Hot Rods water in oil??

while I had the valve covers off my 350 chevrolet that I was adjusting the rocker arms on, I looked at the oil film in the valve covers, looked to have a slight color of milkyness, like water in the oil. the right valve cover even had some condensation very small amount in the top of it, like it had been sweating due to weater change or something. not much, but none the less water! I pulled out the dipstick, the oil is clean and dark, just like it should be. got any ideas?? blown head gasket maybe???

 

If it isn't driven daily, and for enough miles to burn off the condensation this will happen - Normal

 

condensation.

 

Blown head gaskets look like chocolate milk or maybe a Mickey Dee's Frappe but not near as tasty.

 

good to know. thanks for the help guys. Art

 

I had that as well as a couple of spoons full of what looked like grease in the right bank cover. I've looked at it since then and figured it was condensation and maybe the fact that I use zinc additive?? Not sure but it's not there now.

 

Check to see if your thermostat is missing or stuck open FIRST.
Happened to me.
A new thermostat and 2 oil changes later everything is right with my world again.

 

probably. if crankcase oil is clear probably just condensation. ^^^^

 

Clean oil on the dipstick may not be a true indicator of if any water is present. A marine technician was just in at work a few weeks ago, and we were discussing my Sons 454 in his boat. He is getting some milkiness in the valve covers too, and we are suspecting a blown head gasket, cracked head, or cracked exhaust manifold. (Our engine builder says 454's are prone to head cracking sometimes)

Anyway, the tech showed me some pictures of an engine he had just pulled. One picture was of the dipstick, showing really good looking oil, and the next picture was of him draining the oil out and into a pan. The oil was pure milk and water. He said he sees it all the time where the dipstick looks ok but the oil down below has water in it.

If I were you, I would drain the oil and look at it's condition. If it is condensation you should not see much milkiness, but if it is a gasket or something else, you will see more water in there.

Don

 

Also helps to have the crankcase vented and a properly working PCV system.

 

Small amount is just condensation. The best fix is take on a good long drive! When you change your oil, you will see if any water is present in the oil. If you do not have any unexplained coolant loss, then my money is on just some condensation.

 

And you know this how?

 

One must use all the senses in proper engine diagnostics, besides it looked like Chocolate milk.

 

Had same condensation in valve cover issue years back w/SBC which was a daily driver...........turned out to be the ASH content in the oil......tried different oil w/lower ASH and resolved the issue...........

 

Pretty common in cold weather on cars that are driven on short trips. It takes quite a while to get the engine hot enough to boil off all the condensation.

 

thanks guys for the help. I'm gonna drain the oil just to make sure its nothing serious. coolant level is good.

 

If there is a lot of water and it has set for a while, that will come first so look for that when you remove the plug. Likely everything is OK.