Originally Posted by Silk
Originally Posted by Pelican
The small & large molecules get burnt off and end up as deposit on your valves and piston head while the medium size ones lubricate..
So then all the molecules end up the same size and it's as good as synthetic.
No, because at the molecular level their still different. In other words the molecules within the lube are different from synthetic to mineral. Higher quality base oils like grp3 and 4 have a higher concentration of "saturated" molecules.
"Saturated molecules contain a higher percentage of carbon-hydrogen (CH) bonds, which limits the available sites to which other, harmful molecules can attach. When other molecules, like oxygen, attach to oil molecules, they break down the molecular composition of the oil and weaken its performance. Saturated molecules are beneficial in lubricating fluids because they remain stable longer, resulting in a more durable lubricant. Unsaturated molecules have fewer single carbon-hydrogen bonds and are therefore less stable"
Synthetics also contain little to no sulfur (contaminant) and wax, which gives synthetics the edge in cold conditions. Synthetics are, in almost every way, superior to a mineral oil. This is not to say that mineral (Grp 2/2+) aren't perfectly suitable for use as an engine lubricant, they are.
Amsoil mineral v. synthetic