Good Morning Frank,
Synthetic oil manufacturers have corrected the oil leaking issues 5 years or so ago. The problem was actually the molecular structure or the oil, smaller compounds can fit through smaller holes, same goes for antifreeze.
Regards, Jeff Hogue
----- Original Message -----
From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM>
Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2007 7:35 am
Subject: Re: Castrol, QT, 5W50

> In a message dated 06/02/2007 10:00:25 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>
> I'm  confused, Frank. In a previous post this morning you said
> 20W50 is  the
> required oil and then here you say you use 5W50. I challenge only
> becauseI'm about to change the oil that I just put in 15 miles ago
> because  I'm lead
> to believe that it is a bit too heavy for these cold  temps.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mordo, you missed one very  important part of that post.  20w50 is
> standardoil and 5w50 is full  synthetic.  There is no 5w50 standard
> oil so one of the
> solutions to cold  weather starting is to use synthetic oils that
> come in 0w50
> and 5w50  configurations.  It's the 50 part of the oil that the
> waterboxerneeds to  have a long healthy life.  The low part of the
> oil number is to aid in
> starting at cold temperatures.  Now, all that said it is not always
> advisable to switch an old engine over to full synthetic as it
> "may" cause  softening
> of the seals and therefore induce oil leaking problems.  Some
> gamblers do it
> and win some loose.  The lower the miles on the engine the  better
> chance you
> have.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank  Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> '87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains
> (_Collectionfor  sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> _Frank Condelli &  Associates_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)_Vanagon  Stainless
> Steel Exhaust Systems_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
> _BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
> camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10, 2007
>
> Cheers,
>
> Frank  Condelli
> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
> '87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg  (Forsale) & Lionel Trains
> (_Collectionfor  sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
> _Frank Condelli &  Associates_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)_Vanagon  Stainless
> Steel Exhaust Systems_
> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
> _BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm)  a VW Camper
> camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10,  2007
>