This is a daily, but it has a 350 in it. Lately when cold I check the oil and it's way, way up on the dipstick, like 3-4 inches over the oil marks. I wipe it and check again and some oil is on it to the same level, although not coating it like when I first pull it. So I drove it to the parts store to buy 5 quarts so I could change it and see if maybe it was full of coolant.. far enough for it to get up to temperature.. and check again. When warm the oil level reads where it's supposed to, in the hash marks on the dipstick. Looks like the right color, smells normal, no obvious signs of trouble. Weather has been cold lately, below freezing and it sat about two weeks in temps as low as -10'F or so. Engine is high milage (120K) and oil pressure drops way down on the gauge when hot at idle but otherwise is okay. No better or worse than any other higher milage engine I've run. I only noticed because a couple weeks ago I drove it and the fuel milage was in the toilet from normal, and then the next cold day I got very little heat out of it, so I started checking things. It puts out more heat on Vent than on any of the heater settings. The coolant was low, I topped it off and it's still low, but I had the whole raidator out in July and may never have burped it properly. I drove it again last night and it seemed normal, up to temp in about three miles driving, gauge went past the usual place, then dropped back, which usually is what happens when the thermostat opens. My guess is it may need a thermostat, I picked one up, but why the oil seems to wick up the dipstick, I don't understand. I've driven it far enough now that if it was getting coolant or something in the oil, it should have blown up, I would think, or at least started hammering bearings or something somewhere. It clunks a little at lights, but one of the alternator bolts is loose and when I tightened it last that went away, plus it's done that for at least 5,000 miles before that.
What weight oil are you using in the 350? Does the oil look at all milky color or a light grey? Jimbo
Intake/head gaskets sound like a logical starting point. If it's an aluminum intake, they're know to eat intake gaskets on high milers. Especially if the coolant hasn't been serviced at the suggested intervals.
What slowMotion said if it has dex cool most it's life more then likely the intake gaskets need to be replaced
I think you are seeing normal things and making them out to be more than they are. The oil level being 3-4" above the mark ? Well if that were truly the case, I highly doubt the engine would turn over if it did not without pushing massive amounts of oil out some place. You are talking about many quarts of oil or water to raise it that much. That is probably just oil splash on the stick. If stick is not covered and only on one side then its probably just picking up oil out of the dip stick tube. The oil additive "restore" will help increase compression and oil pressure if the engine isn't too far gone. The coolant level will fall at it cools, its supposed to create a vacuum and draw coolant from the over flow tank. If there's a break in that vacuum all it will do is push coolant at temp and suck air into the system. It will never burp itself. If its constantly loosing coolant without leaks it should be burning it and there would be evidence. Leaks can be tricky and subtle while parked. White smoke, stinky sweet exhaust, excess moisture dripping out the tailpipe. A cylinder balance test (canceling each and monitor R drop) should show a weak cylinder if there is one. 5000 miles on a noisy engine - well sounds like you think it's ready for the bone yard anyway. To find out its a loose alternator bolt after 5000 miles well, I don't know what to say about that.
If you are not loosing water, I would think your fuel pump is leaking gas in pan. Also is oil getting trapped in valve cover.
Like this ^^^ Easy to pull the valve cover to see if the oil drain-back holes are plugged or restricted. Not uncommon for something that sees mostly local driving. Also check that the PCV system is working properly and that the breather filter or hose isn't plugged. This helps keep contaminants out of the oil. Failing fuel pump diaphragm can put gas into the oil pan as can a choke that's not opening fully or other overly rich condition. You can usually smell fuel in the oil, especially if it's warm when you check it.
Hows it checking after changing the oil? How much oil came out in the pan and what did it look like? I first thought maybe it might be too full of oil and or coolant in the oil with stopped up oil returns in the heads causing the oil level to go down in the pan after running because of having oil trapped on top of the heads in the valve covers. Ive seen many stopped oil returns and Im not sure if yours does it but that will also cause one to smoke worse at start up especially if one has worn valve seals.
.... as far as the gas in the oil, I once had a old maverick that had a bad fuel pump that done that and one of my uncles suggested pulling the stick out and light it with a lighter to see if it burns on the stick and it did so yes I had gas in the oil....changed the pump and oil.
