Star Tron - Snake oil or miracle fuel additive?

[dougd1]

I just got hit with a sales pitch last week by a Star Brite salesman pitching their Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment.* I happened to be right in the middle of trying to find out why my Nissan 25hp 4-stroke was running like dog doo-doo.* It had been sitting for 4 or 5 months without any use.* After tossing the old fuel and filling up with some fresh gas it still had an intermittent miss while idling and running at full throttle.

After thinking about tearing into the 3 carbs I decided to give this Star Tron stuff a whirl.* I'll gamble $15 any day if it will keep me from rebuilding and retuning a 3 carb setup.

Well, after running this stuff through the fuel system, it seems to be running like new.* I'll be running it a lot more this weekend.* I'll report back if anything changes.

My question is: did I just get lucky and the carbs cleaned up on their own?* Or, does this stuff really work?* Any other success stories on this kind of stuff?

The sales pitch: http://www.startron.com/

 

[KMA]

Doug...

I can't say for sure on the gasoline additive, but I've had good luck with their diesel additive. Those big old 8v92s are just purring away.

 

[Marin]

Doug---

Don't know about Startron one way or the other. I can tell you that after sitting for several years (not pickled, big mistake) the 90hp, 2-stroke, three-cylinder Yamaha on our Arima didn't run so good even with new gas. It missed and hiccuped, but it ran. But after about a day of using it up at the north end of Vancouver Island on a halibut fishing trip, it started running better and better and by the third day it was running perfectly. No additive, just new gas and using the motor. I have since learned my lesson and now pickle the engine when it's going to sit for long periods, which it often does.

If Startron has an ingredient that cleans out deposits, it should improve the running of an engine that's been sitting. Maybe that's what the "enzymes" do.....?

For the last ten years we have been using two additives in our diesel fuel that are recommended by our diesel shop. One is Hammonds Biobor, an anti-algae additive, and the other is Hammonds Select3, which improves the lubricity of low sulfur fuel as well as does other things. The Ford Lehman 120 is particularly needful of fuel lubricity as it's the fuel that lubricates the injection plugers in their bores in the Simms fuel pump, and also lubricates the moving parts in the injectors themselves. (The lube oil in a Simms injection pump lubes only the pump's drive mechanism in the lower part of the pump. It does not lube the injection plungers.)

 

[dougd1]

I had tried running it with just fresh fuel for about 20 minutes or so.* Maybe I should have tried running it some more before putting in the snake oil?

I'm actually using the Star Tron for diesels.* I forgot to*repeat what the Star Brite salesman said.* He said that the diesel product is just a concentrated form of the gas product.* It costs less if you just half the dosage for gas engines.* In other words, instead of 1 ounce for x gallons, just use 1/2 an ounce.

I'm going to fill up with diesel and try it in Boomarang this weekend.* That is, if the bank approves the loan for the fuel!

*

-- Edited by dougd1 at 18:32, 2008-03-13

 

[gns]

I've been using Star Tron gasoline treatment with my twin 5.7 Mercs for a couple of years now.* I did notice improved performance when I first started using it.* I have no empirical data but I do think the engines are running better now than when I bought the boat.* Not snake oil, in my opinion.

 

[Marin]

Doug---

I suspect most fuel additives that claim to clean fuel passsages, carburetors, injectors, valves, etc. will have at least some positive effect on a gunked up engine.

As opposed to magnetic fuel treatment systems that are supposed to kill algae, improve fuel economy, and bring peace to the world in our time. These have not only been proven in test after test to do nothing whatsoever except clean your wallet, but I have witnessed what I thought was a hillarious demonstration of the total ineffectiveness of magnetic fields as fuel treatment. The story is too involved to go into here, but if I'd had even the tiniest thought that magnetic fuel treament might be effective, it was totally squashed by this demonstration.

Using an addititve like Startron certainly won't hurt anything, and I suspect that it can actually do some good.

The one I'm really curious about is Marvel Mystery Oil. It's been around forever, and there are folks who have been in the diesel engine business for a long, long time--- like Bob Smith at American Diesel--- who recommend using it as a diesel fuel additive, at least in old-generation diesels like Ford Lehmans. But I've never heard a definitive explanation of why it's good, and what exactly it accomplishes as a fuel additive. Nor am I aware of objective tests that demonstrate its effectiveness.

 

[FF]

A friend of mine was a sales man for Mobile.

If you want a tanker of some chemical its was his bag.

He had MMO run thru the Mobile lab and it is #1 diesel, oil of wintergreen (to cover the diesel smell) and red die. Thats it.

The Star Tron is as good as other tank cleaners , it captures the gunk and delivers it in large enough hunks to be captured by any filter.The other style cleaners drops it to the tank bottom, where it can be pumped or drained.

Stanadine is the best product to clean diesel injectors about 30 min will do the job IF its only carbon & gunk.

