Más que & Más de

[laepelba]

From a different thread ( http://forums.tomisimo.org/showthread.php?t=8769 ), I am working on understanding the difference between "más que" and "más de".

I have thoroughly read everything you folks have sent my way, and I have read some other websites, etc. that I have found on the subject. I am still a bit confused.

I found the following examples about which I have questions:

About "más que":
- No tiene más que 28 años. = He is not more than 28 years old.
Question: I see the explanation (in the other thread) that "Seguido de una expresión cuantitativa, esta construcción significa ‘solamente’". So the translation would be more accurately "He is only 28 years old.", right?

- Me duela más que antes. = This hurts me more than before.
Question: Unrelated to the "más que" - is there a quick/short answer (or referring thread) as to why this is subjunctive? If not, I'll drop it for now...


About "más de":
- Pesa más de lo que parece. = It's heavier than you think.
- Es más complicado de lo que tú crees. = It's more complicated than you think.
- Le pagaré el doble de lo que marque el taxímetro. = I will pay you twice what the meter reads.
- El viejo sabe del testigo más de lo que aparenta. = The old man knows of the witness more than it seems. (?? Still working on what this one means...)
- Me despierto varias horas antes de lo que solía. = I wake up several hours earlier than I used to.
NOTE: A couple of the websites I've been reading group words like "doble" and "antes" with the "más que/más de" question, that's why they're included here.
Question about the above five examples: They each contain "lo que", and I don't understand why "lo que" is necessary. When I try to say each of them without "lo que", they sound fine to me... But they also sound the same to me if I change "más de lo que" to just "más que".....
For example:
"Pesa más de lo que parece." ?=? "Pesa más que parece." (etc.)

- Les deseo muchos años más de felicidad. = I wish for you many more years of happiness.
- Quiero saber más de los dinosaurios. = I want to know more about dinosaurs.
- Nike Air: Un poco menos de dolor. = Nike Air: A little less hurt.
Question: These don't seem to be related to the original question because they're not comparisons, right? "More years" after today, "more knowledge" than what I have (not really a comparison...), and "less pain" than without these shoes (again, not really a comparison).... Am I right about these three?

Still trying to understand........ Thanks!!