give me many more years of useful life starting from the day i start it again? Battery, gasoline and tires will be replaced definitely. But do i need to replace all fluids in the car like oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, manual transmission fluid and radiator coolant? And do i need to replace parts like oil filter, compressor belt, power steering pump belt, air filter, spark plugs?
Please give me your valuable advice on this so i can perform the required action.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Regards,
Rene from Manila Philippines
Would 0W-16 or 0W-8 work as well as marvel mystery oil?
anything is better than nothing, but engine oil has to be much thicker than MMO.
MMO contains very thin, light (low boiling point) petroleum distillates. That means it will penetrate, and creep into tight gaps. It will probably also loosen up any gummy residues, if any. These probably work well for loosening up seized parts. It's why your penetrating oils (PB Blaster, Kroil, etc.) are thin. Those would work too. These things have very low film strength though, so you wouldn't want to run them in an engine. It would cause too much friction. They also evaporate quickly. I heard they put a bit of lard in MMO, so it probably leaves a thin oily film for protection, but not enough to lubricate.
Dumb question, how do you pour it into the cylinder? Just remove the spark plugs and pour it in that way?
that's it.
And how much do you pour in?
I would put a tablespoon or so. I don't think more than that will provide any benefit, and will just end up giving you a smoke show.
Thanks!
But do i need to replace all fluids in the car like oil, brake fluid, power steering fluid, manual transmission fluid and radiator coolant?
Yes.
Additionally you will probably find that the entire fuel system needs to be flushed out and some parts replaced since the fuel will have turned into varnish. The brake hydraulics will probably need to be rebuilt. The tires will need replacement as well as the battery.
Before attempting to start the engine you might want to pour a little bit of Marvel Mystery Oil or other light oil into each cylinder for lubrication and let it soak in overnight. Then try turning over the engine by hand to make sure it's not locked up before running it.
If you search youtube you'll find plenty of videos showing how to revive a car that's been sitting for many years.
Would 0W-16 or 0W-8 work as well as marvel mystery oil?
Dumb question, how do you pour it into the cylinder? Just remove the spark plugs and pour it in that way? And how much do you pour in?
Just curious. This is fascinating.
Would 0W-16 or 0W-8 work as well as marvel mystery oil?
@imperator covered that as well as using the stuff. Here's some additional detailed information about MMO, a product which has been around for literally a century:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUDfy7STrjQ
What a fascinating history! Thanks for sharing.
Hi @chucktobias, @imperator and @kaizen, Thank you so much for your valuable responses and sharing! Truly helpful and appreciated!
Stay safe!