If "synthetic" fluids are not based on petroleum, then what are they based
on? I always thought synthetic meant polymerized from monomers to some
very specific structure rather than simple mineral oil with little
modification. The base of most monomers is still petroleum. Maybe natural
gas. Tiny amounts from renewable bio-based sources. Yes, synthetic sounds
good these days, though.
Don
1962 TR3B TSF202L
On Thursday, May 31, 2012, Randall wrote:
> > but will
> > Castrol/Girling LMA synthetic fluid still take the paint off the parts
> > it touches?
>
> Yes. As Peter said, it is not actually any different than before, Castrol
> (and other fluid manufacturers) have simply added the word "Synthetic" to
> the label; apparently because many consumers believe that synthetic is
> better. But in fact, no brake fluid is based on petroleum at all, so they
> are all "synthetic" and always have been, it just didn't say so on the
> label
> before.
>
> Besides, Castrol won a court case saying, in effect, that any petroleum
> product that comes from a modern refinery is "synthetic" and can be sold as
> such.
>
>
> > also why would you not produce "new" spec parts.
>
> Because if you update the specifications, you have to do expensive,
> complicated tests to ensure that the new specification parts work under all
> circumstances. In addition, there is a significant additional legal
> liability, in case someone claims that your new specifications are
> deficient
> in some way.
>
> Unless you have customers willing to pay many times the price (remember we
> are a very limited market) for parts with updated specifications; it simply
> does not make financial sense to do so.
>
> -- Randall
>
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