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Date:         Tue, 25 May 1999 11:38:34 -0400
Reply-To:     Mark Gajewski <mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Gajewski <mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM>
Subject:      Re: Synthetic Oil Leaks
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

My question to >you all is, would changing back to regular GL-4 make a difference once a >little leak starts

I believe that the reason synthetics occasionally cause leaks in older vehicles is that the synthetic oil causes the rubber seals to swell less than conventional oil. (all rubber, even "oil resistant" rubber swells somewhat when immersed in oil). Anyway, when switching to synthetic, if the seals are old and slightly worn already the loss of swell shrinks the seal and can cause a leak. Though I have no direct experience with going back to conventional oil, I would think it would swell the seals up again, possibly allowing them to seal. If you are desperate and daring you could add one of those seal-repair-in-a-bottle additives. Basically, they consist of solvents that will swell the rubber seals more than oil itself. This can slightly enlarge the seal (and soften it) which may allow it to re-seal. The downside is that these solvents can also degrade the rubber in the long run so you may have the problem return sooner than you thought. Mark


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