Milky Oil

[Teekass]

Anyone ever seen this?

 

I put a new oil pump in a 350 that hasn't been started in 5+ years. I added new oil and filter, and primed the oil pump for a couple minutes (oil pressure held steady at 50 psi). I then removed the oil filter and it had a white pasty sort of gunk in it. At this point, I had NOT yet put water in the engine. I assumed the milky stuff was either accumulated condensation in the oil galleys, etc......or something placed in the oil pump from the factory to prevent the need for priming (I've heard of people packing oil pumps with petroleum jelly, etc) Anyway, I chunked that filter, and put on another one, checked the oil (which was clean), filled the cooling system with water, and started the engine. I only let run long enough to get a little heat in it (30 seconds or so), then shut it off, and rechecked the oil......now the oil is milky.

 

The engine ran great, plugs looked good after shutdown, no water in the header or strange sounds after shutdown to make me believe head gasket or intake gasket problem, no external leaks like......dare I say it....cracked block. I'm hoping it's still drawing condensation from within the engine, and thereby changing the color of the oil. I plan to change the oil and filter again, and see what happens. Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

Chris

[Pop N Wood]

I can tell you from first hand experience that gettting coolant in the oil will make it look like that.

 

Changing the oil before trying to start an engine that has been sitting should be standard practice.

 

Maybe it is condensate. Or maybe you are as unlucky as my brother and a weeping head gasket allowed water into the combustion chamber causing the aluminum head to pit until a grove was cut from a coolant passage into an oil passage.

[Teekass]

Mabye it's wishful thinking, but since the oil filter had milky stuff in it, before I ever put water in the engine, I'm hoping it's condensation.

[Scottie-GNZ]

Hate to tell you this, but I agree with Pop N Wood. You are getting coolant in the crankcase and most likely a head gasket.

[grumpyvette]

an engine can aquire a large amount of condensation over 5 years without running in some conditions...but thats not likely your problem from the description...

the guys might be correct about the leaky head gasket or it might be something simple like a leaky intake gasket,especially if the engine was stored,where it freezes at times, yet its easily something more serious, like a cracked block or head, but you won,t know without checking it out, first step is a compression check THEN a LEAKDOWN CHECK if the compression check fails to indicate the source of the leak,a LEAKDOWN CHECK is far more likely to find the source,Id also be looking at the uncapped radiator for bubbles in the coolant,while it idles and changes in the oil level,but running the engine for any thing more than testing for a few minutes untill you locate the source seems counter productive.

 

now to me, it seems like a minor thing to pull and , check it out durring a refresh & regasket the engine weekend......ESPECIALLY if you have a few friends to help

(bribe them with sandwiches and BEER)

[Teekass]

Whew!

 

I flushed the milky oil, then replaced the oil and oil filter last night. I started the engine today, and the oil is clean as a whistle . I brought it up to temperature 3 times total, checking the oil in between, and not a trace of water in it.

 

It must have been either condensation, or water that was introduced while it was on the engine stand (since I saw it in the filter before it was put in the car).....I do have an inquisitive 6 year old who knows how to operate a water hose while I'm not looking .

 

Thanks again for all the troubleshooting ideas.

 

Chris

[deja]

Whew!

 

I flushed the milky oil, then replaced the oil and oil filter last night. I started the engine today, and the oil is clean as a whistle . I brought it up to temperature 3 times total, checking the oil in between, and not a trace of water in it.

 

It must have been either condensation, or water that was introduced while it was on the engine stand (since I saw it in the filter before it was put in the car).....I do have an inquisitive 6 year old who knows how to operate a water hose while I'm not looking .

 

Thanks again for all the troubleshooting ideas.

 

Chris

 

Glad the hear you dodged that bullet Chris.