I'm not so sure about synthetics having shorter chains. It could be so,
but I suspect simply smaller molecules all the way around, The longer
the chain the better the lube because the chains are "Ropey" and stay
put between parts longer You sort of have to envision lots of strings
wrapped around everything. However, if the molecules are short, would
not that impair the ability to cling and therefore protect between
bearing surfaces? I don't think short is the same thing as small
necessarily, and therefore you could possible have a long but small
chain .....lubing well, but definitely finding the infinitesimally small
 holes through which it could excape and drip to the ground or simply
make a mess on the engine.

Sort of like air vs helium in a rubber ballon. Air stays in a balloon
because the molecules are to big to pass between the interstices in the
rubber and escape. However, helium is quite another matter. The small
helium molecules can easily pass through  the interstices and escape,
deflating the balloon.

My $0.02.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

>Volks,
>   This could have been said and if so please
>excuse me.  Synthetics have shorter chemical
>chains and that is why they take so long, if
>ever, to break down.  That's why the can sneak
>through the small openings in your oil system.
>   My old boss used to work for GE and they had
>some synthetic lubes they were evaluating.  They
>put them in some welded aluminum containers and
>they snuck out the welds and bubbled up the
>paint.  That's what he said at least.
>Steve
>
>
>=====
>Steve
>croatoa@yahoo.com
>
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