FF

 

[Keith]

I've used the Startron diesel additive since it was still called Soltron. Seems to work very well... noticed reduced smoking after shocking my tanks and having them polished, then using it on an ongoing basis. I almost never have any crud in the filters. When we opened up one tank to repair a small leak, it was darned clean inside... that's on a 20 yr. old boat! We found a very thin layer of gunk at the bottom, maybe 1/16" or so, but mostly rust particles that had fallen off the top of the steel tank, where the diesel doesn't slosh around much and the water condenses.

Oh yea, and I use MMO per Bob Smith's recommendation... 1 qt./100 gallons of diesel. It's supposed to increase the lubricity of the fuel and help save the injector pump. Maybe I should just get the wintergreen oil...

 

[Phil Fill]

I been using Star Bright addtives for 10+ years.* I been using on road #1 and #2 diesel in the Webasto diesel boiler as it smokes/smells with the off road/boat diesel and as a result have also run and blended with the engine diesel that seems to run better/cleaner. The on road has lubricating additive and burns cleaner

*
So I would imagine any additives that increase the cellus/octane rating,* reduces the tarring, reduces water and increase the lubrication*will make the engine run better.* I been using additive for 10+ years as we do not use/turn the diesel every years, and the diesel is stored for long periods of time.* The new low sulfur diesel off road*at most fuel docks cannot be stored as long, does not have the lubrication, and/or the cellus/octane rating.

*
In the PMM magazine and the chat there have been article and discussion concerning the new low sulfur off road/boat diesel and the newer ultra low sulfur on road/vehicle diesel which will be coming soon to most areas.* Anyway, if you do not use addtives you might want to consider using them.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I also wondered about Marvel Mystery Oil. I worked at a machine shop for many years and the top machineists would'nt even go out on a field job without the stuff. They used it as a cutting oil.


Eric Henning
30 Willard
Thorne Bay AK

 

[Phil Fill]

Since the additives used in the fall/winter is mostly to absorb water and stabilize the fuel which makes the diesel even less lubricative, so in the spring I added, yup you guested. it Marvel Mystery Oil to make the diesel more lubricative for the engines.*****

 

[Jim Spence]

I owned an auto repair for 10 years. I swear by Marvel Mystery Oil. One of our specialties was repairing over heated engines. We probably did an average of 300 per year. When we pulled a head to send out to a machine shop for resurfacing and a valve job, I required the tech to fill each cylinder with MMO. Every morning while the engine was apart the tech would top off the MMO. The MMO prevented moisture from getting into the engine. It would loosen the carbon from the compression rings, and stop any rusting from antifreeze in the top end of the engine. Before assembly of the eingine it would be wiped out with a rag. When the engine was started it would smoke like a fogger clear up in a few minutes and be done. I have had literally hundreds of customers tell me that their cars ran better after I fixed them than they had in years.

I also used MMO to clean fuel injectors. I would put a quart in 10 gallons of fuel and have the customer drive the vehicle. It was especially effective with TBI engines. It frequently would eliminate problems with intermittent misses at idle that were fuel related.

We also used it to clean sludged up engines. Fords are bad about stopping up the oil pump screen if oil changes are neglected. We would drop the pan. remove the oil pump and screen and then clean the pan etc. Change the oil and filter and put a quart of MMO in replacing 1 quart of oil. We would do this and have the customer drive the vehicle 500 miles. and then do it again. It was amazing the amount of sludge that would come out of the oil pan when the oil was changed.

We also used it for cutting oil, air tool oil etc. It has a lot of uses.

 

[GonCruzn3]

I used MMO in a 1979 Four Winds that my dad gave to me because he could not sell it in Fl.* I took the plugs out filled the cylinders with MMO and drove it back to Md. I put a new set of plugs in it and changed the oil, replacing 1 qt MMO for 1 qt oil and ran it for about 5 years on the Cheseapeake Bay. I sold it to a friend at work and she is still running it. What is in that stuff?

 

[FF]

The best penitrant going is simple ATF.

We have freed stuck valve lifters by simply dumping in a quart , and going for a 50+ mile ride .

Noise would be gone after 50 miles , so the oil would be then changed.

50 miles is not common on NYC cars as many are started to drive across the street daily.

"Alternate side parking" is in theory so the street sweepers can blast by.

Like most other gov concepts its simply another money maker , but worse a car engine destroyer.

Indoor parking is $400 to $600+ in a NON Tony area , lots more in fancyland.

FF

 

[wingspar]

When I got mt current boat about 5 years ago with Volvo TAMD 41A volvo diesel engines they both would leave a smoke trail behind tehm about 30 to 40 feet. Got the usual advice from Boat Diesel to change or clean injectors, turbo etc. Deceided to try a bottle of Soltron in the tank. Let it sit in the tank for a few weeks and took the boat for a four hour cruise. I was amazed that after a few hours of running the smoke was completely gone!

Dave

 

[Daddyo]

I've been running MMO in my 120 Lehman for four years and she starts in the first 2 seconds everytime (including after winter layup) and runs great. My theory was if it's good enough for Bob Smith then it's good enough for me.