Just like today’s engines, early internal combustion engines suffered from performance problems when fuel was allowed to sit for long periods of time. Fuel would start to deteriorate, allowing a gummy residue to form on key engine parts.

This was a particularly bad problem in World War II. As part of the Lend-Lease program, the U.S. sent thousands of tanks, planes, cars and trucks to the British government. With fuel in short supply, the equipment was sent pre-fueled.

Since German U-boats regularly patrolled the Atlantic, the American ships had to take long, circuitous paths to avoid them. This added weeks to the voyage and gave fuel more time to deteriorate. By the time the equipment arrived, the carburetors were so gummed up that many of the engines wouldn't start.

To solve the problem, the U.S. enlisted the help of a small company in western Pennsylvania, which provided a solvent that removed the gum and varnish from the equipment. The product was called Gumout. And while engine technology has changed a lot since 1941, that drive to improve performance hasn’t.

Today, Gumout products solve a range of performance issues, from carbon deposits on key engine parts to corrosion caused by ethanol and water. Formulas are created using the latest technology and are constantly put to the test to ensure that your engine performs when it really needs to.

Learn more about the Science behind better performance.