First post! New to U, otherwise as old as Methuselah. My tow, a "98" 2500K with 117K miles, is parked in the bone yard next to a 90 Chevy PU with 530K showing. They both suffer the same malady; damned leaky plumbing from a failed intake gasket. Bet if you lifted the driver side head you'd find a lot of gunk and one shiny piston crown. The PU will live to drive another day. Me? After throwing a rod I'm deciding whether to crate it or can it! The moral of the story is don't tempt fate when she comes knocking. The outcome could be fatal!
Sooooo- IFthe heads are holding enough oil to amount to 3-4 inches of extra reading on the dip stick, THEN it should read extra full after sitting, and read correctly after its running and the pump has filled the valve covers. However this is the opposite of what rusty said. Also it would smoke like hell either because of submerged valve guides or the Pcv valve sucking straight oil. IF the fuel pump was filling the crank case with fuel THEN the Crank case would remain full.
I think its normal. The cold weather increased the viscosity of the oil which prevented it from running off the dipstick as completely as it would in normal temps. I never read off the first pull anyway. Wipe it, reinstall and check it on the second pull. A little bit of excess in the tube from the first pull might still get on the stick, but if the oil isn't sludged up it will still read clearly.
No, when cold the oil is high, when hot, it's normal. But what I don't see is where more oil could have come from, after the fiasco with the radiator change and all (explained below) I checked it and it was still down enough I put a quart in it, and that was that. It predates Dex-Cool so far as I know, what came out was green and what I put back in is green. The rattle always has been the alternator - when I first got it, I was driving along and the alternator about burned up, locked up tight inside and ate the belt, so I put one I had handy on - a few years difference, and the rear bolt hole didn't line up. So it rattled a little on start up. I finally bought the right one in September and put it on, but I need to go out and get the right bolt now, I wasn't smart enough to thread it back in the alternator I pulled and the one I did use is too long; I put a couple washers under it but apparently it's worked itself loose again. When it was tight, no rattle. When loose, clunka-clunka-clunka that goes away if I take it out of gear. Worst case, I have another motor sitting on a pallet, although it sounds like I'd be smart to change the intake gaskets before running it. It's a tad newer and was a Dex-cool engine, plus I'd have to change some of the brackets and stuff on the front of the motor. But it came out of a vehicle I also drove until it died of rot and ran fine. All this crap started because a U-joint in the steering started to freeze up, and because it was erratic, I changed the power steering pump thinking that was the problem. Which turned into a radiator change because I managed to poke a hole in that. I had a radiator handy that is a H/D 4-row copper one where the stock one was a 3-row aluminum one, so I used that. The radiator change turned into a replace an oil cooler line because of the two, one twisted off. Which became wait four weeks and buy two lines to get the right one because that line is obsolete and nobody makes it aftermarket. Which became clean up the mess I made when I started it for the first time because I forgot to tighten the line up and it blew off and pumped about 4 quarts of oil onto the floor, and replace the oil that ran out. But it does not smoke that I can see, does not leak anything except the pinion seal, although when warmer it leaves wet drops under the overflow that I checked and they seemed to be water only, condensation off something or when it rains it's collecting in there someplace to drip out when I drive it. Which sounds wierd but the one I had before this was the same thing, a van, and once in the winter I start it up and it too makes a squeal and eats the belt before I can shut it back off. Lo and behold water had run down between the hood and cowl and formed an icicle onto the alternator which prevented it from turning. I get so I carry a spare belt all the time because I have such terrible luck with them. I drove the dang thing 2200 miles in a week on a vacation the end of September without a problem, with a lot of it highway miles.
This is a daily, but it has a 350 in it. Lately when cold I check the oil and it's way, way up on the dipstick, like 3-4 inches over the oil marks. I wipe it and check again and some oil is on it to the same level, although not coating it like when I first pull it. if its not complete coverage it's picking up residual oil from the tube When warm the oil level reads where it's supposed to, in the hash marks on the dipstick. Looks like the right color, smells normal, no obvious signs of trouble. So drain it cold, when the stick reads 3" above full and you should get about 2 gallons plus out.
FWIW, my experience with the failed intake gaskets was pre Dex-Cool era. Again, aluminum intake (tbi)/iron head, different heating/cooling properties. Lack of recommended coolant service, 117k miles, intake gaskets toast. Seen it more than once.
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