Mechanic in a Bottle, huh? Yeah...right.

[Mr Mower Man]

Who are all these people who say they used B3C's Mechanic in a Bottle in an engine that would barely run, and in 15 minutes it purred like a kitten? Who are these people?! I've tried using MIB multiple times now, and NOT ONE TIME has it ever made any difference! This experience has done nothing but confirm in my mind that every miracle fuel product out there is just a gimmick. I don't trust any of 'em. You need a mechanic? Get a REAL one, not one in a stinkin' bottle.

This is not to say anything against fuel stabilizers, which aren't touted as miracle products. I'm also kinda excited about the new Fuel Life product from B3C, which is a desiccant pack that absorbs water out of the fuel in your can or tank. In my experience, water is the biggest fuel problem, and a product that keeps fuel dry is the best thing since sliced bread.

But this Mechanic in a Bottle and any other miracle "get your junk engine running again in minutes" stuff -- I just don't believe in any of it.

Somebody give me an AMEN or else show me where I've gone wrong to get bad results.

[bgsengine]

Its good stuff, within reason - it will NOT fix problems where dirt and debris is involved (bits of fuel line, silicates, corrosion, rust, etc) it WILL work well where the only real issue is gum and varnish build up - It will not fix something in 15 minutes though - however I have personal experience where it WILL resolve a lean surge issue (My own generator sat in storage over 2 years, a quick cleanup and fresh fuel, it had a surge at no load.) I had to run 2 full tanks of gas (treated with a liberal dose of MIB) before it cleared up - in many cases it will take some extended run time (hours, not minutes) but *if* the only issue is just gum and varnish build-up, it can be a solution.

I have also used it often in the shop to clean troublesome carburetors (such as the Onan Performer twin where you would otherwise have to R&R the entire intake manifold to unbolt the carburetor for service) where you can just "pop the top" off the carburetor, fill the fuel bowl (still bolted to engine) full of MIB and leave it it sit several hours (better left overnight) then you can suction it out, flush and blow out the carburetor and it's often nicely cleaned up and problem solved.

The stuff will dissolve gum and varnish build up but it will not break down debris (from rotted fuel lines, aluminum oxidation, etc) So it is decidedly NOT a miracle cure, but it does have its uses and in certain cases (as exampled above) save some time and money (time spent doing other stuff than tearing down and rebuilding)

But, the trick is knowing (before tearing off the carburetor) whether or not the problem is just gum and varnish (Though one might just pop the fuel bowl off for a look for debris, etc) but where it is the problem, MiB actually does work quite well. (As does Sta-Bil's START! treatment, but to somewhat of a lesser degree)

[hanz63]

MIB? Not sure. I slick my hair back with Seafoam every Sunday. Been deposit free for years. Just ask my bank....

[RoyM]

Scmart ash!!!

[KE4AVB]

Never tried it myself.

I kinda figure I would have the same luck as I do with JB Weld products. I have other techs that swear by JB Weld but for me it has been dismal failure. Great for filling none structural holes even the Prematex Steel Weld won't hold under structural loads.

I usually take a manufacture claims with a grain of salt until I prove it to myself since I have been burned so many times by their claims. When it comes carburetors what works best for me is simply is good old fashion cleaning though I do use an ultrasonic cleaner nowadays. Even they can't clean everything without some help to get started. Some of the contaminates can be very resistance to cleaning methods used. Must use the right product for whatever is to be removed. This may be because by the time things get to my shop they are beyond a simple fix.

Now since I upgraded to a larger unit I do get most carbs cleaned within an hour but I had a couple that took a couple hours. Those were near unsavable condition.

As with all things there are limits as to what they can do. So sometimes it takes experimentation but always be prepared for a failure. As BGS said sometimes it may simply needs more time to work depending how bad things are. It is like my UC, I have heard "You can clean a carburetor in less 30 minutes". I seldom see that here except for some small cube carburetors.

[Cloyden]

Good advice at the end there. You learn that kind of stuff over time I guess.